Bacho Kiro cave

Bacho Kiro cave sits on the northern edge of the Balkan Mountains, about five kilometres west of Dryanovo, and ranks among the most significant palaeolithic sites in southeastern Europe. Excavations in the 1970s and again from 2015 onward uncovered bone tools and personal ornaments attributed to anatomically modern humans dating back more than 45,000 years — placing the site among the earliest evidence of Homo sapiens anywhere in Europe. Visitors today can take guided tours through the lit cave system past stalactites and stalagmites, with well-marked hiking trails in the surrounding Dryanovo gorge leading onward to the medieval Dryanovo Monastery.