Mountains

There are more than 40 mountains in Bulgaria. Stara Planina stretches from the Belogradchik Passage to Emine Cape on the Black Sea. It is 530 km long and 15-50 km wide. It is connected with Sredna Gora through a number of mountain thresholds among which are The Sub-Balkan Mountain Valleys (Karlovo Mountain Valley, Kazanluk Mountain Valley, etc.). Vitosha and Sakar Mountains, the Upper Thracian Lowland and the Bourgas Lowland are situated between Sredna Gora and the Rila-Rhodope Massif. The latter consists of Rila (peak Moussala – 2,925 m – is highest on the Balkan Peninsula), Pirin and Rhodope Mountains. Rila and Pirin have beautiful cirque lakes, cirques, glacial valleys and moraines, and the Rhodopes have caves, gorges and rock phenomena. To the southwest there are the so-called Ogradni Planini /Fencing Mountains/ and the valley of the Strouma River, and to the southeast there is the Strandzha Mountain.

The Balkans

Stara Planina (the Balkan Range) is the longest mountain range on the Balkans. It’s 555km long. The mountain was considerably better known (by the name Hemus) in the ancient times than it is today. It has been a kind of border to the “known” world for the ancient Greeks for a long time. Stara Planina […]

Pirin

Pirin is a typically Alpine mountain (for example, the peaks over 2,600m high are twice more than those in Rila). This mountain’s Thracian name is Orbellus, which means “the snow mountain”. The old Slavic name Peroun, which is closest to its current name, is the name of a high god who lived at the top […]

The Strandzha Massif

The Strandzha Massif is situated in the southeastern part of the Balkan Peninsula. It stretches parallel to the Black Sea coast from the town of Bourgas in the north to Istanbul in the south. Its area is 10,000 sq km. The Bulgarian part of Strandzha’s relief is that of the low mountains characterized by many […]

Rila

Rila Mountain has the highest peak on the Balkans – Musala– 2,925m. It takes the prestigious 6th place in Europe’s “ranking list” after Caucasus, the Alps, Sierra Nevada, the Pyrenees and Etna. The mountain’s name is of ancient Thracian origin and means “the many-water mountain”. Rila has a typically Alpine outlook – sharp peaks and […]

Rhodope Mountains

Rhodope Mountains are the vastest mountain in Bulgaria. The old name is Rhodope which is believed to be of Thracian origin. The ancient authors often call them “The Mountain of Orpheus” since it is believed that here was Orpheus’ sanctuary where the Orphic mystic cults of Dionysian nature were held. Rhodope Mountains stretch from western […]

Vitosha

Vitosha is the only dome-like mountain in Bulgaria. It is not far from Bulgaria’s capital city of Sofia. Vitosha’s area is 278 sq km. Its highest peak is Mount Cherni Vruh- 2,290m. A unique natural phenomenon are the so-called stone rivers (moraines) – round granite stones as big as 2km long and 50m wide. The […]

Musala peak

Mount Masala is the highest peak in Bulgaria and on the Balkans. With its 2925m the peak is dominating the alpine relieve of Rila mountain. Masala is attracting tourist mainly during the summer season, but it’s also a challenging destination for those who likes the ‘hot’ emotions during the winter. The name of the peak […]