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Rila National Park

Experience

Rila National Park offers many opportunities for adventure, relaxation and discovery.

Adventure
Rila National park is the right place to experience adventure in many ways. To explore the whole park, hiking is the best choice. There are hikes for every taste and fitness: From strenuous multi day mountain hikes with full backpack, to easy, relaxing walks on the various eco- and interpretation trails. Also there are opportunities for horseback riding and cycling. In winter, snowshoe-hiking is an ideal way to experience the winter wonderland of Rila.

Specialised hiking routes such as the Friends of Plants Botanical Trail, provide every visitor the opportunity to gaze in a world of winds and sun, deep snow and white water, rich flora and fauna. The walking time of the trails ranges between 2,5 and 10 hours and offer stunning panoramic views, attractive rest places with picnic facilities and entertaining interpretation and educational material along the way.

Enthusiasts for wildlife watching, fishing, mountain biking, rock and ice-climbing and winter cross-country skiing have plenty of opportunities to enjoy their hobby.

Relaxation
Besides enjoying gorgeous scenic views within Rila National Park there are many opportunities to relax: Enjoy a picnic along the Beli Iskar Ecotrail surrounded by beautiful nature or unwind after a strenuous day in the mountains at the hot mineral springs in Sapareva banya, Dolna banya, Kostenets, Belovo, Yakoruda, Belista, Razlog, Simitli and Blagoevgrad.

Discovery
Discover the astonishing biodiversity of Rila National Park. Most of Rila National Park is covered with thick forests such as spruce, white fir and Macedonian pine. The vegetation zones of Beech, Coniferous forest, sub-alpine and Alpine are the natural habitats of the brown bear, chamois, roe deer, wolf, capercaillie, Balkan trout and many more.

Rila is also home to almost 3000 invertebrate and 172 vertebrate species of the Bulgarian fauna. Discover the endemic Rila cowslip (Primula deorum) next to beautiful glistering lakes. Learning about this self-regulating ecosystem during an interpretation-hike is a perfect way to discover Rila.

Besides experiencing stunning nature you can discover the rich cultural heritage of the Rila-region. Enjoy the authentic cultural traditions, crafts and cuisine. Near the park you can find the world famous Rila Monastery. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, it is a beautiful example of Bulgarian Renaissance architecture.