Product Code Database
The Pirin Mountains ( ) are a mountain range in southwestern Bulgaria, with the highest peak, Vihren, at an altitude of .
The range extends about from the north-west to the south-east and is about wide, spanning a territory of . To the north, Pirin is separated from Bulgaria's highest mountain range, the Rila, by the Predel saddle, while to the south it reaches the Slavyanka Mountain. To the west is located the valley of the river Struma and to the east the valley of the river Mesta separates it from the Rhodope Mountains. Pirin is dotted with more than a hundred glacial lakes and is also the home of Europe's southernmost glaciers, Snezhnika and Banski Suhodol.
The northern part of the range, which is also the highest one, is protected by the Pirin National Park, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983. Pirin is noted for its rich flora and fauna, as well as for the presence of a number of relict species. Much of the area is forested, with some of the best preserved conifer woods in Bulgaria, holding important populations of the Balkans endemic species Macedonian pine, Bosnian pine and Bulgarian fir. Animals include many species of high conservation value, such as brown bear, gray wolf, wildcat, European pine marten, wild boar, red deer, roe deer, chamois, etc.
The combination of favourable natural conditions and varied historical heritage contribute makes Pirin an important tourist destination. The town of Bansko, situated on the north-eastern slopes of the mountain, has grown to be the primary ski and winter sports centre in the Balkans. A number of settlements at the foothills of Pirin have mineral spring and are spa resorts — Banya, Dobrinishte, Gotse Delchev, Sandanski, etc. Melnik at the south-western foothills of the mountain is Bulgaria's smallest town and is an architectural reserve. Within a few kilometres from the town are the Melnik Earth Pyramids and the Rozhen Monastery.
The name of the mountain may, according to one hypothesis, derive from Perun, the highest god of the Slavic mythology and the god of thunder and lightning. Another version is that the etymology of the range can be traced to the Thracian word Perinthos, meaning "Rocky Mountain".
The main orographic ridge extends from the north-west to the south-east. Pirin spans an area of with an average height of . The maximum length between the Paril and Predel saddles is ; the maximum width is . Reaching an altitude of , Pirin is the second highest mountain range in Bulgaria after Rila () and the eighth highest in Europe after the Caucasus, the Alps, Sierra Nevada, the Pyrenees, Mount Etna, the aforementioned Rila, and Mount Olympus.
Central Pirin extends between the Todorova Polyana Saddle and the Popovi Livadi Saddle. It constitutes the smallest and the shortest of the three subdivisions, covering only 7% of Pirin's total area. It is composed of crystalline and granite, as well as of marbled limestone in the south. Because of the relief there are no lakes; the rivers springing up from Central Pirin are short and with low water volume. It is largely covered by deciduous forests. The highest peak is Orelyak (), while the other summits are under .
South Pirin stretches from the Popovi Livadi Saddle to the Paril Saddle and is the lowest and least rugged part. The highest peak is Ushite at , although Sveshtnik () had long been considered the highest summit. It constitutes 19% of the mountain's territory. Despite being characterised with relatively flat ridges, its lateral slopes are steep. South Pirin is composed of granite with marbled limestone in the periphery. It lacks glacial forms and is covered with forests. Like Central Pirin, the springs are short and with low water discharge.
The modern relief of Pirin was shaped in the Pleistocene when the mountain was subjected to alpine glaciation related to the global cooling. This glaciation occurred in parallel with that of the Alps. The process formed pointed pyramidal peaks, long U-shaped valley, cirques, moraine fields and vertical cliffs that characterise Pirin's contemporary appearance. These forms are most prominent at the north-eastern ridges of the mountain. Some lateral moraines may reach heights of more than . The lower line of the glaciers was at . Karst landforms also shape Pirin's relief with , Sinkhole, , etc.
The main Pirin ridge is clearly distinguished; it begins in Rila and passes through the Predel saddle as far as the Paril saddle. It links the separate smaller ridges of the mountain into one system with the highest peaks situated on it. Although it curves a lot, its main direction is from the northwest to southeast and it is also a watershed between the Struma and the Mesta rivers. There are many spurs but four of them are so large that they create the appearance of the mountain: Sinanishko, Todorino, Polezhansko and Kamenishko.
There are two peaks above , Vihren and Kutelo; seven above ; 13 above ; 32 above and 60 above . The highest granite peak is the Banderishki Chukar (). Some of the highest peaks are:
The most recognisable rock formation in the mountain range are the Melnik Earth Pyramids situated in the southwestern reaches of Pirin in the vicinity of the homonymous town. They are located at an altitude between and are composed of sandstone and conglomerates dated from the Neogene and the Quaternary Periods. The Pyramids were formed as a result of erosion as the Melnishka River and its tributaries had carved their way into the hills forging pyramid-like forms of significant aesthetic value that reach a height of . This process began 4–5 million years ago and is still ongoing. The combination of pale Pliocene sandstones and red Quaternary conglomerates determines the yellowish and reddish colour gamut and the diverse shapes. The Melnik Earth Pyramids constitute a specific and unique micro habitat of high conservation value and were designated a natural landmark in 1960.
Similar rock formations are found further north along the slopes of Pirin facing the Struma Valley near the town of Kresna.
Winters are cold and prolonged while summers are cool and short. The temperature decreases with the altitude, which is more visible in summer. The mean annual temperature is around 9–10 °C in the low, 5–7 °C in the middle and 2–3 °C in the high altitude zone. The coldest month is January with average temperature varying between −5 and −2 °C. The hottest month is July with temperature averaging 20 °C at 1,600 m and 15 °C at 2,000 m. Temperature inversions, i.e. increase in temperature with height, are observed in 75% of the winter days.
The annual precipitation in Pirin is 600–700 mm in the lower zones and 1000–1200 mm in the higher. The rainfall occurs mostly in winter and spring, while summer is driest season. The air humidity is 60–75% in August and 80–85 % in December. In winter the precipitation is mainly snow, varying from 70–90% at the lower altitudes to 100% at higher. The average number of days with snow cover varies from 20–30 to 120–160. The highest thickness of the snow cover reaches 40–60 cm at 1,000–1,800 m in February and 160–180 cm above 1,800 m in March (190 cm on Vihren). In some winters the snow thickness can reach 250–350 cm. are frequent.
The prevailing wind direction is from the west and the north-west but southern and south-western winds are also frequent. The wind speed can reach 34–40 m/s at the high ridges, being highest in February and March and lowest in August and September. The percentage of windless days increases in summer and autumn to 30–40% at lower altitude and 10–15% at higher. In the highest zone the percentage does not exceed 5–7% annually.
A total of 176 are situated in the mountain range, all of them in North Pirin. Of them, 119 are permanent, and the rest dry out in summer. About 65% of them are located in the north-eastern area and discharge into the Mesta basin; the other 35% are to the south-west, their water flowing into the tributaries of the Struma. Approximately 90% of the lakes are nestled between 2,100 m and 2,450 m. At an altitude of 2,710 m the Upper Polezhan Lake is the highest in Pirin, as well as in Bulgaria and the Balkans. The total area of all lakes is 1.8 km2; the largest one being Popovo Lake with 123,600 m2, which makes it the fourth largest glacial lake in the country. With a depth of 29.5 m, it is also Pirin's deepest lake and Bulgaria's second. The water is transparent as deep as 15 m. Many of the lakes are covered with ice during most of the year. The ice thickness reaches 3 m in the highest lakes. The lakes and the lake groups are:
Pirin is also home to two small , remnants from the last Ice Age. Snezhnika is located in the deep Golemiya Kazan cirque at the steep northern foot of Vihren and is the southernmost glacier in Europe. Banski Suhodol Glacier is larger and situated a bit to the north below Koncheto Ridge.
The vertebrate fauna of Pirin consists of 229 species. The mammal species are 45 and include brown bear, gray wolf, wildcat, European pine marten, wild boar, red deer, roe deer and chamois. The total number of bird species is 159, including three relicts — boreal owl, white-backed woodpecker and Eurasian three-toed woodpecker, and a number of birds of prey, such as lesser spotted eagle, booted eagle, golden eagle, short-toed snake eagle, saker falcon, peregrine falcon, etc. There are 11 reptile, 8 amphibian and 6 fish species. The number of invertebrate species discovered so far is 2091 but they remain poorly studied and are expected to rise to 4500.
The rich wildlife in the mountain is protected by the Pirin National Park founded in 1962 and designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983. The park spans an area of 403,32 km2 and includes two nature reserves, Bayuvi Dupki–Dzhindzhiritsa and Yulen. There are two more reserves in Pirin beyond the limits of the national park, Tisata and Orelyak Reserve.
Pirin is served by two main roads — the first class I-1 road, part of European route E79, along the Struma valley to the west that links the capital Sofia and the provincial centre Blagoevgrad with Greece at Kulata, and the second class II-19 road which branches off I-1 at Simitly, goes east crossing the Predel Saddle and then turns south along the Mesta Valley to Gotse Delchev and the border with Greece at Ilinden. The Struma motorway is planned to run in parallel with the I-1 road, with one section between Novo Delchevo and the border already finished and another one linking Novo Delchevo and Kresna under construction as of 2017. Due to the rugged relief Pirin is crossed by only one road, the third class III-198 road that links I-1 and II-19 through the Paril Saddle between Central and South Pirin. The mountain range is served by the Bulgarian State Railways via railway line No. 5 along the Struma Valley in the west and the Septemvri–Dobrinishte narrow-gauge line with terminus at the latter town in the northern foothills.
The economy is based on agriculture, industry, services and tourism. There are small deposits of sub-bituminous coal as well as significant quantities of high-quality marble that is processed in Sandanski and part of the production is exported. A number of small hydro power plants have been constructed, mainly along Sandanska Bistritsa River. The rivers are also used for irrigation. Forests cover , or 5.5% of Bulgaria's total, and are of commercial importance because of the high-quality timber. As logging is restricted in the protected areas the wood-processing industry in Pirin forms 3.5% of the nation's total production in that sector. The lower parts of the mountain offer favourable conditions for agriculture, the most important cash crops being , , tobacco and anise. The region around Melnik is renowned for its centuries-old traditions in producing distinct red wines. Manufacturing industry is centred in Sandanski, Gotse Delchev, Bansko and Simitli; the main sectors are food processing, machine building and furniture production.
The abundant mineral springs are a prerequisite for health and spa tourism. The most developed spa resorts are Dobrinishte and Sandanski. The former has 17 springs with a total discharge of 782 L/min and temperature of 28°С to 41.2°С and has a mineral beach among the other facilities. Sandanski is home to 11 springs with a total discharge of 1200 L/min and temperature of 33°С to 83°С that have been utilised since Antiquity. Other mineral baths are located in Bansko, Banya, Vlahi, Dolna Gradeshnitsa, Levunovo, Marikostinovo, Musomishta, Oshtava, Simitli and Hotovo. There are 20 marked hiking trails within the borders of Pirin National Park. The steep rock faces in Northern Pirin provide favourable conditions for alpine climbing. The most popular places for practising climbing are the north wall of Vihren, as well as the peaks Kamenitsa, Banski Suhodol, Sinanitsa and Dzhengal among others. Pirin Golf Club near Bansko has 18- and 5-hole golf courses.
Cultural tourism is also well developed. Melnik has been designated an architectural reserve and one of the 100 Tourist Sites of Bulgaria. Among the main sights are the ruins of the medieval fortress and the Church of St Nicholas, as well as a number of national revival style houses, such as the Kordopulov House. A few kilometres to the east of the town is Rozhen Monastery, the biggest one in Pirin. The monastery was established in the early 13th century during the Second Bulgarian Empire and has the shape of an irregular hexagon. There are frescoes dated from the 16th century. Rozhen Monastery was a regional centre for learning and calligraphy. In close proximity to the monastery is the Church of Saints Cyril and Methodius, built on the initiative of the Prominent Bulgarian revolutionary Yane Sandanski, which nowadays houses his tomb. The town of Sandanski boasts the ruins of a 5-6th century episcopal basilica that has been recently renovated. Bansko also has an old quarter with 18-19th century houses and the Church of Holy Trinity whose 30-meters high belfry is the symbol of the town.
|
|
