Kaylaka ( ) is a large park and protected area south of

Pleven Pleven ( ) is the seventh most populous city in Bulgaria. Located in the northern part of the country, it is the administrative centre of Pleven Province, as well as of the subordinate Pleven municipality. It is the biggest economic center in ...

Bulgaria Bulgaria, officially the Republic of Bulgaria, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern portion of the Balkans directly south of the Danube river and west of the Black Sea. Bulgaria is bordered by Greece and Turkey t ...

, situated in a

Karst Karst () is a topography formed from the dissolution of soluble carbonate rocks such as limestone and Dolomite (rock), dolomite. It is characterized by features like poljes above and drainage systems with sinkholes and caves underground. Ther ...

valley. The park is spread over 10 km² and is surrounded by sheer cliffs that suggest favourable conditions for

rock climbing Rock climbing is a climbing sports discipline that involves ascending climbing routes, routes consisting of natural rock in an outdoor environment, or on artificial resin climbing walls in a mostly indoor environment. Routes are documented in c ...

. The ruins of the

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of Roman civilization *Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...

fortress of

Storgosia Storgosia was a Roman road station and later a fortress, located in the modern Kaylaka Park in the vicinity of modern Pleven (North-central Bulgaria). It accommodated detachments of Legio I ''Italicas Novae (modern Svishtov) garrison. The st ...

are located in Kaylaka, as well as ponds and reservoirs with boats and

pedalo A pedalo (British English), pedal boat (U.S. English), or paddle boat (U.S., Canadian, and Australian English) is a human-powered watercraft propelled by the action of bicycle pedal, pedals turning a paddle wheel. Description A pedalo is ...

s, a swimming pool, hotels, cafés, restaurants, discothèques and playgrounds. The place is suitable for different outdoor activities including

jogging Jogging is a form of trotting or running at a slow or leisurely pace. The main intention is to increase physical fitness with less stress on the body than from faster running but more than walking, or to maintain a steady speed for longer periods ...

cycling Cycling, also known as bicycling or biking, is the activity of riding a bicycle or other types of pedal-driven human-powered vehicles such as balance bikes, unicycles, tricycles, and quadricycles. Cycling is practised around the world fo ...

kayaking Kayaking is the use of a kayak for moving over water. It is distinguished from canoeing by the sitting position of the paddler and the number of blades on the paddle. A kayak is a low-to-the-water, canoe-like boat in which the paddler sits fac ...

fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment (Freshwater ecosystem, freshwater or Marine ecosystem, marine), but may also be caught from Fish stocking, stocked Body of water, ...

, and many others. Kaylaka is masterfully modeled by nature. It is located on about 10 thousand cedars in the karst valley of the river Touchenitsa. For centuries the river has cut through the limestone rocks and formed a small gorge with parallel vertical cliffs, 20-30 meters high from each other at a distance of 100-150 meters. The natural canyon of the river is home to rich and diverse flora and fauna, where plants unique to

and the

Balkan Peninsula The Balkans ( , ), corresponding partially with the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throug ...

are found, and many of the birds and mammals are included in the Red Book of Bulgaria. Prehistoric animals and creatures lived there millions of years ago, and fossils of ancient aquatic organisms can still be seen in most limestone cliffs. With the naked eye you can see the decline of the world's oceans over the millennia as shaped floors on the rocks and many caves. Himalayan pines, rare in

, grow in the central part of the park. And inside is a small grove planted with evergreen Lebanese cedar. Huge chestnuts bloom and smell on both sides of the central alley. These and other diverse tree species enrich the landscape of the park. Kailaka

Arguably the most important figure with connection to the park is General Lieutenant Ivan Vinarov, the first chairman of an initiative committee which set up the Kaylaka People's Park at the place of the Sokol Hunting Park in 1946. Under Vinarov the protected park territory was enlarged almost four times and several reservoirs were constructed. The park's name stems from the

Ottoman Turkish Ottoman Turkish (, ; ) was the standardized register of the Turkish language in the Ottoman Empire (14th to 20th centuries CE). It borrowed extensively, in all aspects, from Arabic and Persian. It was written in the Ottoman Turkish alphabet. ...

''kayalık'', meaning "a rocky place".kayalık teriminin Türkçe İngilizce sözlükte anlamı
seslisozluk.net

References

Parks in Bulgaria Pleven Geography of Pleven Province Tourist attractions in Pleven Province {{Pleven-geo-stub