Sofia itinerary

1. 1

   Vitosha Nature Park - Sofia's Mountain on the Doorstep

   Vitosha Nature Park rises straight out of Sofia's southern suburbs, and the label deserves precision: Vitosha is a nature park, not a national park. It was declared in 1934, which made it the first protected park of its…

   Address

   Hizha Aleko, Aleko area, Vitosha Nature Park, Sofia, Bulgaria

   Nearest transit

   Hizha Aleko stop, bus 66 from Zooparka, weekends and public holidays only, 45 min, terminus at the trailhead

2. 2

   Rila National Park - The Seven Rila Lakes Circuit

   Rila National Park is the first genuine national park on this list and the largest protected area in Bulgaria. Its best known corner is the Seven Rila Lakes, a staircase of glacial tarns lying between 2,095 m and 2,535…

   Address

   Rilski Ezera Hut, Seven Rila Lakes, Rila National Park, 2650 Sapareva Banya, Bulgaria

   Nearest transit

   No direct bus; BDZ train or Union Ivkoni coach to Dupnitsa, local bus to Sapareva Banya, then taxi 15 km to the Panichishte chairlift

3. 3

   Rila Monastery Nature Park - A Nature Park Around a UNESCO Monastery

   Rila Monastery Nature Park is the second nature park here, and its status is a legal curiosity worth understanding. The territory belonged to Rila National Park when both were created in 1992, but in 2000 it was…

   Address

   Rila Monastery, 2643 Rilski Manastir, Bulgaria

   Nearest transit

   Bus from Sofia Ovcha Kupel station to Blagoevgrad, about 2 hours, then a local bus to Rila town and a 15 km taxi

4. 4

   Central Balkan National Park - Botev Peak and Raysko Praskalo

   Central Balkan National Park protects an 85 km strip of the Balkan range and is the second of Bulgaria's three national parks. Created on 31 October 1991, it covers 716.69 km² and holds nine strict reserves: Boatin…

   Address

   Raysko Praskalo waterfall, Dzhendema Reserve, above 4370 Kalofer, Bulgaria

   Nearest transit

   Kalofer railway station, direct BDZ ICF trains from Sofia, about 2 hours 35 minutes, then 4 km to the Panitsite trailhead

5. 5

   Pirin National Park - Bulgaria's UNESCO World Heritage Mountain

   Pirin National Park closes the list and carries the heaviest credentials. Inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1983 and extended in 2010, it spans roughly 40,000 hectares between 1,008 m and 2,914 m under…

   Address

   Vihren Hut, Banderitsa valley, Pirin National Park, 2770 Bansko, Bulgaria

   Nearest transit

   Bansko railway station, municipal bus to Vihren Hut at 08:30, 13:20 and 17:00, about 45 minutes

From the trip1 travel guide “5 Best National Parks Near Sofia” · trip1.com