• Mountain peaks
  There are over 100 mountain peaks within Rila National Park that rise more than 2,000 m above sea level. Among these looms Mussala, the highest mountain peak in Bulgaria and the entire Balkan Peninsula, at 2,295 meters.
• Glacial lakes
  As a result of glacial activity, erosion and deposition over 120 permanent and some 30 seasonal glacial lakes have formed in the high mountain zone. These are typically located in deep cirque beds, or kettle holes. The multitude of glacial lakes and post-glacial formations typically characterizes the Park’s alpine landscape.
• Rivers
  Some of the longest and largest rivers in the Balkan Peninsula have their sources in Rila National Park: the Iskar, the Maritza and the Mesta. Rila National Park is a prime source of fresh water for the surrounding regions and municipalities, including Bulgaria’s capital Sofia, as well as some of the population of Greece and Turkey.
• Forests
  Rila National Park encompasses some of the most secluded forest ecosystems virtually sheltered from human impact. Most representative in the Park are spruce and fir, in combinations with the endemic Macedonian pine and dwarf pine. About 95% of these are natural forests, averaging 90 years in age.

Cultural sights

• The iron smelteries in Kulatseto locality, 2 km. south of the village of Bistritsa (Dupnitsa Municipality);
• The Late Antiquity fortress in Topolyana locality, 1.5 km. southeast of the village of Bachevo (Razlog Municipality).
• The remains of an ancient Roman road in Pomochena Polyana locality (Kostenets Municipality);
• The Church of St. Theodore Stratilatus (preserved iconostasis, a monument of art) at the village of Dolno Draglishte (Razlog Municipality);
• The Church of St. George at the village of Belovo, a monument of art and architecture;
• The ancient fortress in Spassovitsa locality (near the town of Belovo), an archaeological monument;
• The early Christian basilica of St. Spas, at Spassovitsa Peak, 3 km. southeast of the town of Belovo, an archaeological monument;
• The ancient city of Germanea (at Sapareva Banya), an archaeological monument;
• The mediaeval church of St. Nicholas (at Sapareva Banya), and archeological and architectural monument.


Not far from the National Park:
• Rila Monastery, declared a national historical and architectural reserve;
• Hrelyo’s Tower on the grounds of Rila Monastery, an architectural monument;
• The cemeteries church in Babinska Mahala (part of the village of Pastra, Rila Municipality), a monument of visual art.

Things to do

hiking, birdwatching

Programmes


to be added