Biserna Cave has received approval to become part of the 100 National Tourist Sites of Bulgaria. The decision was made at today's meeting of the Coordination Council of the "100 National Tourist Sites" Movement, which was attended by Vladimir Yolov, representative of the initiative committee for including the cave in the network of sites.
In connection with the decision, it is expected that the Shumen Plateau Nature Reserve will receive official documents regarding the next steps that need to be taken.
The initiative committee that implemented the idea includes arch. Valeriy Kolev - chairman of the association "United for Shumen", Vladimir Yolov - municipal councilor and chairman of the association "Seventh Infantry Preslav Regiment", and Angel Filipov - chairman of the tourist association "Madarski Konnik". Assistance was provided by the DPP "Shumensko Plateau", the municipality of Shumen and the Regional Inspectorate for Environment and Water Shumen.
The National Council of the "100 National Tourist Sites" Movement is chaired by the Minister of Culture, and the members include representatives from the Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Regional Development, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Environment and Water and other organizations.
Pearl Cave is an integral part of the natural wealth of the Shumen plateau and is a valuable element of the park's ecosystem. As the longest cave in the region, it is distinguished by exceptional rock formations, an underground river, and is also a habitat for 14 species of bats. According to recent studies, bat species winter in it, which are of exceptional importance for the biodiversity in the region and are an indicator of the quality of the forests. In this sense, the cave is not only a tourist, but also a scientifically and ecologically significant site.
The Directorate of the Shumen Plateau Nature Reserve makes constant efforts to protect and sustainably manage natural resources, with Biserna occupying a special place among them. We believe that the visiting regime in the cave – only in spring and autumn – is an example of real conservation tourism. Access is consistent with the life cycle of the protected species of bats and is in accordance with the Management Plan of the Shumen Plateau Nature Reserve, as well as with the opinions of scientists from the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences.
We believe that the inclusion of Biserna Cave in the list of 100 national tourist sites will help promote it, increase commitment to its preservation, and contribute to the development of environmentally friendly tourism in the region.