The natural phenomenon "Stone Wedding" is an amazing symphony of rock formations. They’re about ten meters high and spread over an area of 50 acres. Located east of Kardzhali, near the village of Zimzelen, they’re close to another rock phenomenon – the Stone Mushrooms. The legend says that a young man from Zimzelen fell in love with a girl from a village nearby. During the wedding, on the way to Zimzelen, a sudden gust of wind carried off the bride’s veil. She was so dazzling that the whole wedding party went silent and the father- in- law envied the luck of his son. Because of his impure thoughts, natural forces petrified the whole wedding procession. The groom – the only spared - broke down in tears and begged for the wind to turn him into stone. At last, the natural forces answered his prayers, but next to the petrified newlyweds, there’s still a puddle of the wretched groom’s tears.

For science lovers the story, of course is different, but astonishing nonetheless. According to scientists, the formation of the rocks started 40 million years ago as a result of volcanic activity. After the water withdrawal, due to the impact of winds, rain and sun, they acquired their unique shapes, while the mineral composition created various colors and shades.