Ritlite Rock Formations (The Racks)

Ritlite rock formations are situated west of the village of Lyutibrod, on the two valley slopes of the Iskar defile. They are shaped like parallel rock walls, which from far stick up exactly like the racks of a car, which is where their name came from. The most impressive among them are the four racks, situated on the left shore of the Iskar river. They gradually grow in height, starting from 50-80m and reaching 200m above the river. In ancient times, the Romans used these rock formations to block the way leading to the Iskar defile. According to one old legend, there was an iron gate here once, which closed the way to the ancient Bulgarian fortress of Serdika. There are many places of historical and natural interest around the defile – the old Bulgarian town of Koritengrad, in which region have been found 9 medieval Bulgarian churches; the historical Rashov dol; the Big Chukla; The Cherepish monastery. Nowadays, Ritlite are a popular climbing and tourist destination. They were officially declared natural phenomenon in 1938.