Madara Horseman

The best historical landmark I've seen recently. It is a whole park with different points of interest, also several trekking paths are starting from there. There are places of energy one can feel. The caves are breathtaking, You need to spend more time there. The rock chapel is also incredible. A must see.

An ancient Bulgarian site that is worth visiting. Take the hike to the top of the hill for a beautiful view of the area.

The basorelieph is impressive. However, it worths to visit, too, the fortress (with the beautiful secret path) and the caves (with much history).

I recommend you to visit the Madara Cavalry, which is one of the important ruins of Bulgarian history, with historical information.
I am sure that you will enjoy walking in touch with nature. I like it very much, it was very nice.

Great place to come visit for a few hours. Many things to see besides the horseman. There are caves, pagan shrine and the fortress at the top for those who like climbing. Very interesting.b

Place of great historical value and excellent location for family recreation. Dramatic view from the plateau above the boulder. Have your phone / camera battery fully charged for memories to last!

Very nice historical park, including some great nature spots for relaxation and climbing, hiking. Do not miss the several springs, the view from the Matora fortress, the sequoia planted by the last (in reign) Bulgarian king Boris III.

We stopped on our road trip at Madara Horseman and were pleasantly surprised by the park with the monument as well as other historic items/features. It is worth visiting and one would need a few hours to enjoy all the items of interest. To see the Madara Rider or Madara Horseman, an early medieval large rock relief carved on the Madara Plateau east of Shumen in northeastern Bulgaria, near the village of Madara, one needs to walk up about 300+ steps. The monument is dated in the late 7th or early 8th century AD during the reign of Bulgar Khan Tervel. In 1979 rightfully so it became enlisted on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The sites are dispersed throughout the park and require walking up and down the steps sometimes relatively long distances but absolutely worth it. It is also only such carving of its kind in the whole Europe. Highly recommend.

Magical place. Small cave has special atmosphere. Rider of Madera is smaller than expected but nine the less beautiful. View from fortress on top is totally worth the climb.

Absolutely magnificent!
The complex is very well maintained! Everything is breathtaking and beautiful! The museum is quite small, yet informative. In the new building across the street they show short video for the history of the area, available on different languages. I recommend you to take the right path from the entrance, not going straight up the stairs to the Horseman. That way first you will enjoy the caves area and after that go to the monument. The area around the caves is so peaceful and cool! There are beautiful vegetation everywhere and a lot of small animals (like lizards, variety of birds). The Madara horseman is quite impressive. It's carved pretty high on the rock. The best view is at the afternoon, when the sun is towards the monument. The rock is shining then. There are signs and information tablets everywhere, so you can't get confused. After enjoying the Horseman the pathway will lead you to a stairway (more than 300 stairs I think?), leading to the top of the plateau where the Madara fortress is. The views from the top, I can not describe! If you are fit enough I recommend you going up! There are benches scattered on the way up, so you can take a rest! Enjoy, and don't forget on your way down to take the right path and visit the old shrine, as well as the ruins!

If you want to have a nice walk full of history and breathtaking views, then this is the place!

Beautiful place. A lot of history. Make sure that you have enough spare time. Besides the Madara horsemen there are bunch of interesting things to see around. Like the caves near by. The little chapel. The ancient tomb. The fortress (it is all the way up the mountain and a lot of stairs. So get ready for long climb if you want to see it).

Amazing place, beautiful nature, eco path in the forest and breathe taking views.

There is a parking area just at the entrance. Gotta visit also the fortress located on top of the hill and the cave.

Location offers much more to find out on site, totally worth it, especially if you're a thracian history lover! Also, perfect day-trip from seaside on a rather cloudy day.

This location close to Shumen offers multiple activities and spectacular views, especially from the location above the Madara Horseman, where it is located the Madara Fortress.

Nice historical place and walking/hiking area

It is so small from distance and yet it's so powerful! So much history!
I'll be back with the rest of the family!
It's a must!

The Madar horseman is the only rock relief in Europe from the early Middle Ages. It is located about one and a half kilometers from the village of Madara and 20 km from Shumen. The relief, carved 23 meters high on the sheer wall of the Madar Plateau, depicts a life-size horseman in motion, an eagle flying beside him, a dog following the horseman and a lion impaled by a spear. Each of these images carries a rich heraldic content. The composition symbolizes a Bulgarian ruler triumphing over his enemies. The details in the image give us the courage to believe that it was created in the 8th - 9th century - it is usually associated with Khan Tervel. Several inscriptions around the relief confirm the thesis of its proto-Bulgarian origin.

Ticket:7 leva

If you want to see Madera Rider be prepared for some solid stair climbing before you are able to. My initial reaction, when we got to the top, was „so where’s the rider?“. I wasnt sure at first if we’ve reached it and it really took me some time to spot the relief. It’s very high up (about 20m) and far away, so i had to take picture and zoom it to appreciate the details. But it is definately a unique relief that has to be seen once in Bulgaria. I wish there was more money invested in preserving it.