National Parks from Bulgaria

To get to know Bulgaria, one has to dive into its authenticity, to taste the product of its nature, to backpack across the country and to gather bouquets of memories and impressions. The variety of Bulgarian nature offers   abundant opportunities for engaging outdoor activities-one can hike around the many eco trails in the National Parks and preservation areas, observe rare animal and bird species or visit caves and landmarks.

Bulgaria is amongst the highest ranking European countries when it comes to bio variety. The diverse natural resources guarantee the existence of a vast variety of animal species, some of which are only found in Bulgaria , and some are facing extinction. Bulgaria has over 29000 animal species. The country has a treasury of endemic plants- from 3700 in total, 170 are announced to be endemic for the country, and around 200 for the Balkan Peninsula

Rila National Park

The Rila National Park is the largest park in Bulgaria. It is situated 100 km south of Sofia and includes the central part of Rila Mountain. There are 4 conservation areas within the range of the park. Most of the woods in Rila are centuries ols and consist of spruce, scotch pine and white fir. The number of endemic species at the territory of the park is 57. There are over 3000 animal species occupying the park and the bird species are 99.

The park is one of the favourite places of nature lovers and hikers. Most tourist routes and trails are marked with winter and summer markings. A vast net of trails runs across the park and the levels of routes vary in  difficulty.

Pirin National Park

The Pirin National Park is famous for its plant diversity and is considered one of the most interesting places in the country from a botanical point of view. On its territory there are almost 1300 plant species and the most interesting of them all is the edelweiss , which is the symbol of the Bulgarian Tourism Union.

Pirin is the home of a great number endangered and rare animal species, on its territory there are 160 bird and 45 mammal species- morethan 50% of all terrestrial mammals found in Bulgaria.

Central Balkan Park

The Central Balkan Park has preserved the amazing variety of animal and plant species of Sredna Stara Planina. The park is spread on 716sq km in the heart of Bulgaria. It has centuries- old oak forests, wide ridges, a string of crude peaks and nine conservation areas.

Almost 580 kilometres marked as tourist routes lead the visitor around the wonders of the wild world of the park. There are facilities for hiking, riding, biking, photo-hiking, bird watching, observation of plants and mammals. You can choose to stay in any of the 25 objects -tourist chalets, shelters and departmental bases.

Vitosha Natural Park

The Vitosha Natural Park is one of the most visited parks in the country. Its close proximity to the capital makes it a preferred destination for nature lovers , alpinists and families. There are very good conditions for hiking, walks and relaxation in the beautiful wilderness.

In the park there are 500 spineless species, 200 bird kinds and  13 types of bats. The flora of Vitosha is also amazingly rich- there are around 500 sweet cutwater species and over 600 mushroom species. 4 of which are found only in Vitosha.

In conclusion Bulgaria is for those who love nature . You can appreciate the full experience of hiking the numerous eco trails, where one can see the most beautiful places and unique landscapes in Bulgaria. The different length and level of difficulty of the eco trails will satisfy every taste.