Vishovgrad

The third waterfall in terms of distance north-west of Veliko Tarnovo is Vishovgrad (‘Zarapovo’). Hotnitsa (because of the turquoise waters) and Emen (because of the canyon that precedes the waterfall) may take the fame, but do not underestimate the charms of this waterfall 3 km east of Vishovgrad, on the road between this village and the village of Emen. This waterfall can be visited on the same day as Emen since Emen is only 4 km further east.

To get there, follow the instructions for getting to the village of Emen. Once you arrive in the main square in Emen, continue for another 200 m, until you reach a crossroads. The road to Vishovgrad is on the right. After 400 m, you will see the dirt track leading to the start of the ecopath to Emen Waterfall on the right. Stay on the main road. After another 3 km, you will pass a factory on your right, and 600 m later, where there is a bend in the road, you will see two white signs on the right, with a dirt track leading into the forest. This is Zarapovo. You can park the car on the verge. The ‘ecopath’ (any path in nature seems to be termed thus) heads to the right and in only five minutes takes you to the waterfall.

The path divides. The left fork takes you through some trees to the bottom of the waterfall. The right fork takes you round the rock and over a wooden bridge to the top of the waterfall. The area below the waterfall is ideal for rest and relaxation. There are even several smaller falls further downstream.

These three waterfalls are all worth a visit – Hotnitsa because of its turquoise waters and the ‘ecopath’ up the gorge; Emen because of the canyon; and Vishovgrad because of its charm. I found Vishovgrad the most restful. Even though there were lots of people about (on a Saturday), everybody was very friendly!

If you’re travelling to or from Sofia, there is no need to go via Emen and Veliko Tarnovo. Travelling east on the E772, 14 km after Sevlievo, there is a turning on the left for Dobromirka (4 km) and Pavlikeni/Suhindol (25 km). Take this turning, ignore the signs for Suhindol, follow the signs for Pavlikeni. Vishovgrad is situated 11 km before Pavlikeni. Turn right here, at the main square of the village, and in 3 km you will reach the waterfall.

The ecopath from the road to the waterfall is so short you can see the end, where the tree is.

At the end, you are standing on a rock above the river. Down below is the wooden bridge that takes you to the top of the waterfall.

On your left is the path through some trees to the bottom of the waterfall.

The waterfall, which seems to me to resemble a seated figure.

A smaller fall further downstream – looking back up to the main waterfall.

A view of the wooden bridge from the other side of the river, and the rock where you arrive after you leave your car.

Emen is the second of three waterfalls that lie north-west of the medieval capital Veliko Tarnovo – Hotnitsa, Emen and Vishovgrad. What sets Emen apart is the canyon with the river Negovanka at its bottom. Just before the Negovanka forms a large reservoir, there is a ten-metre waterfall called ‘Momin Skok’, meaning ‘Maiden Jump’ – as with Ovchartsi Waterfall in Rila, this refers to the legend of young girls jumping to their death in order not to be forcibly converted to Islam during the Ottoman occupation of Bulgaria (14th-19th centuries).

To get there from Veliko Tarnovo, take the main road to Sofia (E772) and after 20 km turn right for the village of Balvan. Follow the road to the centre of this village and then turn right for Emen (8 km). Be careful because there is a sign for Emen in Balvan that has been turned back to front and seems to indicate that you should go straight ahead when the road veers left. This is not the case. The road veers left and after a short while you reach the centre of the village.

Here you turn right and after 8 km arrive in Emen. The road takes you over a bridge on the river Negovanka and immediately you arrive at a small square opposite the town hall where you can park the car. There is also drinking water. A smaller road leads to the right, following the left bank of the river. The road becomes a dirt track and then a path. After fifteen minutes, you reach a wooden suspension bridge over the river, but you stay on the left bank. The path climbs up to another dirt track, which then leads on your right to the beginning of the ecopath, where there is a cave. The cave is 3 km long and is home to various species of bat. In communist times, it was used as an arms depot for a military base located directly above it.

The ecopath is said to have been the first in Bulgaria and was created in 1992, shortly after the fall of communism. I think the initial idea was to follow the course of the river at the bottom of the gorge, but the wooden bridges crisscrossing the river have long since succumbed to the elements, which is a shame, and now the ‘ecopath’ actually runs along the top of the canyon on the left. From the beginning of the ecopath, where the cave is, to the waterfall is about forty minutes. The path takes you up to the top of the canyon and then winds along the edge, in amongst trees. After about thirty minutes, the path divides, but it doesn’t matter which branch you take – one continues among the trees, the other skirts the precipice. The path then descends to the left (this is clearly marked by blue arrows) to rejoin the river at the bottom. Turn right, and you will arrive at the waterfall in five minutes. You can hear the waterfall from the top of the gorge.

It is possible to drive to the start of the ecopath. Continue past the main square in Emen and after about 200 m you will reach a crossroads. Turn right, and just as you are leaving Emen, a dirt track forks off to the right, leading to the ecopath. Continue along this road, without taking the dirt track on your right, and in a short while you will reach the waterfall of Vishovgrad, ‘Zarapovo’. Both waterfalls can easily be visited on the same day since they are only a short distance apart.