ABOUT PIRIN
Pirin Mountain is comparable to the Swiss Alps and most the beautiful in Bulgaria. It is the second highest after the
Rila mountain (in Bulgaria) and the third in the Balkan Peninsula (mount
Vihren 2914m). Pirin is situated in the southwestern part of the Rila-Rhodope mountain range.
CLIMATE AND BORDERS
Pirin has the typical climate of a mountain but with a well-expressed Mediterranean influence, mainly through the valleys of
Struma and
Mesta rivers.
This is why Pirin is the mountain with the greatest number of sunny days throughout the year in comparison to
Rila,
Stara planina,
Vitosha and
Osogovo .
The average annual temperature in the area , located at an altitude of about 2000 meters above sea level, is 3.7oC. The greatest rainfalls and snowfalls come in November and December and the least– in August. The average rain and snowfall at
Vihren is within the 1500-1600 mm per square meter annually.
Pirins borders are: to the north
Rila mountain, to the east the valley of
Mesta divides Pirin from the
Rhodopes. To the west it reaches to the valley of
Struma. To the south the mountain is bordered on
Slavyanka and
Stargach.
The area of the Pirin mountain is 1210 square kilometers and it is divided into three parts-
Nothern Pirin,
Mid-Pirin and
Southern Pirin.
PARTS
NOTHERN PIRIN
The biggest in area (74% of the overall area of the mountain), the longest (42 km), the tallest and the most spectacular of the three. There are sixty peaks at an altitude of above 2500 meters. The tallest of them is
Vihren (2914).
This part hosts all glacial lakes (140-150 in number) where the most interesting lake groups are the
Banderishki ezera, the
Tevno lake,
Vasilashki ezera,
Samodivski ezera,
Gazeiski ezera. The biggest lake is the
Popovoto -124acres, which is also the deepest –29.5m. The glacial lake with the highest altitude in the Balkans is the
Gorno Polejansko lake (at 2710 m above sea level).
Тhere is the historical
Rozhen Monastery “Birth of the Blessed Virgin” , the
Popina Luka Waterfall and the
Pyramids of Melnik.
MID-PIRIN
The smallest part, which amounts to 6.7% of the overall area. It is also the shortest and its greater part is covered with broad-leaved vegetation.
The highest peak is
Orelyak (Eagle)- 2099m where at present a television transmission tower is in operation. Seen from the West, it looks like an eagle, with wings open and ready for flight.
SOUTHERN PIRIN
Lies over an area, amounting to 19 % of overall area. This is the lowest, most round and most rarely visited part. Its highest parts are covered in coniferous trees. No lakes can be found here.
RIVERS
Pirin rivers gather their waters from its snow-white peaks and blue lakes to pour them into the
Struma or
Mestarivers.
RESERVATIONS
Because of the unique nature of the Pirin Mountain, in 1976 the
Pirin National Park was found to cover – at present – nearly the whole of the mountain to an area of 274 square kilometers and it is under the protection of UNESKO.
There are the reservations
Bayuvi Dupki-Djindjiritsa,
Tissata and
Orelek.
Description
