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Dobravishka Skaklya waterfall - the hidden jewel of the Ponor mountain

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Dobravishka Skaklya waterfall - the hidden jewel of the Ponor mountain


The village of Dobravitsa is one of the smallest villages in the municipality of Svoge, but it stands out with its incredibly beautiful nature and interesting tourist sites. It is about 1,000 meters above sea level and has very suitable air for people with lung diseases. From the upper hamlet of the village begins the eco-trail to the Stolo Rock Phenomenon (which I told you about in the previous article - here) and from the lower hamlet begins the eco-trail to the Dobravishka Skaklya waterfall. The interesting thing about this village is that, despite its location in the heart of the Ponor mountain, here many years ago it was the bottom of a sea. There is still the possibility of encountering fossils of shells, molluscs and more.
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How do you get to the waterfall?

The starting point of this transition is the village of Dobravitsa, and more precisely Dolna Dobravitsa, near Breze. It is located about 50 km from Sofia on the Sofia-Montana road, turning off towards Iskrets, and then before reaching Breze there is a steep turn-off up towards D. Dobravitsa. After the turnoff, the road is gravel to the village itself, and if you feel sorry for the car, I would recommend you leave it at a turnoff and walk. Information from the turnoff to the school in the village is about 1.8 km.
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How long is the hike to the falls?

From the school in the village to the waterfall is about 2 km. They are walked in 20-30 minutes at a normal pace. It goes along a wide dirt road and is very pleasant.
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How high is the waterfall?

Dobravishka Skaklya is about 20 meters high. What is very interesting about it is how the water breaks several times in the rocks and disperses before reaching the ground.


How long does it take?

For this walk I would recommend you would need between an hour and two. The waterfall is very beautiful and you will definitely be happy to be near it, but unfortunately there is no comfortable place to rest there.
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When is the best time to visit?

I would definitely recommend visiting it on a warm spring day or early summer. In this period, the waterfall is at its fullest and most beautiful. Of course, you can visit it in other seasons, but the jet will be much lighter and will not be so impressive.
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Is the path steep? Are there scary sections?

The trail is uphill, but I wouldn't call it steep. There are a few steeper places, but they are short and can be easily passed even by elderly people.
There are no scary sections or dangerous places, so there is no reason to worry.


Can I bring my dog?

Of course! The path is completely forested and your dog will be happy to run, enjoy the flowers and bugs that he will meet.
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Is there a convenient picnic spot nearby?

Unfortunately, the place under the waterfall was mainly rocks and it is not very level. There is a possibility to sit on the stones, but it is not the most comfortable place. A little before it there was something like a bench on the path, but it was broken.
I would recommend that you stop on the way back in the car and have a picnic somewhere more convenient.


What's interesting nearby?

  • The Stolo rock phenomenon - located very close and ideal for a combination. The road to Stolo starts in the upper hamlet of the village of Dobravitsa, and you can also go there on foot if you like walking. From Stolo there is an incredible view of the area. See more about this hike at this link.
  • The Vazov eco-trail and Skaklya waterfall near Bov station and village of Zasele - the eco-trail is steep, but the views are worth it. The waterfall is one of the highest in the country, and its spray will cool you down during the warmer months.
  • Ecopath "Under the Kamiko" - it starts from the Bov station and goes up. Very suitable for a spring walk, due to the many waterfalls along the trail. However, this also coincides with a rather muddy path next to them, but everything cannot be perfect.
  • Rock "Omega" - from the path to the Dobravishka skaklya waterfall (in the direction of the waterfall it shows on your right) you can see a huge rock crown - part of it resembles the Greek letter Omega and is named after it. I don't know if there is convenient access, but you can see it quite well from the trail.
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About my adventure

It was a wonderful sunny (with clouds and rain) weekend coming up and we decided to visit the beautiful Ponor mountain. I bought a booklet from the local tourist board and was looking forward to seeing some of the places in it. The plan was to visit Stolo and if we have time (and it doesn't rain) to combine it with Dobravishka Skaklya waterfall. I'm after knee surgery and was worried about how I would handle the hike, so we didn't have anything mandatory. We still managed to get to Stolo and despite almost wintry conditions at the top we got away with the rain. On the way down, the sun made it through the clouds and we decided it was the perfect time to visit the waterfall as well.
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After Stolo, we drove the car towards Dolna Dobravitsa - we took the steep turnoff from the main road and took the gravel road slowly towards the village. After a few minutes we arrived at the school and parked the car. We rinsed our faces at the fountain and walked along the marked trail to the waterfall (white-blue-white). From the school parking you could see a sign 1.7 kilometers to the waterfall. Couple hundred meters later we reached a bridge and on the left side and we could hear the water lapping - we saw the water coming down between the bushes and trees. There was a slight climb, but the path was very pleasant and green.
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We were chatting and we casually look up and see the waterfall in the distance cascading down the cliffs. Last 100 meters and the path becomes narrow and we can already hear the sound of falling water. We reach the waterfall and see how it is glowing from the sunlight and the water breaks in several places before reaching the bottom. We sat down by the rocks and I decided to get the drone out quickly to try and get some nice shots of the falls. The clouds had settled in the sky and sometimes they let the sun shine on us, then they hid it and it became cool.
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After about fifteen minutes, another group joined us under the spray of the waterfall. We were talking and they discovered a small rainbow that had formed in the pond under the water. Willy managed to catch the rainbow, and I was left with the agony of squatting and a picture without a rainbow.
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It was a beautiful spring day, full of excitement, pleasant hiking, beautiful scenery and unforgettable views. I can't wait for the next day like this!


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