Rila National Park

Rila National Park is the largest of the three national parks on the territory of Bulgaria. It was established on February 24, 1992. The park covers an area of over 81,000 ha in the central and highest parts of Rila Mountain. There are about 100 peaks above 2000 m above sea level. The current alpine relief was formed after the Würm glaciation. A legacy of this period are the more than 120 glacial lakes located in groups in the highland parts of the river basins. Of the lakes, the deepest is Okoto (37.5 m), the largest is Smradlivo ezero (212 decares), the highest is Ledeno ezero (2709 m), and the longest is Bliznaka. Three of the longest rivers on the Balkan Peninsula originate in the park: Iskar, Maritsa, and Mesta.

Seven Rila Lakes

The Seven Rila Lakes are a group of glacial lakes located stepwise one above the other in the Rila Mountains, one of the three national parks of Bulgaria. The circus of the Seven Rila Lakes is one of the natural wonders of Rila Mountain and Bulgaria. The lakes have been named for their shapes and qualities. The highest of them is Tear Lake, which gained its name for its crystal-clear water. It is 2,535 m. Next is Eye Lake, the deepest of the seven at 37.5 meters. It is oval and intensely blue when the weather is good. Somewhat lower than Eye Lake is Kidney Lake, named for its kidney shape, which has a surface area of 85 hectares and steep rocky banks. Next come the twins. Wide at both ends and narrow in the middle, the lake resembles an hourglass. Further down the trail are Three-Leafed Lake and Fish Lake. The lowest lake is appropriately called Lower Lake, which feeds the Dzherman River. The lakes are all connected by narrow streams.

Haramiyata, also called the Black Rock, is a peak in the Rila National Park, reaching 2465 meters. It rises above the Seven Rila Lakes in the eastern part of the circus. It looks out into Shamrock Lake, and its formidable western wall descends to Twin Lake.

Rila National Park

There are 4 reserves in Rila National Park: "Parangalitsa", declared in 1933; "Central Rila Reserve", "Ibar" and "Scakavitsa". They are protected areas of the first category, which are examples of natural ecosystems with characteristic and remarkable wild plant and animal species and their habitats. The reserves in the park are part of the development of a network of ecosystems and endangered habitats representative of Bulgaria and Europe. They occupy 20% of the park area. In the area of the Rila Monastery, the "Rila Monastery Forest" Nature Park has been established.

Rila Monastery

Rila Monastery, or rather the Treasury of Bulgaria, is blooming like an evergreen and magnificent flower in the bosom of Rila Mountain. Founded in the first half of 10 c. by the heavenly protector of the Bulgarians Saint John of Rila, the monastery is a cradle, a pillar and a repository of the Bulgarian spirit even today. While the records about the fate of the relics of Saint John from 10 c. to 14 c. are detailed, for the Rila Monastery itself they are scarce. Since 11 c. until today in the monastery book depository MS books have been kept, such as the glagolic transcript of the notable “Exhortation” by Saint Ephrem of Syria, which testifies for perpetual literary activity. In the roya decree (certificate for donation) of king Ivan Shishman (1371 – 1393) it is said the Bulgarian rulers – the kings Ivan Asen II (1218 – 1241) and his successor Kaloman (1241 –1245) confirmed the estates and the rights of the monastery, and they honored it as holy place and place of worship.