Stob Pyramids

16 km north of Blagoevgrad and several km before the town of Rila, the village of Stob stands proudly in nearness to its famous pyramids of Stob – a top natural phenomenon and an attractive Bulgarian tourist sight. They are exceptionally beautiful and elegant earthen pyramids that finish with rounded rocky blocks (120-80сm) on their tops making them resemble mushrooms. Situated in the southwestern section of the Rila Mountain, the Stob Pyramids were proclaimed a natural landmark in 1964. These unique rock formations of rusty-brown, reddish and dark-yellowish colors are moulded in up to 40 m thick drifts. Most of the formations have pyramidal or conical shapes. They have been formed as a result of strong winds occurring together with rains, erosion, and weathering processes.

They are divided by the local people into several different groups: Samodivski Komini (Nymphs’ Chimneys), Choukite (Rocky Peaks), Kouklite (the Dolls), Bratyata (The Brothers), Zuberite (the Pinnacles), Svatovete (the In-Laws). Behinds the names of many of them there are legends that the locals would be pleased to tell the visitors. Due to their location (facing the west), the Stob Pyramids are especially beautiful when seen during sunset or covered with moonlight. Although the Stob Pyramids are not as famous as the Melnik Pyramids, they are just as beautiful as them (some say even more). Moreover, some nature-lovers compare them in beauty to the Tirol Pyramids in the Alps.