Chuprene: Caves, Protected Areas and Culture

• At 2,168 metres, Mount Midzhur is the highest point in Chuprene Municipality.
• Chuprene Nature Reserve covers 1,439.2 hectares and was established to protect Bulgaria’s northernmost coniferous forests of spruce and fir.
• The Levi and Desni Suhi Pech cave complex is protected as a natural landmark across 0.2 hectares in the area of Dolni Lom.

Chuprene Nature Reserve was established to protect Bulgaria’s northernmost coniferous forests of spruce and fir. A total of 68 bird species have been recorded in the reserve, including capercaillie, cinereous vulture, eagle owl and golden eagle. Chuprene Reserve is considered the only Bulgarian reserve permanently inhabited by wolves. Chuprene Forest Reserve was established in 1973 in the areas of the villages of Chuprene, Repliana, Gorni Lom and Stakevtsi.

The Natura 2000 designation is also useful for understanding the area: all settlements in Chuprene Municipality are within the West Balkan Mountains (BG 0002002) and Western Balkan Range and Pre-Balkan (BG 0001040) protected areas. The Lom River flows year-round and passes through the municipality. Chuprene’s protected areas, settlements and permanently flowing river are therefore distinct aspects of its landscape.

The Levi and Desni Suhi Pech cave complex in the area of Dolni Lom is protected as a natural landmark across 0.2 hectares. Its features include numerous pothole formations, sinter pools, cave niches and bat colonies. Geological formations and wildlife can be seen together here. In Protopopintsi, along the Chuprenska River, there are rare and representative rocky riverbanks and waterfalls. They are protected for their rarity, representative character and aesthetic qualities.

Mount Midzhur reaches 2,168 metres. It is both the highest point in Chuprene Municipality and the highest mountain in the northwestern part of the Balkan Mountains. These two facts place the same mountain in both a municipal and a regional context.

A municipal route description from 2013 names the Bekinska Shobarka and Martinov Kamak landscapes, at 1,300 metres, as the endpoints of the municipality’s eco-trails. If you are considering these routes for your plans, check their current condition locally before setting out.

The Assen Balkanski House Museum in Chuprene houses an ethnographic collection of objects from the domestic and working lives of the local population. In Gorni Lom stands the Church of St. Paraskeva, a 14th-century architectural and artistic cultural monument of national significance. The two sites offer different points of interest: a collection about everyday life on the one hand, and a medieval church building on the other.

Discover more destinations: Belogradchik, Bregovo and Vidin.

How large is Chuprene Nature Reserve?

It covers 1,439.2 hectares and was established to protect Bulgaria’s northernmost coniferous forests of spruce and fir.

What features do the Levi and Desni Suhi Pech caves have?

The protected cave complex in the area of Dolni Lom includes pothole formations, sinter pools, cave niches and bat colonies.

Which dates should you check for Mount Midzhur and the Turlak Folklore Festival?

The Turlak Folklore Festival “Kada kum prase i ti vrechu” takes place annually in Chuprene Municipality; check the exact dates before your trip. A tourism programme for 2015–2020 listed the traditional annual August ascent of Mount Midzhur and its inclusion in Bulgaria’s national tourism calendar. For current dates and trail conditions, check locally in advance.

For the broader travel overview: Vidin Province.