Pobiti Kamuni was the first place in Bulgaria to be officially declared a protected nature preserve, in 1937. The most often-visited part is the Dikilitashki Rocks, a group of about 300 pillars that are the most spectacular and easiest to reach.
Beautiful and surreal, just 11 miles away from Varna, there stands a stone forest. And just like anything else that lacks a rational explanation, the origins of Pobiti Kamuni are shrouded in mystery and legend.
Pobiti Kamuni (literally "Stones Beaten Into The Ground") has been a spiritual site since time immemorial. In the 1950s, archeologists discovered settlements from the Early Stone Age, not far from this spot. Today, the only thing on which scientists agree is the time period when the stone pillars were formed: during the Eocene, 50 million years ago, when southeastern Europe was indeed at the bottom of the sea. As a result of their long exposure to the elements, they have acquired some fantastic shapes, resembling animals, birds, and people.