Walking Holidays in the Pirin Mountains
Balkan Trek's tailored-made mountain walking holidays in Bulgaria's Pirin Mountains offer you the chance to explore on foot the stunning mountain landscapes of the 'Pirin' National Park. During your walking holiday, an experienced and qualified Balkan Trek mountain guide will lead you on a daily programme of exciting mountain walks, that will see you walking through ancient forests and and rugged rocky terrain as you thread your way on foot through the Pirin Mountain's dramatic alpine-type landscape of mighty peaks and ridges. Because the 'Pirin' National Park is a rugged wilderness area, the walking is quite demanding, with long steep ascents and descents; however, the rewards are immense. During the course of a mountain walking holiday in the Pirin Mountains you can also visit the beautiful Rozhen Monastery, one of the most beautiful and atmospheric monasteries in Bulgaria, and enjoy walking amongst the amazing sandstone pinnacles and crests that surround the beautiful historic town of Melnik, enjoying not just the photogenic traditional architecture, but also the rich fruity red wine for which the town is also famed!
| Holiday Highlights - Rewarding mountain walking amongst jagged peaks and ridges. - Ascent of Mt Vihren (2914m), Bulgaria’s second highest peak. - Unique endemic flora, a wealth of birds and many rare butterflies. - The unique peace and tranquillity of the timeless Rozhen Monastery. - Photogenic traditional architecture of Melnik, Bulgaria’s smallest town. - Delicious Bulgarian cuisine and outstanding regional wines. - An experienced, fully qualified, knowledgeable and highly enthusiastic guide. NB: Unlike many other walking holiday companies in Bulgaria who attempt to cut costs by making their guides have to double up as drivers, we employ separate professional drivers with licensed vehicles for all our walking holidays in Bulgaria as we believe it is not only safer to have a driver fully focused on the road, but also allows our guides to concentrate fully on looking after you! Further Inspiration The Pirin Mountains are situated in the south-western corned of Bulgaria, extending south-east for 80 kilometres from their junction with the Rila Mountains at the Predel Pass to their boundary with the Slavyanka Mountains at the Paril Saddle. Within the Pirin Mountains there are sixty peaks over 2500 metres, and three above 2900 metres, including Mount Vihren (2914m). The Pirin Mountains take their name from Perun, the Slavic thunder god, who was said to dwell on Mount Vihren, the highest summit of the range. It is a fitting title for the Pirin Mountains are the wildest and most rugged of all the Bulgarian mountain ranges the northern part having a truly alpine form, with jagged peaks, sharp crests and numerous glacially sculpted cirques and trough valleys. The flora of the Pirin Planina comprises an interesting mixture of species due to the strong influence of the Mediterranean climate and the juxtaposition of limestone and siliceous terrain. With the boundaries of the 'Pirin' National Park alone, some 1315 species of vascular plant have been recorded, including over 70 endemic species and subspecies. More than 30 of these are local endemics restricted to the Pirin Mountain region. Among the plants endemic are the 'Pirin Poppy' (Papaver degenii) and 'Pirin Cabbage' (Brassica jordanoffii). Not surprisingly, the rugged terrain of the Pirin Mountains is a refuge for large carnivores and other elusive mammals such as brown bear (Ursus arctos), wolf (Canis lupus) and wild cat (Felis silvestris). These are rarely seen, but a glimpse of a Balkan chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra balcanica) scampering across the rocks and screes is not uncommon. Birds such as hazel grouse (Bonasa bonasia) and capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus) inhabit the forests, whilst above the tree-line you can see rock thrush (Monticola saxatilis), alpine accentor (Prunella collaris), alpine chough (Pyrrhocorax graculus) and occasionally wallcreeper (Tichodroma muraria). Further Information If you are interested in a tailor-made walking holiday in Bulgaria's Pirin Mountains, then please email Balkan Trek with more details of your requirements and plans, and we will be happy to design and organize for you the perfect walking holiday in the Pirin Mountains! Responsible Tourism Promise All our walking holidays in Bulgaria are operated in accordance with our strict Responsible Tourism Policy, ensuring that the walking holidays we offer in the Pirin Mountains are not only of the highest quality but also help preserve the Pirin Mountains' natural and cultural heritage! |
