Kamen Bryag

The village of Kamen Bryag and the rocky coast in front of it is a magnet for virgin nature beauty admirers, which come in crowds every
summer to welcome the first July sunrise. The location of the village,
being by the coast between Shabla and Kavarna, impresses with its snug
little, clean and cozy country houses. Outside the houses green
verandahs and trellis vines are spread, while the visitor’s eyes enjoy
the pretty and well-arranged flower gardens. Kamen Bryag is most famous
for its strong wine and rakiya with the scent of herbs and figs.
On the coast an enchanting view reveals and the eyes see long miles to the North and South. The vista is incredible. The countryside
“Ogancheto” (“The little fire” from Bulgarian) is very popular among the
rock and hippie fans of Bulgaria. From far back Kamen Bryag is
inextricably linked with the “children of the sun” and the July Morning
feast. The area took its name thanks to an old abandoned natural gas
drilling from which, for the past half century, a flame comes out. A
year ago the flame was on the very edge of the cliff. Due to the many
incidents that have occurred it had to be removed.
The daytime at  Kamen Bryag can be very short when you are absorbed in fishing, diving, climbing or if you are
interested in archaeology. The feeling of harmony between man and
nature, here, is complete.
Two kilometers South of Kamen Bryag is the countryside of “Yailata”. It is inhabited by people for about seven centuries. Thracians, Romans,
Greeks, Slavs and proto-Bulgarians have lived here. The discovered
ancient temples are a testament to the cult of various heathen deities.
In “Yailata” an ancient Thracian necropolis from the second century with
two-chamber tombs was found. 101 cave dwellings were discovered in the
region. As per some hypotheses Sarmatian tribes lived here in the remote
past. They say that on these lands the deputy of Alexander of Macedonia
– Lysimachus hid an enormous treasure.
On the territory of “Yailata” nest more than 50 bird species (cormorants, hoopoes, golden eyes, rollers, owls, etc.). Via Pontica
passes through this area – one of the main routes of migrating birds. 19
species of rare and threatened with extinction plants can also be found
here. The beauty of the reserve is unbelievable during spring when
peonies blossom. More information is available on the specialized
webpage for “YAILATA” – National Archaeological Reserve.
The high shore near the village is ideal for lovers of tents who pitch them right on the rocks, as well as for these with campers and caravans.
Those, however, who have simply visited Kamen Beach to enjoy the
beautiful scenery and not to have extreme experiences can stay in
several hotels and guesthouses in the village or to seek accommodation
at the neighboring Shabla region.
Unlike the numerous evidence of life on these lands during ancient times, information about the newer history of Kamen Bryag
is scanty. It is known that the Turkish name is “Kaya Bey Kyoy”, which
means “village near the pen of the bey”. According to another version
the name comes from the Turkish word “Kaya”, which can be translated as
“rock”. The Bulgarian population came to these areas from the Balkan
Mountain near Elena and Kotel during the 19th century. The remembrance
is kept that the local inhabitants lived in the extinct village Surti
Kyoy. There was the farm of a rich cultivator – the old man Nanyo, who
moved to Kamen Bryag with his big family. The Romanian occupiers named
the village Stynka /cliff/. Even during the Romanian occupation there
used to be a School here. In 1958 a new school building was built, but
the school was closed down in the 70’s. The school building was then
converted into an archaeological base. Library activities date from the
first decades of the twentieth century. The Community Center “Georgi
Rakovski” was closed down, but was restored 7-8 years ago. Additionally
an authentic folklore group was set up.In 2004, for the first time in the history of Kamen Bryag an Orthodox
church was built. In the church “St. Constantine and Helena” unique
icons made of plasterboard by the artist Atanas Gadjev, can be seen. In
2007 an information center is launched in the village, providing
information about the archaeological reserve “Yailata”, the natural
resources and other tourist sites near Kamen Bryag.