The road to Yagodina runs through the longer but less precipitous Buzhnov Gorge , past the mouth of a side-canyon that's great for hiking and caving. Only 2km long and 2-4m wide, the Haidushki dol (Outlaws' Ravine) ascends in cascades to its watershed between two peaks connected by a natural rock bridge called the Devil's Bridge , after a legend that only he can cross it. This wild karst terrain abounds in caves - 102 have been found so far - which are mostly only accessible to cavers. However, Kotse can arrange a trip to the Haramiiska Cave (around US$15 per person) that needs more nerve than skill, where you crawl into one chamber before being lowered 42m in a harness into another cavern - an awesome but safe experience, as the guides take every precaution.

The Yagodina Cave ( Yagodinska Peshtera ), 2km up the road, is an established attraction, with 45-minute tours (Wed-Sun 9am-5pm) covering 1km of the 10km labyrinth, the largest cave-system in Bulgaria. You'll need warm, waterproof clothing, as the temperature is 6ºC and water drips constantly, enlarging the stalactites at a rate of one centimetre every fifty to a hundred years. Don't miss the cave pearls formed by drops falling on tiny pebbles, gradually coating them with a lustrous shell; and the Devil's Face on the wall, which bears an uncanny resemblance to Old Nick. Look out also for the Newlyweds formation, where 21 weddings have taken place between Bulgarian caving enthusiasts, who also host an annual Speleologists party in the cave on January 1.

While the lowest of the cave's three levels was flooded 300,000 years ago, the uppermost later served as a Prehistoric Cave-dwelling , where excavations have unearthed Stone and Bronze Age kilns, potsherds and grindstones that can be seen in situ after finishing the tour of the lower cave. It's thought that groups of 20-30 people lived here, using several hearths as the direction of the draught varied with the seasons, blowing in the mouth of the cave or out of a hole at the back. Head down the road past the entrance to the lower cave, cross a wooden bridge and then a concrete one to regain the road to Yagodina, which is all uphill but has a path that cuts the walk to under an hour. Hikers refresh themselves at a cheshma inscribed with a paen to water by Saint-Exupéry, before entering YAGODINA , a purely Pomak village with a smart new mosque. Visitors can stay at the small Iglika chalet (tel 030419/372 or 312; US$9-18) in the hills, or the more comfortable Snezhana (same number; US$18-36), which can organize fishing and riding trips, as well as some live folk music. Both have cooking facilities, though meals can be arranged on request. Alternatively, you could hike to Trigrad (1hr 45min) and sleep there. To get to Trigrad, continue straight ahead on entering the village, past the post office, till you see a barn. The path beside it joins a track that soon reaches the junction of many paths; the one to the right that disappears behind a rock leads to a wide highland meadow, where you pick up a trail near the left-hand scarecrow, which, after an uphill slog, levels out in the woods. Turn left when you come to a broad path and you'll start descending the heights above Trigrad, to enter the village near the Silivriak Hotel .