Pirin National Park

Pirin National Park, originally named Vihren National Park, covers the larger part of the Pirin Mountains in southwestern Bulgaria, spanning about 403.56 square kilometers. It was established in 1962, expanded several times since, and declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983. Elevation within the park ranges from 950 meters to 2,914 meters at Vihren, the second highest peak in Bulgaria and third highest in the Balkans. The park lies in Blagoevgrad Province across seven municipalities, with no populated places inside its boundaries, and includes the Bayuvi Dupki-Dzhindzhiritsa and Yulen nature reserves. Bayuvi Dupki-Dzhindzhiritsa, established in 1934, is one of the oldest reserves in Bulgaria and is part of the UNESCO Man and Biosphere Programme. Pirin is known for its 118 glacial lakes, including Popovo Lake, the largest and deepest, along with a scattering of small glaciers.