Pirin Macedonia is a cultural region in Bulgaria that takes up the south-western corner of the country. It contains some of the most rugged mountainous terrain in Bulgaria, as well as the large valley of the Struma river, where Bulgaria's usually temperate climate starts becoming Mediterranean in the southern parts. Unsurprisingly, there's a number of ski and spa resorts.
Cities
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Most of the region falls within the province of Blagoevgrad, the only large city in the area.
- 1 Blagoevgrad (Благоевград) — the largest city of Southwest Bulgaria known for the beautiful nature that surrounds it, the many local cultural sights and festivals
Petrich and Sandanski are the only other cities with more than 20,000 inhabitants; Gotse Delchev and Razlog are the only other towns with more than 10,000.
- 2 Bansko (Банско) — a mountain resort town on the eastern slopes of Pirin, and an international destination for winter tourists and "digital nomads". Bansko still retains some of its old houses, stone walls, and cobblestone streets, but the traditional architecture has been overtaken by the tourism construction boom of the 2000s-2010s. Not far from Bansko is the village of Banya with its hot water springs.
- 3 Belitsa (Белица) — a small town not far from Bansko, and a minor mountain resort. The Belitsa Bear Sanctuary was established there in 2000 to rehabilitate "dancing bears" from Bulgaria and other Balkan countries.
- 4 Gotse Delchev (Гоце Делчев) — a town under the eastern slopes of Pirin, in the valley of the Mesta, not far from the border with Greece; (re)named after a 19th century Bulgarian-Macedonian revolutionary.
- 5 Melnik (Мелник) — officially the smallest town in Bulgaria, Melnik has been declared "town-museum" due to its traditional architecture and the picturesque area of weathered sandstone formations that surrounds it (the Melnik Earth Pyramids). Also known for its wines, and the nearby Rozhen Monastery.
- 6 Petrich (Петрич) — a border city between Greece and North Macedonia, close to the historic mountain Belasitsa. Home of the late blind clairvoyant Baba Vanga; also notable for the nearby hot springs and the ruins of the ancient city Heraclea Sintica, first revealed the late 2000s.
- 7 Razlog (Разлог) — a town and mountain resort in the Razlog Valley between Rila, Pirin, and the Western Rhodope Mountains; Bansko lies in the southern part of the same valley.
- 8 Sandanski (Сандански) — a mountain and spa resort town on the western slopes of Pirin, named after another 19th century Bulgarian-Macedonian revolutionary. Sandanski is considered to have the healthiest climate in Bulgaria, due to its combination of clean air and warm average temperatures.
- 9 Semkovo (Семково) — a mountain resort 17 km to the north of the town of Belitsa, situated south of the main ridges of the Rila Mountains, nestling in a wide field among pine forests
Other destinations
[edit]- 1 Pirin National Park — a great hiking destination in summer with beautiful landscapes, lakes, and the second highest summit of the country
Understand
[edit]Pirin (Пирин), the second highest peak in Bulgaria, is often considered the most beautiful mountain in the country, and Pirin National Park features beautiful landscapes and many lakes.
The region surrounding the mountain includes the valleys of the rivers Mesta (on the east of Pirin) and Struma (on the west of Pirin), and some lower mountains in the westernmost parts of the region. Belasitsa, the mountain on the southwest border with North Macedonia and Greece is the home of one of Bulgaria's still-standing medieval fortresses where one of the fiercest battles between the First Bulgarian State and the Byzantine was held.
The town of Blagoevgrad is the largest town in the area. It is known as a student town because two of the largest universities are in it.
Get in
[edit]Get around
[edit]The main backbone of the road network in the region is Motorway A3 ("Struma"), which runs north-south along the valley of the Struma, west of Rila and Pirin. The route used to be served by the southern part of National Road 1, but it has been superseded by the motorway, though parts of it survive, providing alternative parallel routes in certain areas. The other major road is the mountainous National Road 19: it branches off the A3, heading east through the Predela pass between Rila and Pirin to reach the Razlog Valley. Afterwards, it follows the river Mesta south, squeezing between Pirin and the Western Rhodope Mountains to reach the border.
The standard-gauge railway line between the capital and the southern border connects Blagoevgrad, Sandanski, and Petrich to the national rail network through Sofia.
Dobrinishte in the Razlog Valley is one of the end points of Bulgaria's last remaining narrow gauge railway; Belitsa, Bansko and Razlog are some of the last stops on the line.
See
[edit]- National Park-Museum "The Fort of Samuil"
- Sand pyramids near Melnik
- Pirin National Park has several lodges and a number of meadows suitable for picnics. It's perfect for hiking in the summer days and sleeping in the open at night.
Do
[edit]- In the winter one can visit the popular resort Bansko
Eat
[edit]Drink
[edit]Pirin Macedonia is a popular wine region.