Pirin National Park, Bulgaria

Pirin National Park is a huge area of wilderness in south-west Bulgaria, covering more than 270 square kilometres. This is a sparsely populated mountain region with many rivers, waterfalls and caves. There are more than seventy glacial lakes. Parts of the National Park are forested, but above the treeline are alpine meadows and bare expanses of limestone.

This is a haven for many species of wildlife, and the area is regarded as a living fossil in terms of the flora and fauna that have existed here since the last Ice Age. Many species are endemic to the area and are very rare. This is an excellent place for birdwatchers, as more than 160 species have been recorded, and there also 45 species of land mammal including brown bears.

Despite the location of Pirin in southern Europe (it is not far north of the Aegean) the high altitude means that summers are cool and short and snow cover can be expected for up to eight months.

Pirin National Park has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1983.