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

Bulgaria Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedo ...

, situated in a Karst valley. The park is spread over 10 km² and is surrounded by sheer cliffs that suggest favourable conditions for rock climbing. 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 ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

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 ...

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

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

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, when on a two-wheeled bicycle, called bicycling or biking, is the use of cycles for transport, recreation, exercise or sport. People engaged in cycling are referred to as "cyclists", "bicyclists", or "bikers". Apart from t ...

, kayaking, rock climbing,

fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment, but may also be caught from stocked bodies of water such as ponds, canals, park wetlands and reservoirs. Fishing techniques inclu ...

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

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