Negovanka River winds its way through a narrow, steep-sided gorge cut. The sun is shining and burns our shoulders – it is not exactly the best time for photography. We are slowly walking along the edge of the rock. Standing on the edge, looking down in the gorge. It is scary. After a hundred meters we enter into the forest, we felt the chill and moist with the smell of rotten wood and earthworms. The previous day it had rained.
The small pathway led us to a bush with a sign “Forbidden passage over the bridge”, er… there were no bridges…, only bushes. We were confused and started looking for the bridge. After looking around we found a small footbridge just behind the bush. A footbridge between the rocks, over the Negovnka River. It was so unfair that we couldn’t go over the bridge and we missed its better times when passing had been possible.
Hanging around under the sun and kicking pebbles into the canyon, I didn’t forget to shoot with my photo camera and think about my next post in my blog … it looks so boring :). The small footbridges went from one side to another so temptingly unreachable. We heard noise from jumping water that filled us with hope that the waterfall is close. Here in the top we didn’t see waterfall, you can stare in the rock hole without realizing that you are looking into the waterfall. On the left you can see the plunge pool of the waterfall and on the right the upstream of Negovanka.
We entered the forest and started slipping down the wet ground on our way to the waterfall. We met some ectothermic reptiles but no worries, they were scared of us more than we were afraid of them. I decided to go first so the reptiles bite me if they decided to and we started stepping down the rocks until we reached a small wooden footbridge, luckily without any prohibition sign. The noise of the waterfall was clear and the Momin Skok waterfall was just in front of us.
A few days ago I uploaded a photo of this waterfall and many people said that they bathed in its foot. I really envied them because we hadn’t brought towels and bath suits and I couldn’t do the same. Actually I don’t mind taking off my clothes and jumping in the water but I’m not sure I have to entertain the other people doing this.
In the beginning there were no people but us around the waterfall but later they started coming in small groups and enjoy the beautiful view together with us. I don’t think I could re-create this view in words and photos. The small pool of the waterfall was standing between the cliffs. Everything is green – the water, the shore, and the small footbridge adds some human intervention to the picture.
With some reluctance we left this calm place where we met some nice people who asked us to take photos of them and some brave guys that decided to bathe in the waterfall. On our way back we enjoyed again the creative nature.
A few words about how to reach there:
– The trail is safe and easy to access, a part of it is sloping
– To reach the waterfall you have to walk about an hour
– The place is near the village of Emen, Veliko Tarnovo, and of course – Bulgaria.
– After the village of Emen, on the road to Pavlikeni, just after the graveyard, there is a lay-by leading to the cave in the foot of the canyon
– In the beginning of the trail, in a small pine forest, there is a small sign pointing to the waterfall
– You could probably reach the waterfall following the lay-by before Mihaltsi village (on the road from Veliko Tarnovo to Pavlikeni). But there was no canyon there
– The place is great for picnic and sunbaths
