Kumanitsa is a water cave in the Troyan Balkan, Troyan municipality, in the Steneto reserve of the Central Balkan National Park. The entrance is on the left bank of the Kumanitsa river, in the narrowest part of its canyon, above the Golemiya Kazan waterfall. The cave is 1,656 m long and 104 m deep.
Underground rivers flow along its two main galleries and join. The one from the entrance is small and may dry up in dry weather. The inner one, coming from a sump, is large — around 300–400 litres a second. With more water, the steps in the passage turn into hard waterfalls. The galleries pass halls with flowstone, draperies, stalactites, stalagmites, columns and rimstone pools, and the main one ends in a deep lake and a sump. There is also an upper level that is not yet fully explored. The water comes out at the Kumanitsa karst spring, about 4 km from the entrance, which is tapped to supply Pleven, Lovech and Troyan.
The first entry and survey were made in 1962 by the Akademik student caving club, Sofia, and exploration continues today.
Kumanitsa is not a tourist site. Only cavers may enter, and only with prior approval from the Ministry of Environment and Water and the Central Balkan National Park directorate. Offenders are fined — the cave is also inside the protection zone of a drinking-water spring. The entrance, 2.5 by 2.5 m, is just a metre above the river. In spring snowmelt and heavy rain water floods in and entry is impossible.
Cherni Osam is about 12 km from Troyan, around 20 minutes by car. The Kumanitsa canyon is inside the Steneto reserve — keep to the park’s marked trails there.
Lovech region
1.0 km away
Lovech region
2.3 km away
Lovech region
6.5 km away
Kumanitsa Cave is located in Lovech, Bulgaria.
Kumanitsa Cave is most easily reached by car. Use the coordinates above to navigate, or open the location in OpenStreetMap or your preferred maps app for turn-by-turn directions. Public transport options vary by region — for remote destinations a rental car gives the most flexibility.
Caves can be visited year-round — the temperature inside stays roughly 10–12°C regardless of season. Spring and autumn are quieter than peak summer. Bring a warm layer and sturdy footwear; some caves close in winter when access roads become impassable.
Access to caves varies. Show caves typically run guided tours during posted opening hours; wild caves require proper equipment and experience. Inside, the temperature stays cool year-round (~10–12°C) — bring a warm layer, sturdy non-slip footwear, and a torch even on guided tours.
