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SOFIA
people such as Betty, Lubomir andEmilianare
taking this taskupon themselves, and
encouraging these kings of the skies to thrive
here, aswell as providing facilities to enable
the rest of theworld to learn to love these
uniquely fearsome creatures.
While the griffon continues to rummage
among the innards of thewolf carcass,
Lubomir and I decide tohead for another
wonder of the local landscape that’s a tadmore
demure. The ancient volcanic rock of the area
has produced the quite staggeringpink
andgold-huedphenomenon calledStone
Wedding, which is locatedoff aminor
roadnear the soporific townof Kardzhali.
Formedout of tufa rock over 40million
years ago, the shapes at first look like pawns in
ameltedSalvadorDalí-style chess set.
As the sun inches itswayupwards, they
slowly take on the formof a chaoticwedding
procession, with twoobelisk shapes at the front
looking like the bride andgroom. Local legend
has it that the couple, and thewholewedding
party, were turned into stone by a vengeful
god, because the groom’s father had sinnedby
coveting the bride for himself.
This story is typical of a folk culture that
is both deeply entrenched and fascinating
for outsiders, but life here is also hard. “It’s
easy to romanticise about this area,”
Lubomir says, “but the people here are very
poor. They are totally self-sufficient – they
don’t expect to be looked after, so they do
everything themselves.”
Fiercely independent and impervious to
change? Perhaps the people in this hidden
corner of Bulgaria and theit famous flying
neighbours have quite a lot in common?
Robwasaguest ofOdysseia-InTravel
(hiking-bulgaria.com), whichoffersactiveand
special-interest toursandwildlifeobservation in
BulgariaandtheBalkanPeninsula
Fortunately, a growing
band of people is
encouraging these
kings of the skies to
thrive in their region
The griffon vulture’s
wingspan can reach
2.8m;
below,
the Stone
Wedding, a rock
phenomenon that has
spawned the story of a
cursed bride and groom
RAREBREEDS
EURASIAN LYNX
Trek the forests of
Germany’s Saxon
Switzerland National Park,
a 36,000-hectare haven
for rare species including
otters, lynx and kingfishers.
Sandstone cliffs and gorges
provide stunning views.
An hour’s drive from
Dresden. tinyurl.com/
caratds
DOLPHINS
Although known more
for deserts andmountains
than seascapes, Morocco
is home to Al-Hoceima
National Park, where
dolphins and red coral
thrive. On land, meanwhile,
the park’s 470km
2
area
incorporates a hiking trail
that offers the chance
to spot ospreys.
3.5 hours’ drive fromFez.
visitmorocco.com
RED SQUIRREL
Almost eradicated by
greys, the red squirrel can
still be found in Scotland,
home to 75% of the UK’s
dwindling population. Spot
them at Craik Forest in the
Scottish Borders, where
mountain-bike trails lead to
secluded hides in the hills.
45 mins fromEdinburgh
airport. forestry.gov.uk
Where to trackdown
wildlifeacross
thenetwork
SIDEBAR EMMA FEATHERSTONE. PHOTOS ALAMY, COLIN LESLIE/ FORESTRY COMMISSION SCOTLAND
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