Snezhanka (cave)

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This article is about the Bulgarian cave. For other uses, see Snezhanka (disambiguation).

Snezhanka (Bulgarian: Снежанка, "Snow White") is a cave located in the Rhodope Mountains, some 5 km away from the town of Peshtera, southern Bulgaria. In modern times it was discovered in 1961. Despite its low negotiability (about half an hour uphill), some of the most beautiful cave formations in Bulgaria can be seen inside. The cave is relatively small. It is only 145 metres long, with a constant annual temperature of 6°C, and was formed by the Novomahlenska River 3.5 million years ago.

The cave is rich in stalactites, stalagmites, draperies and little sinter lakes. It consists of several beautiful halls: Udders Hall, The Large Hall, The Music Hall, linked by the Toppling over which a metal bridge runs. In the Wonderful Hall, built by snow-white crystal sinter, nature has shaped a figure, often likened to the fairy tale character Snow White, after which the cave was named.

In the middle of the cave there are circular hearths, where animal bones and artifacts dating back to early Iron Age were discovered. The Thracians used the cave as a refuge from their enemies.

Snezhanka is among the 100 National Touristic Places of the Bulgarian Touristic Union. It is electrified and appropriate for tourism. The cave is open for visitors and has a summer working time 9:00 AM – 5:15 PM (Monday-Sunday), and a winter working time 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM (Monday-Friday).