Places

Byalata Voda Fountain (literally translated as White Water) is located at an altitude of about 988 m in the valley of a small tributary of the Vladayska River. Next to the fountain is a recreation area with benches and tables. Hiking trails to Zlatnite Mostove, Kopitoto, Tikhia Kat or the Bear Museum all start from here. The "Belovodski Way", a street named after the fountain, also ends here.

A wide meadow with gazebos and playgrounds.

An area with botanical alleys, gazebos, ponds and children's areas.

Mochirlivata Polyana (The Swampy Meadow) is a meadow with gazebos and a concrete shelter with a fireplace in the area of Zlatnite Mostove.

Ostritsa Peak is located in the reserve of the same name, which is one of the oldest protected areas in Bulgaria. From the top, a panorama opens up to Vitosha, Rila, Lyulin and the mountains in Kraishte.

The highest peak of Vitosha.

Shelter at the foot of Vrah Samara. It has a vestibule and two rooms, one of which has a bunk-style bed.

The newest shelter on Vitosha.

Very close to the hut complex, which includes Planinarska Pesen Hut, Borova Gora Hut, and the defunct Boeritsa Hut, at the foot of Chernata Skala Peak, there is a stone river from which you can watch some of the most beautiful sunsets on Vitosha.

Previously known as ЦПШ (Central Mountain School). Now it is a hotel.

That's not a gallows, don't judge too quickly. That's a frame in which a person can have his photo taken by a friend, with an aerial view of the valley as a background.

Kostenets Waterfall is just a five-minute walk from the parking lot in front of the Kostenets Therme, making it an easy walk for families with small children. The waterfall is formed by the Chavcha River, which originates near Ibar Peak - the highest peak in Eastern Rila. The waterfall is about ten meters high. It carries the most water in spring due to melting snow, and it usually freezes over in the winter. The famous Bulgarian writer Ivan Vazov wrote about this spot in his poems 'The Waterfall Weeps' and 'Above the Waterfall' (Yulska Kitka, 1917), as well as in a 1906 short story. Today, you can read an excerpt from 'Above the Waterfall' on a wooden sign near the mineral water fountain at the start of the trail. You can learn more at https://www.kostenskivodopad.bgsait.com/.

Skalovitets Waterfall is located in Eastern Rila along a tributary of the Ribnitsa River. Standing roughly 25 meters tall, the waterfall cascades down three tiers, with the middle step being the largest and steepest.

Belmeken is the peak after which the Belmeken section of Rila is named. At its foot is the Belmeken Dam. The northern slope is steep, rising above the Kutlinite Circus. In clear weather and good visibility, views in all directions are open from the summit. One can see Pirin with Vihren Peak, Slavyanka with Gotsev Peak, Vitosha with Kamen Del, Stara Planina, Sredna Gora, the Western Rhodopes, the Iskar and Batak Dams, as well as the Belmeken Dam located at its foot. Near the peak is the highest mountain colony of the European ground squirrel (Spermophilus citellus) in Bulgaria and the entire Balkan Peninsula.

A glacial lake located below Ravnichal Peak. On its shores is the Belmeken Hut. This is one of the many glacial lakes in the Bulgarian mountains whose outflow is slowed by a retaining wall. Before the wall of this lake was built, there was an island in its eastern part, which was subsequently flooded by the rising water level.

The highest peak in the Balkan Mountains (Stara Planina).

Orlovets Peak is located on the central Malyovitsa ridge, west of Zliya Zab. Between the two peaks is the Prozoretsa (Window) saddle, from which a scree begins to the north with a path leading to the Orlovets shelter, and to the south the steep rocky couloir Siniya Ulei (the Blue Gully) descends, ending 1200 meters below, not far from Kirilova Polyana. The summit offers a view of Malyovitsa Peak, the neighboring rocky crags of Petlite, Zliya Zab Peak to the east, Dvuglav peak to the southeast and Kamilata Peak to the north, as well as the Second Terrace, the glacial leveling in the upper valley of the Malyoviska River, from where the trail to the Orlovets shelter diverges from the main trail to Malyoviska Peak. The northwestern face of the summit is almost vertical and is about a hundred meters high. It is a popular climbing site. It was first climbed by German climbers Hermann Hund and Tony Wiedemann in 1935 (see Wikipedia)) The peak is accessible in summer without the aid of climbing equipment. The most popular route is from the Orlovets shelter through the Prozoretsa saddle.

Malyovitsa is one of the most visited alpine peaks in Bulgaria. The Malyovitsa section of Rila (including the Malyovitsa Ridge, the Seven Rila Lakes, and the Urdini Lakes) is named after it. It is not, however, the highest peak in its section. The highest peak is Golyam Kupen, which is one of the peaks, forming the crown of Strashnoto Lake.

Kamilata (Camel) Peak is the last peak of the crown surrounding the glacial cirque of the Orlovets shelter ("Granitna Voda"). It is located directly north of the shelter and is separated by a saddle from the neighboring Lovnitsa peak. It owes its name to the characteristic rock shape, resembling a lying camel, turning its slightly upright head in the direction of the Orlovets and Zliya Zab peaks. The camel shape is recognizable only from the southwest - from the marked trail, connecting the Second Terrace to the Orlovets shelter, or from the main trail to Malyovitsa peak (in the section that begins with the steep climb after the Second Terrace and ends at Eleninoto Lake). The peak is accessible in the summer without climbing equipment through the saddle connecting it to Lovnitsa Peak. The northern granite wall of the peak, over a hundred meters high, is a popular climbing site. Winter offers conditions for ice climbing, which, however, is dangerous due to the high probability of avalanches. Information about climbing routes can be found at climbingguide.bg. On April 17, 1988, the legendary Bulgarian climber Lyudmil Yankov died while climbing the peak.

The easiest peak to climb from the Orlovets shelter ("Granitna Voda"), accessible in summer via a non-technical trail passing through the Zliya Prelez (The Evil Pass) saddle, separating Lovnitsa from the neighboring Zliya Zab peak. The peak offers stunning views of the Zliya Zab, Orlovets, Kamilata, Golyam Kupen and Malyovitsa peaks. Its eastern face is a vertical wall and is a popular climbing site.