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Balkans · about 12 km from Lukovit

Glava Panega (Zlatna Panega)

Info · exploration

Information only: the spring is being explored by a small team of Bulgarian cave divers with the caving clubs; no dive centre or club takes visitors. The spring is a natural landmark in a drinking-water protection zone; whether you may dive: ask.

Source: 360mag – interview with Bulgarian cave divers (27 Mar 2025) ↗
  • Max depth60 m
  • CertificationFull cave
  • SpecialExperienced divers
Directions

Diving and fills

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Now at Glava Panega (Zlatna Panega)

Status
Closed

The dive

Bulgaria's longest and deepest sump: a powerful spring (on average ~3,300 l/s) dived since 1947. According to the cave registry the water is 8.4–15.4 °C; strong current and poor visibility stopped earlier dives.

Deep (to -60 m), cold, with current and poor visibility: only with trimix and a team used to that.
Source: speleo-bg – Izvor Glava Panega ↗
Profile and sections

Bulgaria's longest and deepest sump: a powerful spring (on average ~3,300 l/s) dived since 1947. According to the cave registry the water is 8.4–15.4 °C; strong current and poor visibility stopped earlier dives.

In 1992 a diver of the Pleven club Studenets reached -52 m, ~230 m from the entrance. In 2025 a team from Sofia reached -60 m and ~350–400 m in; they think the system goes on for kilometres.

Source: speleo-bg – Izvor Glava Panega ↗Source: 360mag – interview with Bulgarian cave divers (27 Mar 2025) ↗
Depth and profile
One sump · -52 m at ~230 m from the entrance (1992) · in 2025 to -60 m, ~350–400 m in
Configuration
Deep dive with trimix, and nitrox and oxygen for deco, as the current team dives it.
Gas
Trimix from 40 m
Who can dive where
  • CaveAt least Full cave
  • Whole caveConfigurations: Backmount / twinset / Sidemount / CCR
  • Whole caveGoes down to 60 m (trimix or deco may be needed) · doesn't decide who may dive
  • Whole caveExperienced divers only · doesn't decide who may dive
Experienced diversDepends on water level or swell

This is how the planner decides who in your team may dive this cave. Rules your own trip adds (organizer, a mail, the AI) show with your trip.

Source: speleo-bg – Izvor Glava Panega ↗Source: 360mag – interview with Bulgarian cave divers (27 Mar 2025) ↗

How to get there

At the village of Zlatna Panega (Yablanitsa municipality), ~1.2 km south-east of the village edge. A footpath follows the fence of the water-supply zone; the road from Brestnitsa is closed. You enter the spring lake from the shore.

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Around Glava Panega (Zlatna Panega)

FillsNo fill station known nearby
Other sites1 within 53 km

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Sources, sharing and disclaimer

Sources

Source: speleo-bg – Izvor Glava Panega ↗Source: 360mag – interview with Bulgarian cave divers (27 Mar 2025) ↗

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Certification requirements, configurations and trimix depths are estimates for planning. Always check them locally and dive within your training. Compiled from the research of 27 Oct 2026 and information from CDC Vrelo (Oct 2026, with the 2026 price list) on diving Vrelo: metla.mk and republika.mk (the Vrelo record, 17 Oct 2026), InDEPTH "Drive and Dive in the Balkans", underwater-3d.com (Matka Vrelo 2025), Wikipedia (Matka Canyon, Blue Eye), the GUE Balkans Cave Exploration Project (July 2010), caverescue.eu and Thalassia Salentina (Kotor, 2005); for Bulgaria, Albania and Montenegro (Oct 2026) the Bulgarian Federation of Speleology's cave registry, 360mag, showcaves.com, X-Ray Mag, Divernet, National Geographic Polska, AKT, Wikipedia, taucher.net, the Czech Speleological Society, RSE, BTA and Pro Diving Montenegro; for Bihać (Nov 2026) Una Aquarius, Wikipedia and OpenStreetMap. Dutch travel advice for North Macedonia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Albania and Bulgaria checked on 27 Oct 2026 (all green). Pins from OpenStreetMap. ~ = estimate, ask = not confirmed. Rules change — check locally.