PIRIN MOUNTAINS

Brief Description of Pirin Mountains Range

Pirin Mountains are a mountain range in Southwestern Bulgaria. The highest peak of the mountain is Vihren /2.917m/.

Pirin is one of the most beautiful mountains in Bulgaria. To the north Pirin reaches Rila Mountain Range by the Predel saddle. To the south Pirin Mountains borders Slavyanka Mountain. To the west and to the east are located the rivers of Mesta and Struma. Pirin Mountains Range is famous for its flora and fauna. Animals include the wolf and the brown bear. Pirin Mountains Range is the second highest mountain in Bulgaria and the eight highest in Europe. Neighbor Mountains of Pirin are: Rila, Slavyanka, Vlahina, Maleshevo, Osogovo and Ograzhden to the west, as well as Rhodopes to the east.

 There are more than 1.300 plants found in the mountain up to this moment. In the mountain can be found also: European Black Pine, Scots Pine, Macedonian Pine, Bosnian Pine, Spruce and Bulgarian Fir. These trees reach altitude up to 2.000 meters. Most famous tree in Pirin is called Baikushev`s Pine after the forest guard who found it. It is about 1.300 years old.

The mountain is famous with its abundance of water. The rivers of Pirin are short and turbulent. There is only one distinctive waterfall – Popinolashki Waterfall which is about 12m high. There are 176 lakes located in the mountain. The largest lake is Popovo Lake. Other famous lakes are: Banderishki Lakes, Valyavishki Lakes, Vasilaski Lakes and Vlahini Lakes.