For opera lovers, we’d like to share a 15 minutes video version of our two hour tour of the Magura Cave accompanied by excerpts from Wagner’s “Ring Cycle”, a production of Sofia Opera.
Magura Cave in Northwest Bulgaria is 25 km from the lovely town of Belogradchik. The cave is 2.5 km (1.6 mi) long, and is accessible to those who can mange stairs and some rough pathways, but it can be a bit chilly going in during the warm summer months – the average annual temperature is 12°C!
We toured the cave (summer 2017) when the Sofia National Opera was presenting scenes from Wagner’s “Ring” cycle as we progressed through the system. It began with a scene at the entrance, and continued throughout the approximately two hours we were underground, finishing with a finale and wine tasting outdoors at the cave’s exit.
A highlight of this guided tour was entry to the cavern of cave paintings dated between 10,000 and 8,000 years ago. This is not just a few faded images, but over 750 images, some of which have been identified as a solar calendar.
You can find more on our experience in: Prelude: Wagner in Magura Cave, Verdi in Belogradchik Fortress
Cheers!
Join the conversation around our e-Table