Pirin

Mount Vihren is the highest peak in Pirin, the second-highest peak in Bulgaria, and the third-highest on the Balkan Peninsula after Mytikas in Mount Olympus. It is located on the main Pirin ridge between the peaks of Kutelo and Hvoynati Vrah. Vihren is also the first peak along the marble section of the ridge when heading northwest. Its white pyramid is visible from a large part of the mountain, often alongside the other large pyramid next to it - that of neighboring Kutelo. It is accessible via marked trails from Vihren Hut, which is located at its foot. Marble does not retain water, which is why the vegetation along the marble ridge and Mount Vihren is far from abundant. Yet it includes some rare plants, such as the edelweiss. By the way, the edelweiss, which you can sometimes encounter right on the marked trails, is strictly forbidden to pick. Chamois live around the peak; they are used to the heavy flow of tourists and are not disturbed by their presence, so you may have a chance to photograph them from a relatively close distance.

A turquoise lake located between Sinanitsa Hut and the marble wall of Sinanitsa Ridge.

The largest and deepest lake in the Banderishki Lakes group.

Zhabeshko (Frog) Lake is located under the southern slope of Malka Todorka and offers a wonderful panorama of Muratov Peak, whose pyramidal silhouette is reflected in its waters. The lake is part of the Banderishki Lakes group and owes its name to the tadpoles that can be seen in its warm, shallow waters in the summer. The marked trail from Vihren hut to Demyanitsa hut runs along the shore of the lake.

Often called the "Heart of Pirin" because of its characteristic shape, Muratovo Lake is one of the most popular places to visit near Vihren Hut, accessible to beginner hikers. It is located under the pyramid of Muratov Peak on the trail leading from Vihren hut through Banderishka Gate to Sinanitsa Hut. There is a small meadow next to the lake, and only further up the trail to the gate can you visit the other, smaller lakes from the group to which Muratovo Lake itself belongs - the Ovinati (Hvoynati) Lakes.

Koncheto ("The Little Horse") is a knife-edge ridge in Pirin. It lies on the main mountain backbone between the peaks of Kutelo and Banski Suhodol. Its northeastern slopes are almost vertical. They drop more than 400 meters into the dry Banski Suhodol cirque. The southwestern slope is less steep. However, a fall from this side can still be fatal. At its narrowest point, the ridge is only about half a meter wide. In the past, when the metal safety cable that now runs along it was not yet installed, hikers used to cross these narrow parts by straddling the rock as if riding a horse. This is how Koncheto got its name. The length of the ridge is about 400 meters, which means that crossing it requires at least twenty minutes of complete concentration - something that might not be entirely easy to achieve after four to five hours of prior hiking, which is how long it takes to reach it. On summer weekends, Koncheto is heavily visited, and passing hikers coming from the opposite direction along the narrowest sections can put an extra strain on your nerves. In autumn, the ridge can partially freeze over, especially in the evening, making the already polished rock even more slippery. The red-marked trail between Yavorov Hut and Vihren Hut crosses Koncheto. This trail is part of the European long-distance path E4.