Pobiti Kamani

The Pobiti Kamani, the stone forest, are groups of stone columns standing in sandy ground west of Varna, up to about seven metres high and often hollow, some cylindrical and some tapered, scattered across several fields over a wide area. They are not carved and not petrified trees: the accepted explanation is that they formed underground in a sandy layer around fifty million years ago, probably around methane seeps where carbonate cemented the sand into pillars, and were exposed later when the softer material around them eroded away. The main accessible group is beside the Varna to Sofia road with a marked path through it. The ground between them carries a distinctive sand-adapted flora and is a protected area.

What you actually see

• Hollow stone columns in sand - up to seven metres and often open inside.
• Several separate groups - fields of pillars scattered across the area.
• Sand-adapted flora - the plants growing between the columns.
• The methane seep explanation - the accepted account of how they formed.

When to go

April to October. Two hours. Morning and late light are much better than midday, which flattens the columns. Summer heat on the open sand is severe with no shade.

Honest expectations

There is no shade at all and the sand reflects heat. The site is beside a busy main road. Interpretation is limited. Only the main group is easily accessible; the others need directions and a car. It is smaller than photographs suggest.

Nearby

Varna is east; Beloslav lake lies south.