The spring with the dragon's head - Living water near the village of Bosnek
The spring with the dragon's head - Living water near the village of Bosnek
The spring with the dragon's head, the spring "Living Water" or the "Fountain of Happiness" are different names for this beautiful place near the village of Bosnek. It is located only 45 km from Sofia and is part of the eco-trail of the Bosnian Karst, which will tell you about the most interesting places in the region, plant and animal species found here, the history of the place and many other interesting things.
The trail takes about an hour and will take you to the spring with the dragon's head. The water is supplied by the Dobri Dol River, and the spring itself belongs to the so-called "sporadic" (intermittent) springs.
How do you get to the spring?
The village of Bosnek is located about 45 km from Sofia. Here I recommend you to leave the car in the parking lot on Zhiva Voda Street. In Google you can find it as "Parking for tourists in the village of Bosnek". There are about 10 places for cars and it is very nice to park.
If you do not have a car, you can travel by bus 18. It departs from the central railway station in Sofia and reaches the village of Bosnek in about 45 minutes.
From the parking lot, continue along Zhivata Voda Street until you leave the village. Then go on a wide road to the spring. Soon a stake marker (stakes with numbers) appears, which will accompany you to a fork with a large sign. There you take the path to the right to the "Living Water" spring.
How long is the trail?
The path from the village to the fountain is about 5 km long. At a leisurely pace and stopping for photos, we managed it in about an hour and a bit.Is there a convenient picnic spot nearby?
Picnic tables have been set up in several places along the trail, and at the end of the trail, right next to the Living Water spring, there is a shelter with tables and a barbecue, where you can even cook your food.
Is it steep? Are there scary areas?
The trail is extremely easy and pleasant. There are no steep sections and large climbs. The only obstacle is that you have to cross the river on the rocks from time to time because the path is slightly occupied by the river.Can i take my dog
Of course! During the walk we met many people with dogs and they all looked terribly happy. Our dog Jerry had a lot of fun and occasionally took a dip in the river to cool off.
Does the place have a curious history?
Oooh, yes! I'm glad he asked. There are legends about this source that it can sense whether a person is good or bad. In front of good people the water flows strongly, and in front of bad people it stops completely. During our visit, the water flowed heavily and even spewed through his nostrils.
"The Fountain of Happiness"
Years ago, the Ottoman travel writer Evliya Celebi called the spring the "Fountain of Happiness". According to folk beliefs, the spring has healing powers and to this day you can see people who travel far to it to seek healing.
What's interesting nearby?
If you continue a hundred meters up the path above the spring with the dragon you will reach the "Cave of St. Ivan Rilski". According to a sign in front of the entrance "in this cave St. Ivan Rilski for the first time sought solitude with God". An icon of the Mother of God is placed in the cave. You can view it by lighting it with your phone's camera. The cave is not very long and despite its low entrance from the inside it becomes a little higher and you can see it slightly bent.
For my adventure
It was around Easter and Vili and I had a day off. I have been watching the path to the Living Water spring for a long time, because it was Vili's dream to visit it and I wanted to surprise her. We left without telling her anything, but after we took the highway to Bosnek, she immediately understood and was very excited. We stopped at the "tourist" parking lot on Zhivata Voda Street and walked along it to the exit from the village. Along the way we were impressed by many of the nice houses / villas around and discussed how we will have such house one day.
Our dog Jerry enjoyed the freedom and we had a little greetings (barking) from the dogs around. We left the village and walked along the path. Shortly afterwards we stopped to take pictures on the sign for Vitosha Nature Park.
There were a lot of information boards along the way (I think 10 in number) and we often stopped to read what is interesting in the area. It turned out that "wild garlic" grows near Bosnek and we were happy and excited. A little later we managed to find it by the river. We packed a small bag and were glad we would eat a fresh salad when we get home.
The river however that wound its way out of its bed and was moving in our path. We had to go through the forest several times to keep our feet dry. For Jerry the overflowing river was another reason to get wet and cool on a warm day.
In several places we stop for a short time to enjoy the spring flowers, which have bloomed beautifully and make our experience even more wonderful.
Somehow we quickly found ourselves on the big meadow and saw the sign for the fork. We took the right turn and crossed the river. Infront of us we could see the spring and the running water. A few steps, a little hill and here we are.
Legend has it that the spring flows only in front of good people, but here before us the water flows violently and overflows even through the nose of the dragon. We are happy! The beautiful fountain takes us to the tales of dragons, golden apples and other legends. We dream for a moment and sit down to rest on the benches nearby. We talk to a couple of men and women sitting next to us and exchange experiences for adventure places. After a short break we decide to continue up the path and see where it continues.
Not long after we reach a small waterfall with an icon in front of it. A little higher there is a slab and a hole. We read that this is the cave where St. Ivan Rilski sought solitude. We enter through the narrow hole to look and it turns out that the cave is not as low and dark as it seems. We calm down for a moment to enjoy and go outside.
According to the signs, the eco-trail of the Bosnian Karst is 10 km long and circular, and so far we have covered only 5 km. We try to find where the trail continues, but unsuccessfully and decide to go back the same way. On the way back we decided to try another trail and get lost in the woods. A little later we return to the right path and catch up with a group of people with a dog. We go along with them and start chatting and here we are already at the village.
Ehh, that walk just slipped out so quick. We will have to come back again.
Until new meetings, "Living Water" spring
until new meetings, Bosnek village
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