Skaklya of Vratsa amazed the Turkish pasha with its beauty

The amazing beauty of Skaklya waterfall.

The name of the Skaklya waterfall in Vratsa is shrouded in a legendary halo. The locals tell a beautiful story: at the end of Turkish slavery, during a tiring campaign, the Ottoman army crossed the Balkans and fell asleep under the waterfall. In the morning, when the golden rays of the sun illuminated the foaming and leaping waters descending from the steep rocks, the Pasha (the leader of the army) stunned by this unprecedented beauty exclaimed: "Mashala, Skaklya!". The golden playful water reminded him of one of the women in his harem, who was a Balkan woman named Skaklya.

In the area of the waterfall are the remains of the medieval Bulgarian center of Patleina.

At the end of August 1872, Vasil Levski held a meeting with the local Revolutionary Committee in the Baira area.

The waterfall is located in one of the most picturesque parts of the Vrachan mountain, among centuries-old green forests and impenetrable rocks. Skalya  originates from the Patleina spring and the surrounding valleys and is 900 m above sea level. A characteristic feature of this natural phenomenon is its impermanence. It becomes full of water in the months of May and June, when, after the melting of the snow and rainfall, its flow rate reaches 200, and sometimes even 300 l/s. During the remaining months, its stream thins out and usually dries up completely in August and September. In winter, it freezes, accumulating huge amounts of ice formations, with various bizarre shapes. Then climbers practice the attractive but dangerous ice climbing. There are four caves in the waterfall area.

Its name comes from dial. skaklia - "jumping water, waterfall".

Interesting facts: In 1991, Petar Hristov, Georgi Chakalski and Yasen Hristov made two independent measurements of the waterfall using state-of-the-art alpine methods in order to specify its height - 141 m, and the width of the water strip - 20 m. According to Plamen  Petkov - head of cave club "Streshero" - Vratsa, the height of the waterfall is 148 m. With this height, the Vrachanska Skaklya has won the fame of the highest waterfall not only in the country, but also in the Balkans. 

There is another waterfall with the same name in Bulgaria. It is located in the Ponor mountain, above the Bov station and the village of Zasele, near the town of Svoge, and in the past was a favorite place of the folk poet Ivan Vazov. The story was published in the collection "God's Bridge", Vratsa, 2012. More legends that hide the sights of the Vratsa region can be read on the site: https://kartanavremeto-vratsa.org/.

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