The town of Vratza is located in the foothills of “Vrachanski Balkan” (Balkan Mountain), 112 kilometers from the capital Sofia. It is positioned in an area with attractive natural features, diverse rock formations, caves and overhanging cliffs that make it ideal for rock climbing and hiking. The city is minutes away from the magnificent “Vratsata” gorge and “Ledenika” cave. It is also the city of revolutionary poet Hristo Botev and the starting point of the route to Mt. Okolchica during the “Days of Botev”. Vratza is also near “Skaklia” waterfall, the second highest in the country, as well as “Parshevitsa” chalet and its well maintained ski tracks.

One of Vratza’s main attractions is the “Vratsata” gorge where the Leva River cuts through the mountain and forms a magnificent passage with walls as high as 400 meters. The area is host to many international competitions in rock climbing, paragliding, hang gliding and other extreme mountain sports that attract tourists and enthusiasts from all over Europe.

The mountain region surrounding Vratsa, with more than 500 caves, is also a well known destination for speleological tourism both for recreation and scientific study. The most frequently visited is the “Ledenika” cave, situated 16 kilometers from Vratsa. It features an abundance of galleries and impressive karst formations, dating back a thousand years. Its entrance is located at an altitude of 830 meters and in winter and spring the entrance hall fascinates with ice crystal formation, which gave the name of the cave.