Pirin Mountains

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 Mountain, 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 Balkan 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 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 pantheon 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".

Geography

Overview

thumb|upright=2.6|Panorama of Pirin from the [[Razlog Valley]]

Pirin is situated in south-western Bulgaria and is part of the Rila–Rhodope Massif. To the north, the Predel Saddle and mountain pass at altitude separates it from the Rila mountain range. To the east, Pirin borders the Razlog Valley, the valley of the river Mesta and the Momina Klisura Gorge that separate it from the Rhodope Mountains. To the south, the Paril Saddle () divides it from the Slavyanka mountain range. To the west, Pirin reaches the valley of the river Struma, including the Kresna Gorge and the Sandanski–Petrich Valley, that serve as a divide from the Vlahina, Maleshevo and Ograzhden mountains further to the west.

The main orographic ridge extends from the north-west to the south-east. 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.

Division

thumb|left|upright|alt=a summit in Pirin|A view to [[Sinanitsa]]

Geologically and morphologically Pirin is divided into three parts: north, central and south, which differ sharply in size and altitude. North Pirin is the largest of the subdivisions and the mountain's downright part. It is the most often visited part of the mountain, the only one to have an Alpine appearance, featuring many glacial lakes, resthouses and shelters. North Pirin is itself divided into two zones by the Kabata Saddle and the valleys of the Banderitsa and Vlahinska rivers. The marble ridge is narrow and very steep, reaching a width of only at the ridge Koncheto (). The southern zone also has marble ridges, such as the Sinanitsa ridge with its homonymous summit (). It is composed of crystalline schists and granite, as well as of marbled limestone in the south. Because of the karstic relief there are no lakes; the rivers springing up from Central Pirin are short and with low water volume. Granite rocks cover 62% of the mountain's area. The tectonics of the Pirin is primarily the result of Precambrian, Hercynian, alpine and tectonic movements and events. Its hoisting alternated with long dormant periods. This glaciation occurred in parallel with that of the Alps. These forms are most prominent at the north-eastern ridges of the mountain. 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 relief has a crucial influence on the climate. Pirin has three altitude climate zones — low between 600 and 1,000 m, middle between 1,000 and 1,800 m and high above 1,800 m. 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.

The prevailing wind direction is from the west and the north-west but southern and south-western winds are also frequent. The rivers are short, steep and with high water volume; the river bottom is rocky or covered with large sediments. Reaching a length of 53 km, Pirinska Bistritsa is the longest river in the massif. Pirin has abundant mineral springs, being among Bulgaria's richest areas. Based on the chemical composition they are divided into two thermal groups — in the Mesta and the Struma basins. The springs in the Mesta basin to the east are more alkaline, with lower mineralisation (below 400 mg/L) and conductance; those on the western slopes reach higher temperatures, up to 86 °C. 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. Many of the lakes are covered with ice during most of the year. The ice thickness reaches 3 m in the highest lakes. Banski Suhodol Glacier is larger and situated a bit to the north below Koncheto Ridge.

Nature

thumb|upright=2|alt=a panorama of Pirin|A panorama of Pirin

The vegetation of Pirin is vertically divided into five distinct elevation zones: Mediterranean, deciduous, coniferous, that combined form the tree line reaching approximately altitude of 2,000 m, shrubs forming the subalpine line up to 2,500 m and alpine meadows, also known as the alpine line above 2,500 m. The alpine line is covered with grass, moss, lichen and abundant in bilberries and rare flowers such as the edelweiss (Leontopodium alpinum). Pirin is home to Bulgaria's oldest tree, the 1300–year Baikushev's pine — a Bosnian pine that is a contemporary of the foundation of the Bulgarian state in 681 AD.

thumb|left|alt=a flower|The endemic Pirin poppy ([[Papaver degenii) under Vihren]]

The total number of vascular plants is 1315 species, or approximately 1/3 of Bulgaria's flora, many of them being rare and under protection. There are 18 species endemic to Pirin, including Pirin poppy (Papaver degenii), Kozhuharov oksitropis (Oxytropis kozhuharovii), Urumov oksitropis (Oxytropis urumovii) among others, The non-vascular plants are represented by 165 algae, 329 moss and 367 lichen species.

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, 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 km<sup>2</sup> 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.

History

Due to the fertile foothills and the favourable terrain for defence Pirin has been continuously inhabited since prehistoric times. Archaeological remains left by the Thracians have been discovered at the western foothills along the Struma Valley and in the Razlog Valley. As the region was annexed by the Roman Empire by the 1st century BC the number of settlements saw further expansion. Throughout the Middle Ages Pirin remained contested between the Bulgarian and the Byzantine Empires until it was conquered by the Ottoman Turks in the late 14th century. The population of the region played an active role during the Bulgarian National Revival and the struggle for national liberation. Bulgaria achieved liberation in 1878 but as a result of the Congress of Berlin Pirin remained in the Ottoman Empire. In response, the local population in Pirin rebelled in the Kresna–Razlog uprising (1878–1879) and later took part in the Ilinden–Preobrazhenie Uprising (1903) but both were quelled by the Ottomans. Kresna (3,267), 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. A number of small hydro power plants have been constructed, mainly along Sandanska Bistritsa River. 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. Bansko is by far the most developed winter resort in the mountain range, being also Bulgaria's most popular one for foreigners — over 79,000 foreign tourists have stayed in Bansko for the 2016/17 winter season spending an average of four nights. Bansko has 75 km ski runs equipped with artificial snow machines as well as 22 km lifting facilities and provides conditions for alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, biathlon, snowboard, etc. The top elevation is 2,560 m while the lowest is 990 m.

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. 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. and the Church of Holy Trinity whose 30-meters high belfry is the symbol of the town.

Honour

Pirin Glacier on Graham Land in Antarctica is named after Pirin Mountain.

Gallery

File:Gorno Vasilashko ezero.jpg|Upper Vasilashko Lake

File:Waterfall - Popovi ezera.JPG|Popinolashki waterfall

File:Todorka peak red.jpg|Todorka Peak

File:Pirin - Banderishki ezera - IMG 5481.jpg|Banderishki Lakes

File:Pirin - Sinanishko ezero - IMG 0395.jpg|Sinanitsa Lake

File:Pirin ezera Pano Chairski ezera.jpg|A panoramic view of Pirin

</gallery>

Citations

Sources

External links

Pirin terrain map by Geopsis