National Park Pirin

National Park Pirin

“National Park Pirin” is situated in the South- West part of Bulgaria between the valleys of the rivers Mesta and Struma. This is the most beautiful, glorious and most visited part of the mountain. The park has been enlarged several times and presently it is spread on a territory of 40 356 hectares. The landscape on the territory of the park is mostly with alpine character and has been sculptured by the nature for millions of years. More than 80 mountains have latitude higher than 2500 meters. In the granite sector of the mountain there are more than 180 alpine lakes. The flora and fauna of the park are actually its wealth. More than 1300 species of higher plants are being preserved on its territory and 15 of these can be seen just here and nowhere else in the world. The invertebrate species are around 2019 and 216 of these are endemics i. e. they can be seen only in Pirin. Amongst the vertebrates, there are two species of birds and 40 species of mammals that are very rare and precious, and need special care. One of the oldest nature reserves in Bulgaria “Bajovi Dupki- Djindjiritsa” is situated in the territory of the National Park. In 1977, UNESCO’s Bureau of the International Committee of the “Human and the Biosphere” Program, endorsed it as a biosphere reserve. “Yulen” natural reserve takes a territory of 3200 hectares and was established in 1994. The Natural Park is being managed by the Inspectorate. The main goals of the Inspectorate are the creation of opportunities for development of tourism and environmentally friendly way of life for the population of the contact zone. An integral information system is being developed, to help the tourist infrastructure.%LIMG7 13 tourist routes have been marked and one of them – the E4 is an international one. The length of the marches covering the routes varies from 2, 5 up to 8 hours. Apart from the maintenance of the existing routes, the inspectorate has developed new ones plus paths, some of which are suitable for people with specific needs. Thus the tourists are able to communicate with nature and get acquainted with its beauty. %LIMG6The alternative tourism incorporates the presentation of the natural resources of Pirin itself and the cultural and historic heritage of towns and villages in the adjacent territories. Presently, mountain trekking is the most widely practiced way of tourism in the park. Information center for tourists can be found in Bansko, 4 Bulgaria str. Rock Climbing- for the last ten years this extreme sport has been practiced only by professionals with a lot of experience and their presence in the park is very limited. Routes for rock climbers provided with all utilities have been developed have been developed on the north face of mount Vihren and the mounts Samodivski and Glavnishki Chukar. Speleology- as there are no caves, equipped with all necessary utilities, this type of tourism can be practiced only when following strictly the safety rules, following the requirements towards the equipment and in the presence of a professional guide. %LIMG5Cycling and horse riding- due to the characteristic features of the relief and the origin of the paths (they are all rocky and dangerous), this type of tourism can be practiced only on the periphery of the park and within the adjacent areas. Ecotourism- as a brand term the ecotourism is a form of communication with nature and it provides a connection between the territory of National Park Pirin and the nearby towns and villages. The nature cognitive tourism, the culture- cognitive tourism and the hobby tourism are part of the ecotourism. Rural tourism- the main virtues of that type of tourism are connected with the opportunities for thorough relaxation and silence, peace and quiet, and contact with the intact environment. The villages around Natural Park Pirin offer diverse and attractive products of rural tourism. The town of Bansko is the entrance door of Pirin, which is hospitably open for everybody at all times of the year. It is a town that gives a hint about its past and authenticity of architecture, way of life and customs. The cobbled streets, the houses with thick walls that look like fortresses with long eaves made of black fir- everything suggests secrecy and inaccessibility. The “Sveta Troitsa” church- it is an architectural monument of a national importance comprised of the clock tower, the bell tower and the wall of the cult ensemble. This is a large pseudo basilica with a nave and two aisles- the second biggest in Bulgaria after the Christian temple st. Alexander Nevski in Sofia. %LIMG4The Eyes of Pirin More than 180 alpine lakes with a total area of about 180 000 decares are situated on the bottoms and terraces of the circus slopes. At Papazgjol circus, the waters of Popovo Lake appear blue. It is the biggest lake in Pirin, like a small sea inside the mountain, with an area of 123 hectares. Even higher, hidden amongst rocks and silence are the secluded Samodivski lakes. Situated to the east is the circus of the charming Kremenski Lakes and the one which is in the middle is the second biggest in Pirin with an area of 98 decares and a depth of 25 m.