Bulgaria's Best National Parks

The largest national park in the country, hidden in the heart of the famous Rila Mountain, Rila National Park covers an enormous area of 81,000 hectares. It’s name is derived from the word roula, meaning ‘lots of water’, and you can see why with some of the largest rivers in the Balkan Peninsula originating here. Located 100km south of the nation’s capital, Sofia, the park itself is packed with rare and endangered wildlife species as well as historic sites of global, cultural and scientific significance. Although it is inhabited by more than 3,000 animal and 100 bird species, almost 90% of its territory is actually taken up by coniferous trees. The park offers an impressive network of eco-trails that vary in difficulty and are accessible throughout the whole year, including some great mountain biking routes. This is also where you can find Borovets, the oldest and one of the most popular ski resorts in the country.

Located in the very heart of Bulgaria, tucked away in the most central and highest regions of the Balkan Range, is Bulgaria’s Central National Park. The park was established in 1991 to conserve the unique natural scenery and heritage of the area and also to protect the customs and livelihood of the local population. It extends in East-West direction for about 85 km, covering a 10 km wide stripe and altitude from 550 m up to 2376m (at Botev peak, the highest peak of Stara Planina mountains). Centuries-old forests of beech, spruce, fir, hornbeam, and durmast cover most of the Park with more than half the flora of Bulgaria having been identified within the Park, 10 of which are found nowhere else in the world. Loaded with vertical rock faces, precipices, deep canyons, waterfalls, as well as numerous peaks the Central Balkan National Park is a sure favorite spot for tourists, naturalists, and scientists alike.