Mushroom shapes
Stems and caps.
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The Stone Mushrooms are natural mushroom-shaped rock formations about 1 km north of the village of Beli Plast in southern Bulgaria, right beside the road between Haskovo and Kardzhali, some 17 km northeast of Kardzhali in a straight line. Locals call the spot Mantarkaya. Erosion carved the rocks out of rhyolitic volcanic tuff. Their pink colour comes from the mineral clinoptilolite, the blue and black spots from manganese nodules, and a greenish tint from the mineral celadonite. The 3-hectare area that holds them was declared a protected natural landmark on 13 May 1974. The rocks stand up to about 2.5 to 3 metres tall, each a slender pinkish-white stem carrying a broad, dark cap of rock, like giant mushrooms sprouting from pale stony ground. Shrubs and low hills surround them, and birds such as the short-toed snake eagle, Egyptian vulture and red-rumped swallow can be seen here. Visitors walk among the rocks and photograph them from different angles; the site is small and easy to reach from the road. Take care not to climb on the fragile rock, and come early in the morning or before sunset, when the light brings out the colours.
Stems and caps.
Pink and green.
Eagles and vultures.
North of Beli Plast village, on the Haskovo–Kardzhali road, Bulgaria
Yes, right beside the road.
No, the rock is fragile.