[Photo from sofia-guide.com]

Vitosha Mountain is the oldest nature park on the Balkan Peninsula. Its gorgeous silhouette is visible from almost all positions in the city and is inseparable part of Sofia’ image.

In 1934 with the active involvement of the Bulgarian nature-conservation society, part of the mountain of 6,600 ha was declared a park. Its boundaries have been changed many times and today encompass the entire mountain of 27,079 ha area. On the park’s territory 61 types of habitats were identified; among them of greatest interest as far as nature conservation goes are the natural spruce forests, the peat areas, the moraines and the caves.

Vitosha’s flora includes all vegetation zones characteristic of the Bulgarian mountains, except the alpine one. The park is habitation of a plenty of Balkan endemics, and the globular yellow blossoms of the Vitosha tulip (Trollius europaeus) can be seen on the open high-mountain parts. The number of orchid species found on its territory counts to 30. The mountain is home of a diversity of bigger and smaller mammals, birds, insects, reptiles and amphibians. In the different seasons 200 bird species can be observed in Mount Vitosha, of them 120 species nesting within the park’s territory.

Typical inhabitants of the spruce forests are the nutcracker (Nucifraga caryocatactes), coal tit (Parus ater), common crossbill (Loxia curvirostra), etc. The longest cave in Bulgaria, Duhlata, is also situated in Mount Vitosha: it is a natural attraction with galleries of around 18-kilometre length placed at 6 cave levels.