The lakes, amazing in their purity, which were laid out by a glacier in time immemorial, reflect the blue sky of Bulgaria, stretching along the Rila mountain range.

Here, in the west of this beautiful country, the forested Mount Musala pierces the skies - the highest peak in the Balkans, the height of which is about three thousand square meters, here are the sources of the three largest full-flowing rivers in Bulgaria - Maritsa, Mesta and Iskar, here they flow from underground healing mineral springs and 120 lakes, like large saucers, lie among the mountains, among which seven reservoirs enjoy the close and inexhaustible attention of tourists.

Rila Lakes

Surrounded by three peaks with bewitching names, Sukhi-Chal, Kharamyata and Otovishskaya, seven beautiful lakes lie in a glacial hole, successively descending one after another from a height of two thousand meters above sea level. Depending on its particular shape and location, each received its own name.

Many travelers rate Lake Sylzata (Tear) as the most beautiful body of water in these places, and it’s hard to disagree with this, because the transparency of its water is exceptional - at a depth of four meters, you can see the bottom if you wish. This lake belongs to the highlands, its height above sea level is 2535 meters, and it is located immediately below the Otovishskaya peak.

Also among the alpine lakes is Lake Okoto, which has an almost regular oval shape, which is why it received its name, which is translated into Russian as Eye. The waters have a rich dark blue color due to the incredible depth for small reservoirs, which is 37.5 meters.

Lake Bybreka (Kidney) is famous for its steep, impassable shores. Only from the side can you admire the water surface of this reservoir sparkling in the sun, since walking along its rocky shores is quite difficult. In August, followers of the teachings of the creator of the White Brotherhood, Peter Donov, come here.

Lake Bliznaka (Twin) is shaped like an hourglass: the body of water, whose area is just over two kilometers, narrows in the middle, and during dry periods, when the lake’s water supply is reduced, this bridge dries up, forming two separate lakes very similar to each other . Some sources claim that mountain trout are found in Bliznaka.

The name of Lake Trefoil (Trefoil) is due to the peculiar shape of its shores; if you look at the reservoir from a height, it somewhat resembles a clover leaf, and the sloping shores of Trefoil only emphasize this similarity.

Lake Ribnoto, which means Fish in Russian, despite being the smallest of the Rila lakes, boasts that it is home to large fish of various species.

Fish is found in several lakes located along the Rila ridge, for example, there are Balkan trout and minnows, but these picturesque reservoirs do not have a variety of species due to the fact that their water supply is provided by cold mountain waters, rainfall and melted snow.

Lake Dolnoto is located below all the Rila lakes and translated into Russian its name means Lower. This is a fairly deep lake, its depth is eleven meters, it is interesting because Dolnoto has collected water that flowed out in small streams from other lakes.

Since the Rila Lakes are included in the national reserve, swimming in them is prohibited, but it is unlikely that any tourists will have such a desire, because the water is very cold even in hot weather.

How to get to the Rila Lakes

Most tourists travel from the foot of the mountains to the peaks of the Rila Mountains by chairlift. The queues for the funicular are very long, especially on weekends. The cost of tickets is low: an adult is charged 10 leva for the lift; if a tourist wishes, he can pay 15 leva for delivery there and back. A ticket for children under twelve years of age costs 8 leva, and children under five years of age can use the funicular for free.

You can also use jeeps, the rental cost of which is 20 leva for an adult; children are not charged a car fare. Traveling by jeep to the Rila Lakes, according to reviews from tourists, can be safely classified as extreme. True, the jeeps stop a kilometer before the final stop, but a walk on foot will give tourists great pleasure.

Not all tourists manage to reach the fifth lake, but in this case they will be offered a ride on a horse, which they can ride with their child. A horse ride costs 15 leva.

For the convenience of tourists, information boards are installed along all routes, and tourist signs are painted on the stones. Unfortunately, this beautiful place has no toilets and no trash cans anywhere. Before heading to the Rila Lakes, you need to stock up on walking sticks, sunscreen, hats and a large supply of drinking water.

How to get to the reserve

You need to get to Panichishte. This can be done in two ways: along the highway leading from the capital, or along the road along the mountains.

If you have not been to the Rila Lakes, then you have not seen Bulgaria, as any tour operator or tourist who has already visited these lakes will tell you. Many, having heard about seven Rila lakes in Bulgaria, they think that there are only seven lakes in this country, in fact this is not far from the case. Where it is located, there are more than a hundred lakes of various shapes and depths, just seven of them stand out with special beauty. For example, there is a lake called “Tear” - this is translated from Bulgarian.

So it was called that because it has very clear water and shallow depth, in the deepest place the lake is only 4 meters deep and, if desired, because of the cleanest water, you can see not only the inhabitants of the lake, but even examine the bottom of the lake in all details.

We have already said why these seven lakes are singled out; it is also worth mentioning that all these lakes have different shapes, depths and even the color of the water. Therefore, each of these amazing lakes has its own name, we have already told you about one of them. There are 6 more lakes in line, let's look at their names and where they got them from. So, we said about the tear, now next is the lake called “Twins”, in Bulgarian the name of the lake sounds like Bliznaka. Why was the lake called that?

Everything is very simple, the shape of the lake resembles an hourglass, the lake seems to consist of two identical halves, so people, noticing this feature of the lake, decided to call it twins. It is interesting that the jumper of the “clock” sometimes dries out - this happens in hot, dry years, and then the lake turns into two lakes, which are like two peas in a pod. There is a hypothesis that it was the lake that was nicknamed the twins, which one you like best, choose for yourself. The next lake is called “Shamrock”, as you probably already guessed, the name of the lake is also taken from its shape. Indeed, if you rise above the lake to a bird's eye view, you will notice the amazing resemblance of the lake to a clover leaf. One can only guess how our ancestors climbed to this height and saw this resemblance of the lake to a plant. The next lake is called Okoto, the name is consonant with the eye, and indeed, in Russian the name of the lake is translated as “Eye”.

The lake got its name due to its almost regular oval shape; indeed, the lake looks like a human eye, but this is not all the oddities that the lake has. The water of the lake has a very rich blue color, apparently this color of the water is achieved due to the enormous depth of the lake (huge depth by the standards of Bulgaria and a small lake).

The depth of the lake at its deepest point is almost 38 meters, quite impressive figures. The next lake is called Bybreka or translated into Russian as “Kidney”, why the lake has such a name is difficult to say. This lake is famous for its impassable rocky shores; you won’t be able to walk along the water on this lake, and followers of the infamous lake come to the shores of this lake every year. It is difficult to say why the followers of this sect are attracted to this particular lake.

The next lake of the seven Rila lakes is called Dolnoto, despite the fact that the name of the lake is consonant with chisel, in fact it is translated into Russian as lower. The lake is indeed located lower than all other lakes, and is famous for the fact that it was formed relatively recently compared to other lakes.

The fact is that this lake was formed thanks to water that flowed out from other lakes. The depth of this lake is 11 meters. The last lake that is included in the natural wonder of Bulgaria is called Ribnoto or “Fish” in Russian translation. The interesting thing is that this lake is the smallest of all seven Rila lakes, but it is also the most fishy. In general, there are not many fish and they are not particularly diverse. But in the fishery there are fish, which attracts tourists who love fishing. Such a low diversity of fish in the lakes is explained by the fact that the lakes are mainly fed by meltwater from the mountains. As you understand, melt water is not particularly warm, so fish do not really like these lakes. Fishing experts say most lakes are stocked only with trout.

The most interesting thing is that swimming in these lakes is prohibited, since they are part of a national reserve, this is such a paradox - you can fish, but you can’t swim. True, no one has any special desire to swim in these lakes, since the water in them is quite cold and does not warm up even in the summer heat.

How to get to the lakes

The best way to get to the reserve is along the highway that comes from Sofia; the journey will take you several hours; when you get to the reserve, in order to see the lakes, you will have to climb the mountains.

There are several ways to do this; going up the mountains on a lift costs 10 levs one way. If you wish, you can buy a round-trip ticket at a discount, and then the cost will be 15 levs. If you are traveling with children, then their ride on the ski lift will cost 8 levs, and if the little ones are still very small and have not reached 5 years of age, then they will ride on the ski lift completely free of charge. The second way is to get to the top of the mountains and go for a walk to the lakes in jeeps, however, they stop a kilometer from the top with an observation deck. Therefore, after a trip with the breeze, you will still have to stomp on foot.

Remember that there are no toilets there, and water is extremely rare, since tourists go on excursions to the Seven Rila Lakes in the summer, we recommend that you stock up on drinking water and take alpenstocks with you. If anyone doesn’t know what an alpenstock is, it’s just a stick that people lean on while hiking in the mountains.

Actually, this is where we end our journey to the lakes; if you decide to go, then be sure to visit the seven Rila lakes.

Bulgaria is poor in natural lakes; the emergence of especially large ones, located along the Black Sea coast, is associated with the subsidence of the sea coast in the Quaternary period, the rest are of tectonic, karst, landslide and glacial origin.

In the recent past, in the Danube lowlands there were lakes and swamps, which were replenished by water during the Danube floods. But, thanks to the construction of dams and irrigation structures, almost all of them were drained and cultivated fields stretched out in their place.

Lakes along the Black Sea coast are estuaries and lagoons. In most cases, their waters are closely connected to the sea and, as a result, are salty. The largest lakes are estuary lakes. They are flooded river mouths, separated from the sea by sand spits, have an oblong shape and retain the silhouette of the ancestral river valley. The largest estuary lakes: Varna - with an area of ​​17 square meters. km and a maximum depth of 19 m, Lake Shablenskoe, Mandrenskoe (now turned into a reservoir), Burgasskoe, Diavolskoe, etc. Lagoon lakes are Shablenska Tuzla, Pomoriiskoe, Alenu, Arkutino, Stomoplo, etc. On the Black Sea coast there are lakes of landslide origin - Tauk Lake and Balchishka Tuzla in Dobrudzha.

On the border of the Western Pre-Balkan with the plain, the Rabish tectonic lake is located, now it has become a reservoir. Lake Skalenskoe in Eastern Stara Planina, Panichishte in Rila and many others, in turn, have a tectonic origin.

There are few karst lakes in Bulgaria. They fill mud-covered karst fields or sinkholes. Most of them have turned into swamps, the rest dry out in the summer. Among the more famous karst lakes-swamps are Dragomanskoye, Aldomirovskoye, Dry lake near the village. General Toshevo in Dobruja, Devetash Lakes. The latter, about 20 in number, are scattered over the surface of the Devetash plateau with a very karstified surface.

Glacial lakes adorn the upper belt of Rila and Pirin. There are approximately 280 such lakes, located at an altitude of 2200 to 2730 m, but most often between 2200 and 2400 m. The waters of these lakes in most cases fill cirques or negative relief forms of different area and depth, once produced by firn. The water is perfectly clean and cold. In the Rila Mountains the largest lake is Stinking (21.2 hectares), the deepest is Oko (38.5 m). In the Pirin Mountains the deepest lake is Tevno. Lakes of glacial origin are characterized by their arrangement in groups, and often in a staircase, stepped arrangement - one above the other.

In Rila, in most cases, the picturesque Musalinsky lakes, the seven Rila lakes, the Maritsa, Urdshgsky, Canary lakes, etc. are visited; in Pirin, interest is primarily attracted by the Banderish, Vlahin lakes, Vasilash lakes, etc.

With their quiet transparent waters, which reflect the peaks of the surrounding mountains, their bluish-greenish, even emerald color, and their beautiful outlines, the glacial lakes give a special charm to Rila and Pirin. It is no coincidence that the Rila and Pirin lakes are called Mountain Eyes.

Popular tourist routes:

Lake Tilicho Vasilashkino (fish) lake

The lake is located on the territory of the Yulen reservation, among a coniferous forest. It is called Fish Lake because there are a lot of trout in it. Local residents make weekend trips to the lake. But you won’t find here the kind of clearings we are used to in Russia, scorched by fires, mercilessly trampled, littered with broken bottles, cans and other garbage, more reminiscent of a garbage dump than a place to relax. Around the lake the pristine purity characteristic of the entire territory of Pirin Park is preserved.

Strazhishko Lake

Glacial lake at the foot of the Strazhite (2822 m) and Polezhan (2851 m) peaks. One of the most beautiful lakes in Pirin. Its water is so clear and transparent that you can see the stones at its bottom. But if you climb the scree above the lake and look from above, the water looks unusually dark inky. Since the lake is glacial and is located in a trough among talus, the water in it is heated by the sun and is not as cold as in lakes through which mountain rivers flow. Therefore, thrill-seekers can swim in it. The impressions are unforgettable.

Mountain lake located at the foot of the Kuklite peak (2686 m). To get to it, you need to walk along a steep path and scree slopes, climbing over huge stones. In contrast to the harsh stone mountain beauty of Lake Strazhiško, Kuklensko Lake is surrounded by picturesque green thickets of scrub pine trees.

One of the most impressive sights of the Balkan Peninsula is the Rila Lakes. This is a fabulous place that you simply must visit if you are on holiday in Bulgaria. Thousands of foreign and Bulgarian tourists strive to see these places in person. These lakes are considered a positive place, so not only tourists like to visit them. Every year on the nineteenth of August, members of the Bulgarian White Brotherhood come to celebrate their New Year, the Dunovists. It is named so in honor of its founder - Peter Denov. The spectacle is quite interesting, because in the morning they form a circle, stand in this way and meet the dawn - the rising of the sun, then they worship it. You can get here on foot from the Rila Monastery, go through the shelter of Ivan Vazov, in Bulgarian these are the huts of Ivan Vazov, if you go on foot, it will be more like a hike, because it will take at least six to seven hours. The journey will take the same time from the north side of the Malyovitsa resort. And yet, there is no need to invent a bicycle, as they say, you can simply use the lift that leaves from the Pionerskaya hut. The fare is fifteen levs in both directions, or ten levs only in one direction. For children, pensioners, and disabled people, the round-trip fare is twelve levs and eight levs one way. The employee's time is from nine in the morning to five thirty in the evening in the winter and from seven in the morning to eight thirty in the evening in the summer. At an altitude of 1585 meters there is a lift, which is the initial departure station, and the final station is located at an altitude of two thousand one hundred meters above sea level. 2163 is the length of the lift route. When going on this excursion, you should wear sneakers, because climbing the mountain paths is quite difficult, the road is especially difficult at the very beginning of the journey, as well as after the fifth lake.

The lakes are a group of lakes that belong to glacial origin, they are located in the Rila Mountains, as well as in the Damga part of northwestern Rila. Some of the lakes are connected to each other by small streams, all thanks to their location, since they are located in depressions. When water passes along the formed slopes, small waterfalls and fountains are formed. The Rila Lakes tourist hut is also another departure point towards the Rila Lakes, and in order to reach the highest lake you only need a couple of hours. It is better to visit the Rila Lakes in the summer, since the temperature everywhere reaches its climax, and the cool air here is just like a breath of fresh air. In July, snow still lies on the slopes near the top of Haidut. The cover of snow lies left over from mountain streams and radiates vigor and freshness.

Ribnoto Lake - Fish Lake is the first of seven lakes, it is located near the Trefoil Reservoir and the Sedemte Rilski Jezera hut. You can spend the night here, the hut can accommodate up to fifty overnight guests, and you can have a warm meal. But some tourists do not spend the night in the hut, but prefer to set up camps consisting of tents in the area. The next lake is located higher, it can be reached in half an hour, its name sounds like Bubreka (Kidney), it received its name due to its bizarre shape, its size is twice as large as Fish Lake and the same Trefoil Lake. A little higher is Lake Okoto, which means Eye; it perfectly reflects the blue summer sky with its crystal clear cold water. This lake is unique, because its entire water surface is covered with ice all year round. A large snow-covered slope descends from the cliff above the lake to the water surface; even in the hot summer months it is covered with snow. The highest lake is considered to be a lake called Sulzata (Tear), the road to get to it from the previous lake will take about an hour. It is the smallest in area and its area is approximately ten thousand square kilometers. From this place there is simply a wonderful panorama, a wonderful view of all the water pools against the backdrop of mountain cliffs. When you return from this lake, you will see the seventh lake, which is the largest, this lake is Bliznaka (Twin).

Swimming and fishing in these lakes is prohibited. This area is truly one of the most attractive for tourists; for decades it has been one of the most visited areas of Bulgaria. A visit is suitable for tourists of all ages, for those people who love to enjoy the beauty, purity and mountainous grandeur of these places.

Last year we decided to take a short trip to the sights of Bulgaria. And one of its undoubted attractions is the Rila Lakes. That's where we headed. We planned our trip in advance, chose a hotel in Borovets, got acquainted with the route, read forums, charged our cameras and set off. The route was drawn up along the Trakia highway, I wrote about it.

The trip to Borovets was wonderful, the weather was wonderful, the landscapes outside the window were magical. I won’t say that we got to our destination quickly, but definitely without any difficulties, because, as I already mentioned, the route was planned in advance and the navigator did not let us down. So, we got to our hotel. I must say weWe were very lucky with her, by some miracle we managed to snag an excellent hotel on booking.com, or rather a complex at a very attractive price, we were caught up in some kind of promotion. The complex consists of several three-story houses, and the rooms are more like entire apartments, with a large bathroom, kitchen area, living room and bedroom. But I think they are designed for whole families who come here in winter for a long time to ski and snowboard. Hence, as a consequenceThe rooms are so spacious that there is room to store equipment. Inside the hotel there is also a swimming pool with a sauna and an excellent restaurant where the food is very tasty. The hotel itself is located in a picturesque location and not far from the ski lift to the foot of the Musala peak, which is the highest mountain peak in Bulgaria, the Balkan Peninsula and all of Eastern Europe. Its height is 2925 meters. On the first day of our arrival, we managed to get on the ski lift and ride back and forth; there simply wasn’t enough time for more. Well, the next day we went to see, admire and photograph the Seven Rilsikh Lakes.

The route from Borovets to the ski lift to the Rila Lakes is about 35 km. The road is good, and the serpentine, to be honest, just amazed me, I didn’t expect this from myself, fear, admiration, excitement, and a bunch of other emotions. There is a fairly large parking lot near the ski lift; leaving your car there costs, if I’m not mistaken, 5 leva. There is also a hut down there for those who want to be the first to be high in the mountains. Although no, the very first and early birds will be those who settled in the hut directly above. At the end of the journey on the lift there is another place to stay, this is just for those who want to watch the sunrise and spend the sunset in the very heart of the Rila Lakes. It must be said that both of these huts are quite ascetic. But I think people go there not for convenience, but for nature, and, perhaps, for those who want to witness the sunrise and sunset, it makes absolutely no difference what conditions they live in.

However, I got ahead of myself a little. So, the lift. In general, of course, this path can be done on foot, bypassing, so to speak, the ski lift, but considering how much there is still to go, it is better to still use this type of transport. The landscapes from the ski lift are simply magnificent, there are no words, just emotions. It takes your breath away, it takes your breath away) We were also very lucky with the weather, it was sunny, clear, and the clouds very vividly complemented the landscape. In addition to the luxurious landscape, the eye stops at the horses grazing nearby, on which (for a certain fee) you can make, in my opinion, an extreme journey along the mountain trails.

I noticed that I keep writing and writing, but I still haven’t written what the Rilsike Lakes actually are and why they are a must-visit for all lovers of mountains and beyond. I am sure that if you are not a fan of mountain walks, after this you will become an avid mountain traveler. So, the Seven Rila Lakes, in Bulgarian sounds like Sedem Rila Lakes, are a group of glacial lakes located in the northwestern Rila Mountains in Bulgaria. In Bulgaria, this place is very visited and loved by tourists from different parts of the world. The lakes are located at an altitude of 2100 to 2500 meters above sea level. Each of the seven lakes has its own name, which speaks of its most characteristic feature. Now, having brief information and an idea about this Bulgarian attraction, you can move on. Having traveled part of the way on the lift, we meet a hut that is already familiar to us. There you can drink tea and have a snack to refresh yourself before a long journey.

Having overcome the first hiking ascent, a wonderful view of the mountainous area opens up. As I already wrote, it is simply breathtaking. By the way, having read the forums before the trip, we followed one very useful example: we took with us a thermos of hot tea, croissants and a flask of whiskey. Thanks to the person who wrote about this at the time. If you are reading this, know that we are very grateful to you. The idea is really good. Still, the climbs are pretty exhausting, and these supplies you take with you are very encouraging.

And now a short description of the lakes themselves. The highest lake is called Tear (Bulgarian: Sjlzata), it was named so because of its clear water, which allows you to see far into the depths of the lake. The next highest lake is called Glaz (Bulgarian: Okoto), a name given to it because of its almost perfect oval shape. The depth of this lake is 37.5 m. Lake Pochka (Bulgarian: Babreka) has the steepest shores of all the lakes in the group. Lake Gemini (Bliznaka in Bulgarian) is the largest in area. Lake Trefoil (Bulgarian: Trefoil) has irregular shapes and low banks. Fish Lake (Bulgarian: Ribnoto ezero) is the shallowest. And the Lower Lake (Bulgarian: Dolnoto ezero) is the lowest in altitude above sea level, which collects water flowing from other lakes, which in turn form the German River. The water in the lakes is incredibly clean, almost crystalline. It must be said that the route itself is not easy, especially if you climb higher. The higher, the more difficult. But it's worth it a million percent!

As useful tips, tourists should consider the following: the air temperature in the mountains drops significantly, so it wouldn’t hurt to bringbring something warm with you. But at the same time the sun gets quite hot, and because... Because of the cool air and wind, this is not felt, you can easily get sunburned, so you should apply sunscreen to exposed areas in advance. You should also think about options for toilets in advance; there are none along the route, only in the huts at the beginning. Be sure to provide suitable shoes, they should be as comfortable as possible. The lift closes at 18:00, so this should be taken into account when planning the route. If you feel that you don’t have time to see or photograph something, it’s better to turn around and go back, because... If you don’t have time for the lift, you will have to travel a very decent distance along mountain roads on foot, and even in the dark. Therefore, if you want to see the maximum, you should arrive early to calmly enjoy the beauty of the mountains and not rush anywhere. In our case, the journey from the ski lift and back was about 7 hours. The cost of the lift in the summer of 2013 was 18 levs per person in both directions. It is forbidden to swim in the lakes (well, I think it’s not particularly comfortable, the water is icy) and to fish.