Wonderful Bridges

The Chudnite Mostove are two marble arches standing in a forested valley at about fourteen hundred metres in the western Rhodopes, formed when a river cut a cave system through the rock and most of the roof later collapsed, leaving these sections spanning the gorge. The larger arch is around fifteen metres wide and nearly a hundred long, high enough to walk under and across, with the stream still running beneath. The second is smaller and lower down and can be entered like a short tunnel. The surrounding forest is spruce and beech, and the road up from either side is winding. It is one of the standard destinations in the Rhodopes and is busy at weekends and through the summer.

What you actually see

• A hundred-metre marble arch - the larger bridge over the stream.
• The smaller lower arch - a short tunnel further down the gorge.
• The collapsed cave explanation - the roof that fell and left the spans.
• Spruce and beech forest - the valley the arches stand in.

When to go

May to October; snow closes the road in winter. Half a day including the drive. Weekends and summer are busy and the small area around the arches fills. Mornings are quieter.

Honest expectations

The roads up are narrow, winding and slow from either direction. The site is small and an hour covers it. Stalls and a car park sit right beside the larger arch. It is crowded at peak times and litter is a problem.

Nearby

Chepelare and Pamporovo are south; Bachkovo Monastery lies north.