Mountains in Bulgaria: names and photos

Do you know what mountains in Bulgaria? The answer to this question can not be monosyllabic. After all, in a small republic several mountain systems rise at once. And one of them even gave the name to the peninsula - the Balkans. Mountain systems in Bulgaria are of different tectonic ages. For example, Stara Planina is older, it is the continuation of the Carpathians. And the Rhodopes belong to the Alpine-Himalayan belt. In total, there are thirty-seven mountain ranges in Bulgaria. But they are distributed unevenly across the territory of the republic. Thirty-six ridges lie in Southern Bulgaria. Many tourists regard this Balkan republic exclusively as a beach holiday destination. But in vain. Mountain tourism here is very developed and is in great demand. In this article we will tell not only about the Bulgarian mountains, but also about what interesting places await travelers in their gorges and what cities in the depth of the continent are worth visiting.

Stara Planina

These are the longest and largest mountains in Bulgaria. The name Stara Planina is used in this republic, as well as in neighboring Serbia, where this ridge comes. And the second name of the mountains is the Balkans (barg.). The name spread to the whole peninsula. Stara Planina divides Bulgaria by exactly half. To the north of the ridge lies the ethnographic region of Moesia, and from the southern spurs begin Thrace and Macedonia. Stara Planina stretches from west to east for five hundred and fifty-five kilometers, rested in the Black Sea on the cape of Emine. The highest peak of this mountain system is Botev - 2376 meters above sea level. The Danube River cuts off the Balkans from the Southern Carpathians. These mountains are parallel ridges with smoothed peaks. At a considerable height they are treeless. These are the so-called poloniny - alpine meadows. The northern slopes of the Old Planina are gently sloping, and the southern slopes are steep.

Sredna Gora

But that is not all. South of the Balkans and parallel to it are another mountain in Bulgaria. They are called the Central Massif, but the locals call them Sredna Gora. The highest point of this ridge is Mount Bogdan. It rises to a point of one thousand six hundred and four meters above sea level. The slopes of the ridge are evenly flat. The border between the Old Planina and the massif of the Sredna Gora is the Tundzha River. This waterway flows from west to east, flowing into the Black Sea. The valley of the Tundja River is famous all over the world, because its second name is Pink. It is here that the plantations of fragrant bushes are located. And the main city of the Kazanlak valley is the capital of rose oil. The southern slopes of the Sredna Gora, or the Central Massif, descend smoothly into the Thracian Plain. These two ridges are famous not only for their natural beauty and unique climate. They are the cradle of the Bulgarian nation and have always been associated with the heroic history of the people.

Strandja and Vitosha

These two mountains in Bulgaria have the same tectonic age and similar geographic characteristics as the Central Massif. In this regard, the ridge Vitosha consider it a natural extension. The highest point of this system is Mount Cherni Ver (2290 meters above sea level). The ridge in the northeast reaches the capital of the country, the city of Sofia. Naturally, the spurs of the ridge are declared a national nature conservation park. Vitosha is a kind of light capital. Here people like to relax the inhabitants of Sofia. In the gorges of Vitosha, the rivers of Struma and Iskr originate. Another ridge, Strandja, extends from the valley of the Tundzhi River to Istanbul itself. Its peaks are rounded because of the venerable, oldotectonic age and are not very high. Most of the ridge is in modern Turkey.

The Rhodopes

This name of the mountains in the Republic of Bulgaria is the visiting card of the country. Not because they are the highest or rocky. They are almost completely covered with mixed or pine forests. But the Rhodopes are famous for the fact that typical patriarchal Bulgarian villages have been preserved in their gorges. Here, folk handicrafts, distillated sheep breeding, handicraft production of cheeses, woodcarving are still flourishing. Throat singing is another attraction of these places. There are Rhodopes in the south-west of the country. From the north and east, they are outlined by the river Maritsa. The western boundary is the valley of Mesta. In the south, the Rhodopes enter Greece and change their name to the Rodins. The highest point of the ridge is Golyam Pernik (2191 m). Not far from this mountain there is a ski resort Pamporovo. The Rhodopes are considered the birthplace of the hero of the myths of Orpheus. According to legend, he was born in the village of Gela.

Rila

This is the highest ridge of the country. The Rila-Rhodope massif is very impressive and extensive. In addition to these two systems, there are ridges Pirin, Styrgach and Slavyanka. But Rila is the "crown" of the Bulgarian mountains. The average heights here range from 2000 to two thousand six hundred meters. And though the territory of Rila is small (the ridge extends from east to west only sixty kilometers), it looks impressive. Rocky peaks, steep precipices, alpine meadows, lakes located in ancient circuses ... The highest mountain in Bulgaria, Musala (2925 m), is also in the Rila Massif. Its entire upper part is declared a reserve. The entrance to it is free, but you can only move along the paths, and install tents and burn campfires - in strictly defined places. But in the reserve there are enough and mountain shelters, and hotel-chalets. The most popular excursions are a trip to the Seven Rila Lakes and a visit to the local monastery.

Pirin Mountains in Bulgaria

They are located in the very south of the country. The name of the mountains is often associated with Perun - the god of the storm. True, in Pirin strong winds and storms are frequent. This ridge extends from the north-west to the southeast for seventy-five kilometers. The highest point is the Vihren mountain. It is only ten meters below Musala - the "roof" of Bulgaria. The height of Vihren is 2914 m above sea level. The Pirin Mountains in Bulgaria, the best of all others, have preserved their virgin nature. Dense pine and spruce forests cover the slopes, and on the cliffs blooms edelweiss. In the northern part of the ridge is a biosphere reserve, under the auspices of UNESCO. And in the southern, near the extinct crater Kozhukh, in the area Rupite, lived and received visitors blind prophetess Vanga. Most tourists choose to relax on the western slopes of Pirin. The climate there is warmer and sunny. It is there that the sweetest grapes grow in the country.

Winter Holidays in Bulgaria

The mountains in this southern state are not very high. However, they are characterized by a stable snow cover in winter. Each mountain range has its own ski resorts. In Pirin, for example, it is the town of Bansko, on the northern slopes, and Bezbog. In the Rila massif, such resorts as Borovets are very popular (there are regularly held competitions for the European Cup), Panichishte, Malyovitsa, Yundola, Yakoruda-Trechtenik and Semkovo. These are the highest mountains in Bulgaria. Photos of local ski resorts are easily confused with Alpine or Pyrenean. But they also ride in the lower mountains. In the Rhodopes, in addition to the mentioned Pamporovo, there are trails and lifts in Marziganice, Yundol, Persenk, Byala-Cherkva and Zdravets. In the Old Planina are known Chumern, Uzana, Pleven, Beklemeto, Strazhata and Com. And even on the slopes of Vitosha there is a resort Aleko.

Balneological rest and treatment

Here, the cleanest keys with mineral water and thermal springs are beaten. The unique climate and air-fueled air created all conditions for cities in the mountains of Bulgaria to turn into therapeutic spa resorts. The most popular, enjoying world fame, is Velingrad. He is at the junction of the Rhodopes with Rila. Here there are seventy mineral springs with a temperature of 22-90 degrees, and also therapeutic mud. Equally popular are the Beden Mineral Baths. Complex treatment will be offered to you in the balneological resort of Bratsigovo.

Sights of the Bulgarian mountains

Perhaps the most famous is the Rila Monastery. It is based on an altitude of 1150 meters back in the 10th century, and is now included in the UNESCO List. In the Rhodope Mountains it is worth to see the huge miraculous stone arches of the Wonderful Bridges, as well as to visit the Devil's Throat and Yagodinskaya caves. There are also many karst cavities in the Old Planina. Prehistoric rock carvings were found in the Rabish cave. The Devil's Bridge in the Rhodope Mountains (Bulgaria) is a visiting card of the south of the country. It was built in 1518 on the site of the ancient Roman bridge. There are gloomy legends about this monument of architecture. Supposedly its construction was not without help devil. So it or not, yes, here the bridge is without repair more than five hundred years and is still in excellent condition. This attraction can be reached from the town of Ardino.