Located in the western part of Bulgaria, Dragoman marsh is the most important wetland in the region. It is situated at altitude of 701 meters just 1 kilometer northeast from the town of Dragoman. The marsh lies submontane the steep limestone hill Chepun with its highest peak, Petrov krust (1205.5 meters).

The Dragoman marsh is the only limestone marsh in the whole country. Together with Chepun hill it forms a habitat with high conservation value which is a part of the CORINE Biotopes program. Due to its position, the wetland is an important stop-over along the Balkans' bird migratory route "Via Aristotelis".

In the recent years the marsh has began a revival after for over 50 years the valuable nature biotops have been destroyed because of drainage of the area for agricultural purposes. Due to economic difficulties the draining stopped and now again the Dragoman marsh ensures shelter and food for a great numbers of birds and other wild animals and rare plants. At the present more than 190 bird species are recorded in the marshland and most of them are protected. In order to improve the habitat, prevent future negative impact and to improve the public awareness, education and support for the site EuroNatur is landing a hand to local environmentalists working for its preservation, especially BALKANI Wildlife Society. A lot has been done since 2001 – many conservation and restoration activities performed, many meetings held and many friends made.

Website of the EuroNatur partner BALKANI Wildlife Society

In the beginning of the 20th century the Dragoman marsh spread over an area of 400-450 ha. Its depth reached 1.5 m. At that time the site was one of the most significant wetlands in terms of biodiversity in West Bulgaria. The marsh was characterized by incredible diversity of plant species. The beautiful white-water lily (Nymphaea alba), the lesser bladderwort (Utricularia minor), the small bur-reed (Sparganium minimum), the great duckweed (Spirodela polyrhiza) all were present 100 years ago. After the disappearance of the insect-eating aldrovanda (Aldrovanda vesiculosa) and caldesia (Caldesia parnassifolia) they are no longer found in Bulgaria as the marsh was their only habitat in the country.

During nesting season in the past there used to breed Red-necked (Podiceps grisegena) and Black-necked Grebes (Podiceps nigricollis), Bitterns (Botaurus stellaris), Pintails (Anas acuta), Redshanks (Tringa totanus), Snipes (Gallinago gallinago) etc. Before the beginning of the autumn migration in late summer thousands of waterfowl preferred the secure conditions in Dragoman Marsh in order to moult here. One of the last nesting pairs of Common Cranes (Grus grus) was observed in the area.

As most of the natural wetlands in Bulgaria the marsh was subject to drainage. In the beginning of the 30ties a central drainage canal and pot-hole in the north have been dug. In the following years the work continued with the construction of additional canals and a water pump station. The  waterless marshland was used for cultivation of maize fodder and grains. These agricultural practices ended the life in the marsh for a long time.

The unfavorable economic changes during the last years contributed to reduction of the drainage practices. As a result, the marsh began to restore its original appearance. At the beginning only for short periods of time in the spring, later it began to hold water outside the canals all year round. Nowadays the flooded territory is over 300 ha, whereas in spring it can reach up to 400 ha. In the central parts the water reaches depth up to 120 cm.

After the complete cease of its drainage, the wetland swiftly recovered.  Due to its revival now again the Dragoman marsh is the most important breeding site for waterfowl in the region. More than 190 bird species are recorded in the marshland at present and most of them are protected. During bird migration tens of herons, ducks and warbles form an unforgettable sight. Shelter in the area find two globally threatened species – the Ferruginos Duck (Aythya nyroca) and the Corncrake (Crex crex). Here also breed the rare Little Bittern (Ixobrychus minutus) and the hills around are often stunned by the Eagle's Owl (Bubo bubo) cry.  A number of other birds of pray inhabit the region turning it into a bird's paradise.

In 2001 with the support of  EuroNatur a project of BALKANI Wildlife Society  on the conservation and restoration of the wetlands and the wet meadows in the Karst region of Dragoman began. For four years with a lot of enthusiasm a number of obstacles were overcome and good results achieved. The main area of work aimed purchase or leasing of land in the region. Two public meetings were held with landowners and local people in the town of Dragoman and Goljamo Malovo village dealing with awareness raising of environmental issues and outlining future ecological possibilities for economical development of the region. All the land owners were addressed and as a result 42.6 ha of the marshland were purchased. That fact is a significant step towards the establishment of a protected area in the region. Furthermore the land bought and the municipality land form the greater amount of the area and for private owners is unprofitable to continue the draining.

An International Environmental Work Camp was held in the summer of 2003 resulting in the construction of two educational trails with a bird hide, watch tower and wooden pathway for visitors. Information boards were also installed. Now everyone visiting the site not only enjoys the beautiful landscape but learns about the nature processes and rich biodiversity of the area. In Dragoman an educational program for the pupils was developed and realized in August 2003. Further weekend activities on-site help the youth realize the significance of the marshland and gained support for the preservation of the site among local communities. Later the film „Living marsh“ was prerpared together with an brochure in Bulgarian and English.

In order to obtain valuable information regarding the area and to prepare a protected area proposal ecological monitoring and several surveys were conducted. Inventories of the flora and the fauna were executed and an assessment of the grazing pressure from livestock made. Now the visitors can again admire the wonderful sight of the White water lily (Nyphaea alba) in blossom after a successful introduction of the species have been done. Due to the raised public awareness and the constant presence of environmentalist at the site during the weekends, which are the hunting days, the hunting in the wetland have been minimized. Thus the great amount of the pressure for water birds released.

As a result of all the work done in the region protected area proposal was developed and submitted to the Ministry of Environment and Waters. The proposal was supported by the municipality of Dragoman and a number of environmental and scientific organizations. At present it is approved and the Ministry initiated the official procedure for the designation of the protected area.

Future work in the area will lead to improvement of the habitats of the waterfowl and fish and the preservation of that charming patch of the Bulgarian nature. With the support and the active part of the local people the marsh can become a popular site for the inhabitants of the biggest bulgarian city of Sofia situated not far. Sustainable ecotourism is a promising alternative for regional development. 

If you intend to come to Bulgaria and you like birds or just beautiful and peaceful nature landscapes simply pay a visit to the Dragoman marsh and Chepun hill. You will not regret it.