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112-697: The valley is enclosed between Bulgaria's highest mountain range Rila to the south and Sredna Gora mountain range, bound its ridges Shumnatitsa to the west, Septemvriyski to the north–northeast and Vetren to the east. To the north the Septemvriyski ridge separates it from the Ihtiman Valley . It is connected to the Samokov Valley via the Borovets saddle to the west. To the east the Momina Klisura Gorge of

224-673: A fire and the whole area of the mountains was entirely consumed; and due to this fire, since it raged continuously day after day, the surface of the earth was also burned and the mountains, because of what had taken place, were called the Pyrenees." The Spanish Pyrenees are part of the following provinces , from east to west: Girona , Barcelona , Lleida (all in Catalonia ), Huesca (in Aragon ), Navarra (in Navarre ). The French Pyrenees are part of

336-487: A five-domed church, a defensive tower and monastic apartments encircling an inner yard. The exterior of the complex resembles a fortress with its high stone walls and little windows. The oldest surviving structure is the 23 m high Hrelyo's Tower, constructed in 1334–1335. The Church of Theodore Tyro and Theodore Stratelates in Dobarsko at an elevation of about 1,000 m is a small three-naved stone basilica half dug into

448-557: A mountain range straddling the border of France and Spain . They extend nearly 500 km (310 mi) from their union with the Cantabrian Mountains to Cap de Creus on the Mediterranean coast, reaching a maximum altitude of 3,404 metres (11,168 ft) at the peak of Aneto . For the most part, the main crest forms a divide between Spain and France, with the microstate of Andorra sandwiched in between. Historically,

560-597: A sorrowful noise 'Pyrene!' and all the rock-cliffs and wild-beast haunts echo back 'Pyrene!' ... The mountains hold on to the wept-over name through the ages." Pliny the Elder connects the story of Hercules and Pyrene to Lusitania , but rejects it as fabulosa , highly fictional. Other classical sources derived the name from the Greek word for fire, Ancient Greek : πῦρ (IPA: /pŷːr/ ). According to Greek historian Diodorus Siculus "in ancient times, we are told, certain herdsmen left

672-481: Is 2,560 m while the lowest is 1,300 m. Over 36,000 foreign tourists have stayed in Borovets for the 2016/17 winter season spending an average of five nights. Other much smaller ski resorts include Panichishte with several ski runs, Semkovo with seven ski runs totaling 4 km, Bodrost with 5 km ski runs and Govedartsi with a single 1.7 km ski run. The Balmeken High Mountain Sports Complex

784-732: Is 2.6 °C on the northern slopes and 3.1 °C on the southern. With an average annual temperature of −3.0 °C, Musala is the coldest place in Bulgaria. The lowest absolute temperature in Rila was also measured there: −31.2 °C; the lowest mean monthly temperature was recorded there in February: −11.6 °C. The absolute maximum temperature at Musala is 18.7 °C. Temperature amplitude decreases with elevation from 20 °C at 800 m to 15 °C at 2,800 m. Temperature inversions , i.e. increase in temperature with height, are frequent on

896-460: Is also influenced by the terrain, the exposure of the slopes and the orientation of the valleys. The average temperature decreases and the average precipitation increases with elevation. The coldest month is March and the hottest one August. Negative temperatures remain on average for about nine months in the Alpine zone, often continuing until the end of June. A steady rise in temperature is observed in

1008-577: Is an astronomical observatory located at 2877 metres on top of the Pic du Midi de Bigorre in the French Pyrenees. Construction of the observatory began in 1878 and the 8-metre dome was completed in 1908. The observatory housed a powerful mechanical equatorial reflector which was used in 1909 to formally discredit the Martian canal theory. A 1.06-metre (42 in) telescope was installed in 1963, funded by NASA and

1120-575: Is called Lakatitska Rila. It is linked with the Verila mountain range to the north through the Klisura Saddle, and with Central Rila to the east through the Kobilino Branishte saddle. The average elevation is 1,556 m; the highest summit is Mount Golyiam Kupen at an elevation of 2731 m. There are 29 peaks over 2,100 m. This subdivision is known for its rugged peaks and picturesque lakes in

1232-415: Is closely linked to the snowline during the last glacial period and most of them lie at elevations between 2,100 m and 2,500 m. Most lakes (28) are situated at elevations between 2,300 m and 2,350 m; there are 23 between 2,350 m and 2,400 m, 19 between 2,250 m and 2,300 m and 19 between 2,400 m and 2,450 m. Their length varies between 800 m and 20 m,

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1344-458: Is covered by dwarf mountain pine ( Pinus mugo ) and common juniper ( Juniperus communis ) formations mixed with green alder ( Alnus viridis ) at wetter localities and Rhododendron myrtifolium in East Rila. The alpine line is covered with grass, moss, lichen, rare flowers, dwarf willows such as Salix herbacea , Salix retusa and Salix reticulata , etc. Due to the difficult terrain,

1456-690: Is determined by the elevation. At the lowest portions there are xerothermal oak forests dominated by Hungarian oak ( Quercus frainetto ), pubescent oak ( Quercus pubescens ) and Austrian oak ( Quercus cerris ) with some Mediterranean cenosis of cade juniper ( Juniperus oxycedrus ) and scorpion senna ( Hippocrepis emerus ). Higher in the mountain up to 1,300 m the deciduous forests are primarily of sessile oak ( Quercus petraea ) with smaller participation of European hop-hornbeam ( Ostrya carpinifolia ), common hornbean ( Carpinus betulus ), Heldreich's maple ( Acer heldreichii ), Balkan maple ( Acer hyrcanum ) and European ash ( Fraxinus excelsior );

1568-541: Is divided into four distinct parts. East Rila, known also as Musala Rila, is the largest and highest subdivision, situated between the valleys of the rivers Beli Iskar and Belishka. It is formed of two main ridges. The Musala Ridge spans in north–south direction between the valleys of Beli Iskar and Maritsa; the Ibar Ridge runs in west–east direction from the summit of Marishki Chal to the Avramovo Saddle. It covers 37% of

1680-925: Is drained by the Maritsa, which flows in direction west–east in its southern parts, and its tributaries the Ibar, the Stara reka, the Ochushnitsa, etc. Administratively, it falls in Sofia Province , mainly on the territory of the municipalities of Dolna Banya and Kostenets , with the westernmost reaches located in Samokov Municipality . There are three towns — Kostenets, Dolna Banya and Momin Prohod and eight villages — Gorna Vasilitsa , Dolna Vasilitsa , Kostenets, Maritsa , Ochusha , Podgorie , Pchelin and Raduil . The valley

1792-464: Is expected to rise to over 7000; of them 34 are endemic to Rila, 123 — to Bulgaria and another 123 — to the Balkans. The biodiversity, ecosystems and the pristine landscapes are protected by Rila National Park declared in 1992, which is Bulgaria's largest spanning a territory of 810.46 km , and Rila Monastery Nature Park covering another 252.535 km . There are four nature reserves in

1904-527: Is in autumn and winter. The largest waterfalls are Skakavitsa (70 m) and Goritsa (39 m). There are abundant mineral springs that include the hottest one in South-eastern Europe at Sapareva Banya forming a geyser with a temperature of 101.4 °C. The cirques at the high elevation zone contain 189 glacial lakes; there are also about 30 smaller ones that evaporate in summer, including tectonic lakes like Panichishte. Their location

2016-502: Is in this part of the chain that granitic masses prevail. Also moving from west to east, there is a change in the composition of the flora, with the change becoming most evident as one passes the centre of the mountain chain from which point the Corbières Massif stretch north-eastwards towards the central plateau of France. Though the difference in latitude is only about 1°, in the west the flora resembles that of central Europe while in

2128-468: Is insufficient snowfall to cause their development. Glaciers are confined to the northern slopes of the central Pyrenees, and do not descend, like those of the Alps, far down into the valleys but rather have their greatest lengths along the direction of the mountain chain. They form, in fact, in a narrow zone near the crest of the highest mountains. Here, as in the other great mountain ranges of central Europe, there

2240-473: Is located at an elevation of 2,050 m in East Rila and is used for training, medical and biological research by athletes but also provides opportunities for family recreation. The mountain range was a favourite place of retreat for the Bulgarian monarchs Ferdinand I (r. 1887–1918) and his son Boris III (r. 1918–1943). The palace of Tsarska Bistritsa was constructed between 1898 and 1914 above Borovets in

2352-407: Is observed at least 50% of the time above 1,600 metres (5,200 ft) between December and April. A still more marked effect of the preponderance of rainfall in the western half of the chain is seen in the vegetation. The lower mountains in the extreme west are wooded, but the extent of forest declines as one moves eastwards. The eastern Pyrenees are peculiarly wild and barren, all the more since it

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2464-469: Is renowned mainly for the glacial lakes Ribni , Dzhendemski, Manastirski, as well as the largest glacial lake in the Balkan Peninsula ;— Smradlivo Lake . Northwest Rila, known also as Malyovitsa Rila, occupies about 24% of Rila and is situated between the valleys of Rilska to the south, Levi Iskar to the east, Samokov to the north-east and Dupnitsa to the west. Its much lower northern section

2576-624: Is served by the Bulgarian State Railways via railway line No. 1 in the north-east with stations at Kostenets and Belovo, railway line No. 5 along the Struma Valley in the west and the Septemvri–Dobrinishte narrow-gauge line in the south-east. The most important sectors of the local economy are tourism, services, industry and agriculture. The abundant water resources are utilised by some of Bulgaria's largest hydro power plants,

2688-434: Is served by two roads of the national network, as well as local roads. In its eastern section passes a 10.6 km stretch of the first class I-8 road Kalotina – Sofia – Plovdiv – Kapitan Andreevo . To the south the valley is traversed by a 15.1 km section of the second class II-82 road Sofia –Samokov– Kostenets . Parallel to the former runs a section of railway line No. 1 Kalotina–Sofia–Plovdiv– Svilengrad served by

2800-520: Is situated there. Rila is a fault-block mountain and represents a crescent-shaped horst with two fault systems — concentric and radial. It is part of the oldest land in the Balkans, the Macedonian–Thracian Massif. The mountain range is formed mainly by metamorphic and intrusive rocks . The core of Rila is built up predominantly by granite. It is covered by a thick layer of crystalline schists and granite– gneiss ; this layer

2912-400: Is substantial evidence of a much wider expanse of glaciation during the glacial periods . The best evidence of this is in the valley of Argeles Gazost, between Lourdes and Gavarnie, in the département of Hautes-Pyrénées. The annual snow-line varies in different parts of the Pyrenees from about 2,700 to 2,800 metres (8,900 to 9,200 ft) above sea level. In average the seasonal snow

3024-464: Is the Rila Monastery , Bulgaria's largest and most important monastery, founded in the 10th century by Saint John of Rila . Due to its outstanding cultural and spiritual value it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983. Rila is also a popular destination for hiking, winter sports and spa tourism, hosting the nation's oldest ski resort Borovets , as well as numerous hiking trails. Some of

3136-429: Is the complete list of the summits of the Pyrenees above 3,000 metres: Both sides of the Pyrenees are popular spots for winter sports such as alpine skiing and mountaineering . The Pyrenees are also a good place for athletes to do high-altitude training in the summertime, such as by bicycling and cross-country running. In the summer and the autumn , the Pyrenees are usually featured in two of cycling's grand tours,

3248-728: Is the highest mountain range of Bulgaria, the Balkan Peninsula , and Southeast Europe . It is situated in southwestern Bulgaria and forms part of the Rila– Rhodope Massif. The highest summit is Musala at an elevation of 2,925 m which makes Rila the sixth highest mountain range in Europe after the Caucasus , the Alps , Sierra Nevada , the Pyrenees and Mount Etna , and the highest one between

3360-543: Is the oldest winter resort in Bulgaria and the largest one in Rila. It has 27 marked ski runs with a total length of 58 km equipped with 12 lifts facilities and provides conditions for alpine skiing , cross-country skiing , night skiing , biathlon , snowboard , etc.; it has hosted competitions in the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup and the Biathlon World Championships 1993 . The top elevation

3472-565: Is the smallest part spanning 9% of the Rila's total area but has the most Alpine character and the highest average elevation — 2,077 m. It stretches between the valleys of the rivers Beli Iskar, Cherni Iskar, Levi Iskar, Iliyna and Rilska . The later divides the two main ridges in Central Rila, Skakavitsa and Rilets. The highest summit is Cherna Polyana (2,716 m); other important peaks are Skalata, Small and Big Skakavets, Rilets; there are 28 peaks over 2,100 m. This subdivision

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3584-545: Is topped by sandstones and conglomerates which were formed by elevated Tertiary sediments. Traces of these sediments are found in the Northwest Rila at an elevation of up to 1,900 m. The highest zones are made mainly of granite, and below are crystalline schists, whose compound minerals are sequentially deposited. They are represented by gneiss, mica schists, and amphibolite . In many places granite passes into granite–gneiss. There are marbles and amphibolites formed in

3696-509: The Balkan Peninsula , and the sixth highest in Europe after the Caucasus , the Alps , Sierra Nevada , the Pyrenees and Mount Etna . Musala is the fourth most isolated peak in continental Europe after Mont Blanc , Mount Elbrus and Galdhøpiggen raising at a distance of 810 km from the nearest point of the same elevation. With a prominence of 2,473 m, Musala ranks seventh among Europe's ultra-prominent peaks . The mountain range

3808-545: The Bulgarian State Railways . The climatic and soil conditions of the Kostenets–Dolna Banya Valley are favourable for agriculture, the main crops being cereals and potatoes. There are orchards and well developed animal husbandry. The four settlements with mineral springs are balneological and climatic resorts. Of them, Kostenets and Momin Prohod are spa resorts of national importance . Rila Rila ( Bulgarian : Рила , pronounced [ˈriɫɐ] )

3920-574: The Corbières Massif in the northeastern corner of the mountain system. The Pyrenees are older than the Alps : their sediments were first deposited in coastal basins during the Paleozoic and Mesozoic eras. During Ediacaran to Ordovician times, Pyrenees were located at the Northwest margin of Gondwana , where they formed a lateral continuity of neighbouring areas, such as the Montagne Noire and

4032-614: The Crown of Aragon and the Kingdom of Navarre extended on both sides of the mountain range. In Greek mythology , Pyrene is a princess who gave her name to the Pyrenees. The Greek historian Herodotus says Pyrene is the name of a town in Celtic Europe . According to Silius Italicus , she was the virgin daughter of Bebryx , a king in Mediterranean Gaul by whom the hero Hercules

4144-635: The Mouthoumet massifs and Southwestern territory of Sardinia . Between 100 and 150 million years ago, during the Early Cretaceous Period, the Bay of Biscay fanned out , pushing present-day Spain against France and applying intense compressional pressure to large layers of sedimentary rock . The intense pressure and uplifting of the Earth's crust first affected the eastern part and moved progressively to

4256-565: The Paleozoic over 250 million years ago and subsequently elevated during the Tertiary period. The coarse–grained granites are the dominant rocks forming almost two–thirds of the area of the Rila's higher parts. Rila was subjected to glaciation during the Pliocene and the Pleistocene . Its modern Alpine relief was formed during the last Würm glaciation some 10–12 000 years ago, when the snowline of

4368-727: The Somport pass to the Aran Valley , and they include the highest summits of this range: In the Eastern Pyrenees, with the exception of one break at the eastern extremity of the Pyrénées Ariégeoises in the Ariège area, the mean elevation is remarkably uniform until a sudden decline occurs in the easternmost portion of the chain known as the Albères . Most foothills of the Pyrenees are on

4480-708: The Tour de France held annually in July and the Vuelta a España held in September. The stages held in the Pyrenees are often crucial legs of both tours, drawing hundreds of thousands of spectators to the region. Three main long-distance footpaths run the length of the mountain range: the GR 10 across the northern slopes, the GR 11 across the southern slopes, and the HRP which traverses peaks and ridges along

4592-499: The caverns of Ariège, the principal genera of which are Anophthalmus and Adelops . The Pyrenean ibex , an endemic subspecies of the Iberian ibex , became extinct in January 2000; another subspecies, the western Spanish ibex , was introduced into the area, with the population numbering over 400 individuals as of 2020. The native brown bear population was hunted to near-extinction in

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4704-672: The 120 are nesting within Rila National Park. These include three relicts — boreal owl , Eurasian pygmy owl and Eurasian three-toed woodpecker , and species that require special conservation measures like short-toed snake eagle , golden eagle , peregrine falcon , black stork , Eurasian woodcock , western capercaillie , hazel grouse , rock partridge , grey-headed woodpecker , black woodpecker , white-throated dipper , wallcreeper and Alpine chough among others. There are 18 reptile, 10 amphibian and 12 fish species. The invertebrate fauna discovered so far includes 4186 species and

4816-466: The 17–19 centuries due to production of iron and has a number of monuments, including churches, a convent, a 17th-century Ottoman drinking fountain and a museum of history. Near Belchin is located the recently restored Tsari Mali Grad Fortress. Rila Point on Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands , Antarctica is named after Rila Mountain. Pyrenees The Pyrenees are

4928-495: The 1990s, but its numbers rebounded in 1996 when three bears were brought from Slovenia . The bear population has bred successfully, and there are now believed to be about 15 brown bears in the central region around Fos , with only four native ones still living in the Aspe Valley . Principal nature reserves and national parks: In 1997, part of the Pyrenees (including Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park and Pyrenees National Park)

5040-624: The Alpine zone that include the Seven Rila Lakes and the Urdini Lakes . Central Rila includes the mountain's highest waterfall, Skakavitsa (70 m). Southwest Rila stretches between the valleys of the Rilska, Iliyna and Belishka rivers to the north, the Predel Saddle that separates it from Pirin to the south, and Simitli and Blagoevgrad valleys to the west. It covers about 30% of the area of

5152-611: The Alps and the Caucasus. It spans a territory of 2,629 km with an average elevation of 1487 m. The mountain is believed to have been named after the river of the same name , which comes from the Old Bulgarian verb "рыти" meaning "to grub". Rila has abundant water resources. Some of the Balkans' longest and deepest rivers originate from Rila, including the Maritsa , Iskar and Mesta rivers. Bulgaria's main water divide separating

5264-471: The Atlantic Ocean over the Bay of Biscay . After dropping its moisture over the western and central Pyrenees, the air is left dry over the eastern Pyrenees. The winter average temperature is −2 °C (28 °F). Sections of the mountain range vary in more than one respect. There are some glaciers in the western and snowy central Pyrenees, but there are no glaciers in the eastern Pyrenees because there

5376-619: The Balkan area. Established in the First Bulgarian Empire by the medieval Bulgarian hermit and saint John of Rila during the reign of emperor Peter I of Bulgaria (r. 927–969), the monastery developed into one of the main cradles of Bulgarian culture, literature and spirituality. In the 18th century it became one of the main hubs of the Bulgarian National Revival . The complex covers an area of 8,800 m and consists of

5488-427: The Balkans separating the drainage basins of the Black Sea and the Aegean Sea passes through Rila's northern ridge, including the summit of Musala. Some of the Balkans' longest rivers originate from Rila, including the Maritsa , Iskar and Mesta , as well as several important tributaries of the Struma  — Rilska , Dzherman and Blagoevgradska Bistritsa . Of them, the Iskar and its tributaries belong to

5600-421: The Balkans. Rila accounts for 6% of Bulgaria's timber resources. Manufacturing industry is centred in Blagoevgrad, Dupnitsa, Samokov, Razlog and Belovo; the main sectors are food processing, machine building, pharmaceutical and paper mills. Rila is a popular tourist destination for winter sports, spa tourism, recreation and cultural tourism. Borovets , situated on the northern slopes at 9 km from Samokov,

5712-640: The Balkans; 31 are Tertiary or pre-glacial relicts and 104 are glacial relicts. Notable Bulgarian endemic species include Rila primrose ( Primula deorum ) and rhapontic rhubarb ( Rheum rhaponticum ); taxa restricted to the Balkans include Bulgarian avens ( Geum bulgaricum ), yellow columbine ( Aquilegia aurea ), Bulgarian gentian ( Gentianella bulgarica ), Balkanian butterwort ( Pinguicula balcanica ), Crocus veluchensis , Dianthus microlepis , etc. The non-vascular flora includes 974 algae , 313 moss and 251 lichen species. The fungi are represented by 665 species, including 64 mushrooms listed in

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5824-427: The Black Sea and the Aegean Sea drainage systems follows the main ridge of Rila. The mountain range is dotted with almost 200 glacial lakes such as the renowned Seven Rila Lakes , and is rich in hot springs in the fault areas at the foothills, including the hottest spring in South-eastern Europe in Sapareva Banya . The mountain range has varied flora and fauna with a number of endemic and relict species and some of

5936-428: The Black Sea drainage basins, and all the rest — to the Aegean. About 78% of the water flows into the Aegean drainage system. The runoff comes from snowmelt in the Alpine zones and rainfall. Water discharge reaches its maximum in late spring and early summer with spring accounting for more than half of the total annual discharge. The maximum at the highest elevations is in summer due to the late snowmelt. The minimum

6048-415: The Pyrenees contain low-relief surfaces forming a peneplain . This peneplain originated no earlier than in Late Miocene times. Presumably it formed at height as extensive sedimentation raised the local base level considerably. Conspicuous features of Pyrenean scenery are: The highest waterfall is Gavarnie (462 m or 1,515 ft), at the head of the Gave de Pau ; the Cirque de Gavarnie , in

6160-414: The Pyrenees may be divided into three sections: the Atlantic (or Western), the Central, and the Eastern Pyrenees. Together, they form a distinct physiographic province of the larger Alpine System division. In the Western Pyrenees, from the Basque mountains near the Bay of Biscay of the Atlantic Ocean, the average elevation gradually increases from west to east. The Central Pyrenees extend eastward from

6272-412: The Red Book of Bulgaria. The mammal species within Rila National Park and its surroundings are 62 and include taxa of high conservation value, such as brown bear , gray wolf , wildcat , least weasel , European pine marten , marbled polecat , wild boar , red deer , roe deer , chamois , European ground squirrel , as well as the glacial relict European snow vole . The bird species are 156; of

6384-509: The Romans), statuary white marbles as well as coloured marbles used to decorate the royal palaces of the Louvre and Versailles in France and the Royal Palace of Madrid in Spain. Mineral springs are abundant and remarkable, and especially noteworthy are the hot springs . The hot springs, among which those of Les Escaldes in Andorra, Panticosa and Lles in Spain, Ax-les-Thermes , Bagnères-de-Luchon and Eaux-Chaudes in France may be mentioned, are sulfurous and mostly situated high, near

6496-437: The Spanish side, where there is a large and complex system of ranges stretching from Spanish Navarre , across northern Aragon and into Catalonia, almost reaching the Mediterranean coast with summits reaching 2,600 m (8,500 ft). At the eastern end on the southern side lies a distinct area known as the Sub-Pyrenees . On the French side the slopes of the main range descend abruptly and there are no foothills except in

6608-401: The area are Spanish, French, Aragonese , Catalan (in Andorra and in Northern and Southern Catalonia ), and Basque . Also spoken, to a lesser degree, is the Occitan language , consisting of the Gascon and Languedocien dialects in France and the Aranese dialect in the Aran Valley . An important feature of rural life in the Pyrenees is ' transhumance ', the moving of livestock from

6720-403: The best preserved forests in the country. The biodiversity and the pristine landscapes are protected by Rila National Park which covers much of the mountain; the rest lies within Rila Monastery Nature Park . In addition, there are five nature reserves : Parangalitsa , Central Rila Reserve , Rila Monastery Forest , Ibar and Skakavitsa . The most recognisable landmark of the mountain range

6832-409: The biggest and most complex hydroelectric complex in Bulgaria, with a combined installed capacity of 1,599 MW. At an elevation of 1,900 m is located the second biggest reservoir in Rila, Beli Iskar , constructed between 1939 and 1945, that provides 25% of Sofia's potable water and powers a small 16 MW hydro power station. At an elevation of 2,394 m, Kalin is the highest reservoir in

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6944-410: The contact of the granite with the stratified rocks. The lower springs, such as those of Bagnères-de-Bigorre ( Hautes-Pyrénées ), Rennes-les-Bains ( Aude ), and Campagne-sur-Aude (Aude), are mostly selenitic and not hot. The amount of precipitation the range receives, including rain and snow, is much greater in the western than in the eastern Pyrenees because of the moist air that blows in from

7056-473: The east it is distinctly Mediterranean in character. The Pyrenees are nearly as rich in endemic species as the Alps, and among the most remarkable instances of that endemism is the occurrence of the monotypic genus Xatardia (family Apiaceae ), which grows only on a high alpine pass between the Val d'Eynes and Catalonia . Other examples include Arenaria montana , Bulbocodium vernum , and Ranunculus glacialis . The genus most abundantly represented in

7168-573: The effect of thermal shocks. No big cities are in the range itself. The largest urban area close to the Pyrenees is Toulouse ( Haute-Garonne ), France with a population of 1,330,954 in its metropolitan area. On the Spanish side Pamplona ( Navarre ) is the closest city, with a population of 319,208 in its metropolitan area. Inside the Pyrenees the main towns are Andorra la Vella (22,256) and Escaldes-Engordany (14,367) in Andorra, Jaca (12,813) and La Seu d'Urgell (12,252) in Spain, and Lourdes (13,976) and Foix (10,046) in France. The following

7280-411: The entire chain, culminating in the Eocene Epoch. The eastern part of the Pyrenees consists largely of granite and gneissose rocks, while in the western part the granite peaks are flanked by layers of limestone . The massive and unworn character of the chain comes from its abundance of granite, which is particularly resistant to erosion , as well as weak glacial development. The upper parts of

7392-443: The farms in the valleys up to the higher grounds of the mountains for the summer. In this way the farming communities could keep larger herds than the lowland farms could support on their own. The principal animals moved were cows and sheep , but historically most members of farming families also moved to the higher pastures along with their animals, so they also took with them pigs , horses and chickens . Transhumance thus took

7504-400: The fault lines along the northern foothills of Rila favour health and spa tourism. The most significant spa resorts from west to east are Sapareva Banya with a total discharge of 33 L/sec and temperature of 33–101.4 °C, Belchinski Bani with a total discharge of 24 L/sec and temperature of 40–41.5 °C, Dolna Banya with a total discharge of 22 L/sec and temperature of 56.3 °C and

7616-435: The following départements , from east to west: Pyrénées-Orientales (also known as Northern Catalonia ), Aude , Ariège , Haute-Garonne , Hautes-Pyrénées , and Pyrénées-Atlantiques (the latter two of which include the Pyrenees National Park ). The independent principality of Andorra is sandwiched in the eastern portion of the mountain range between the Spanish Pyrenees and French Pyrenees . Physiographically ,

7728-537: The foot of Canigou in Pyrénées-Orientales long ago. Coal deposits capable of being profitably worked are situated chiefly on the Spanish slopes, but the French side has beds of lignite . The open pit of Trimoun near the commune of Luzenac (Ariège) is one of the greatest sources of talc in Europe. There are many marble quarries in the Pyrenees, most of which were opened by the Romans in ancient times. Quarried intermittently, they provided prestigious marbles such as Grand Antique (used in Rome and Constantinople by

7840-560: The foothills, inhabited by c. 250,000 people. Administratively it falls in four of Bulgaria's 28 provinces: Blagoevgrad , Kyustendil , Sofia and Pazardzhik . From west to east there are five towns at the northern foothills — Sapareva Banya (pop. 3,815 as of 2016), Samokov (25,880), Dolna Banya (4,510), Kostenets (6,228) and Belovo (3,533); there are four towns at the western foothills (from north to south) — Dupnitsa (35,255), Rila (2,359), Kocherinovo (1,723) and Blagoevgrad (66,886); as well as three more at

7952-399: The forests of Rila are not much influenced by anthropogenic activities and their average age is above 100 years. Some Norway spruces and European silver firs reach height of 60 m. The number of vascular plants includes about 1400 species registered only within the territory of Rila National Park, of them 34 are endemic to Bulgaria, including three restricted to Rila, and 89 — to

8064-502: The form of a mass biannual migration, moving uphill in May or June and returning to the farms in September or October. During the summer period, the families would live in basic stone cabins in the high mountains. Nowadays, industrialisation and changing agriculture practices have diminished the custom. However, the importance of transhumance continues to be recognised through its celebration in popular festivals. The Pic du Midi Observatory

8176-469: The former — Parangalitsa , Central Rila Reserve , Ibar and Skakavitsa , and another one, Rila Monastery Forest , in the latter. Parangalitsa was declared a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 1977, while the Central Rila Reserve is the largest one in the Balkans with an area of 123.937 km . Rila is a sparsely populated mountain range with most of the settlements located in the valleys at

8288-489: The ground, constructed in 1614 and painted in 1672. The church is noted for its abundance of original frescoes and icons. The Church of Saint Nicholas in Sapareva Banya is small medieval edifice, constructed anytime from the 11th to the 14th century. It was built using red bricks and white mortar and is of a simple cross-in-square design, with a single nave and apse. The town of Samokov achieved economic prosperity during

8400-744: The highest lakes. The largest glacial lake in Rila and in the Balkans is Smradlivo with an area of 212 decares; the longest is the Upper Ribno Lake reaching 801 m; the deepest is Okoto, one of the Seven Rila Lakes with a depth of 37.5 m; the highest is Ledeno at an elevation of 2,709 m; the lowest is Suho at 2,045 m. The most important lake groups are the Seven Rila Lakes (seven lakes), Musala Lakes (seven), Marichini Lakes (seven), Urdini Lakes (six), Malyovishki Lakes (three), Elenski Lakes (three), Chanakgyolski Lakes (two), Vapski Lakes (two), etc. The vegetation

8512-646: The highest peaks are: Rila is situated in the southern zone of the humid continental climate region and has typical Alpine climate with elevational zones. The climate is influenced by the Icelandic and the West Mediterranean cyclones , the former mainly in late spring and early summer, and the latter — in winter, bringing frequent and high rainfall, as well as by the Azores and Siberian anticyclones in summer and winter, bringing droughts. The local microclimate

8624-654: The highest sections of the mountain with an elevation between 2,800 and 2,400 m. It represents practically leveled terrain with gently folded surface, formed in the place of ancient forest massifs. The next Late Miocene level, the young Miocene, is situated on the main side ridges with an elevation between 2,600 and 2,300 m. The third level formed during the Early Pliocene has an elevation of 1,800 and 1,600 m. The Late Pliocene level occupies areas with an elevation of up to 1,300 m. There are two summits above 2,900 m, Musala and Malka Musala . Some of

8736-405: The influx of warm Mediterranean air masses. Winds may reach speed of 40–45 m/s (over 100 km/h) at the summits, with mostly south-western and western orientation. The north-west and north-east winds are more moderate. The average monthly wind speed on the highest mountain summits reaches 11–12 m/s. In the lower parts, the average monthly speed varies from 1.2 to 2.5 m/s and in

8848-418: The kingdom of Bebryx again, finding the girl's lacerated remains. As is often the case in stories of this hero, the sober Hercules responds with heartbroken grief and remorse at the actions of his darker self, and lays Pyrene to rest tenderly, demanding that the surrounding geography join in mourning and preserve her name: "struck by Herculean voice, the mountaintops shudder at the ridges; he kept crying out with

8960-568: The largest telescope in France. Overtaken by the giant telescopes built in recent decades, today the observatory is widely open to amateur astronomy. The Odeillo solar furnace is the world's largest solar furnace. It is situated in Font-Romeu-Odeillo-Via, in the department of Pyrénées-Orientales , in south of France. Built between 1962 and 1968, it is 54 metres (177 ft) and 48 metres (157 ft) wide, and includes 63 heliostats. The site

9072-578: The main ones. The bottom of cirques are often occupied by glacial lakes . As a result of the weathering , scree formations of varied nature have been accumulated. In the south-western foothills of Rila the Stob Earth Pyramids were formed under the influence of erosion. The staged elevation of the mountain during the geological eras and the large range of vertical folds have led to the formation of four denudation levels of distinct age, height and range. The oldest Early Miocene level encompasses

9184-413: The massif. In the west along the Struma Valley runs Struma motorway paralleled by the first class I-1 road , both part of European route E79 , that connect the national capital Sofia and Greece via the provincial centre Blagoevgrad . The second class II-62 road branches off I-1 at Dupnitsa and runs east to Samokov where it joins the second class II-82 road which continues in eastern direction until

9296-462: The middle and end of July. Even during the summer months, temperature over 10 °C do not hold up for long periods. About five to ten days in June, July and August have an average temperature above 15 °C. This determines the short vegetation period in the high elevation areas which varies from three to six months; it lasts about three months at elevation over 2,000 m. The average annual temperature

9408-519: The middle height zone it ranges from 2.5 to 3.2 m/s. Winds are usually strongest in winter and lightest in autumn. The annual duration of sunshine in the Alpine zone is 1930 hours with maximum in August and minimum in December–January; it raises to more than 2150 hours at 1,000 m. Rila is an important hydrological unit in Bulgaria with very high hydropower potential, representing about 1/4 of

9520-518: The most important hydro power stations in Bulgaria are situated in the eastern part of the mountain range, including the Belmeken–Sestrimo–Chaira Hydropower Cascade (1,599 MW), the largest and most complex hydroelectric complex in Bulgaria. Rila is a mountain range in south-western Bulgaria, part of the Rila– Rhodope Massif. It is situated between five valleys – Dupnitsa Valley to the north-west, Samokov Valley to

9632-544: The most important of them being fueled by the Belmeken Dam in East Rila ;— Chaira Pumped Storage Hydro Power Plant (864 MW), Belmeken Pumped Storage Hydro Power Plant (375 MW), Sestrimo Hydro Power Plant (240 MW) and Momina Klisura Hydroelectric Power Station (120 MW). Chaira is the largest pumped storage HPP in South-eastern Europe. They form the Belmeken–Sestrimo–Chaira Hydropower Cascade ,

9744-406: The mountain range. With an average elevation of 1,307 m, it has the lowest elevation in Rila. The highest summit is Angelov Peak (2,643 m). The Blagoevgradska Bistritsa River divides it in two distinct ridges to the north and to the south. Apart from its northernmost part, Southwest Rila does not have the Alpine character of the other three subdivisions. The biosphere reserve Parangalitsa

9856-463: The mountain was 2,100–2,200 m. The glaciers reached elevations as low as 1,200 m. Above this boundary, the glaciers radically altered the existing relief, forming deep cirques, pyramidal peaks , steep cliffs, long U-shaped valleys , moraine fields and other glacial forms. On the slopes of some valleys such as those of the rivers Beli Iskar, Maritsa and Rilska there are hanging glacier valleys  — tributary valleys located higher than

9968-487: The mountain's territory and contains the highest summit in the range — Musala (2,925 m), as well as 12 of the 18 summits over 2,700 m — Irechek (2,852 m), Deno (2,790 m), Mancho (2,771 m) and others; there are 46 peaks over 2,100 m. East Rila contains a number of glacial lake groups, including Musala Lakes and Marichini Lakes , as well as the nation's largest ski resort Borovets . Central Rila, known also as Skakavitsa Rila,

10080-472: The north, Kostenets–Dolna Banya Valley to the north-east, Razlog Valley to the south and Blagoevgrad Valley to the south-west. Five saddles link Rila to the surrounding mountain ranges – Klisura Saddle (1,025 m) with Verila to the north-west, Borovets Saddle (1,305 m) with Sredna Gora to the north, Yundola (1,375 m) and Avramovo Saddles (1,295 m) with the Rhodope Mountains to

10192-629: The northern slopes and after 20–30 December on the southern. Its average monthly thickness reaches 20 to 30 cm in February at low elevations. In the Alpine zone above 2,000 m the snow cover is thickest in March, reaching 70 to 80 cm. In the highest ridges the maximum thickness reaches 200 to 240 cm. The snow cover remains for an average of 70–80 days at elevations of 1,200–1,300 m and 180 to 200 days at elevations above 2,000 m. Avalanches are frequent, often caused by temperature changes by

10304-509: The northern slopes and occur especially often in the Samokov Valley, Borovets and Musala, where it is observed in 250 days annually. The annual precipitation varies with elevation and slope orientation. The annual precipitation is 653 mm at Samokov (1,029 m), 932 mm at Borovets (1,350 m) and 1200 mm at Musala (2,925 m); about 80% of it being snow at the later. The rainfall occurs mostly in summer and spring on

10416-493: The northern slopes, with maximum in June and minimum in February; the rainfall increases in winter and decreases in summer on the southern slopes and yet the monthly maximum and minimum are the same; there are 130–160 days with rainfall/snowfall. Air humidity in the highlands of Rila ranges between 80 and 85%. The coldest winter months are also the driest. Humidity differs on the northern and southern slopes of Rila. The snow cover above 1,000 m begins to form on 10–15 December on

10528-588: The passes at Somport, Envalira, and Puymorens and new routes in the center of the range at Bielsa and Vielha . A notable visual feature of this mountain range is La Brèche de Roland , a gap in the ridge line, which – according to legend – was created by Roland . The metallic ores of the Pyrenees are not in general of much importance now, though there were iron mines at several locations in Andorra , as well as at Vicdessos in Ariège, and

10640-689: The range is that of the saxifrages , several species of which are endemic here. In their fauna the Pyrenees present some striking instances of endemism . The Pyrenean desman is found only in some of the streams of the northern slopes of these mountains; the only other desman , the Russian desman , is confined to the Volga river basin in southern Russia, Kazakhstan and Ukraine. The Pyrenean brook salamander ( Calotriton asper ), an endemic amphibian, also lives in streams and lakes located at high altitudes. Among other peculiarities of Pyrenean fauna are blind insects in

10752-529: The river Maritsa leads to the westernmost reaches of the Upper Thracian Plain . The surface of the Kostenets–Dolna Banya Valley is uneven, at the foothills of Rila it becomes hilly; in its center are the low terraces of the Maritsa and its tributaries. It southern reaches facing Rila are filled with alluvial fans . The valley was formed during the Neogene – Quaternary period as a result of subsidence along

10864-429: The same valley, together with the nearby Cirque de Troumouse and Cirque d'Estaubé , are notable examples of the cirque formation. Low passes are lacking, and the principal roads and the railroads between France and Spain run only in the lowlands at the western and eastern ends of the Pyrenees, near sea level. The main passes of note are: Because of the lack of low passes a number of tunnels have been created, beneath

10976-414: The south-east and Predel Saddle (1,140 m) with Pirin to the south. Within these limits Rila spans an area of 2,629 km and has an average elevation of 1,487 m. The high elevation zone over 1,600 m forms about 50% of the total territory. There are over 140 main peaks above 2,000 m. With an elevation of 2,925 m at Musala, Rila is the highest mountain range in Bulgaria and

11088-441: The south-eastern foothills (from west to east) — Razlog (12,036), Belitsa (2,964) and Yakoruda (5,288). There are a number of villages, including among others Govedartsi , Belchin , Madzhare , Kostenets , Pastra , Stob , Barakovo , Dobarsko , etc. Some of the settlements on the Rila include a small Aromanian minority. The mountain range is served by several roads running along its foothills. No roads traverse

11200-544: The summit of Musala. Rila Monastery is the most important architectural monument in the mountain range. It is situated at an elevation of 1,147 m and was declared a UNESCO's world heritage site in 1983. The Monastery is considered to be a cultural and spiritual centre of Bulgaria. With its architecture and frescos Rila Monastery represents a masterpiece of the creative genius of the Bulgarian people and has exerted considerable influence on architecture and aesthetics within

11312-420: The surrounding peripheral faults. It is filled with Quaternary alluvial, glacial and diluvial sediments. The soils are mainly brown forest and alluvial. There are hot mineral springs at the villages of Kostenets to the south and Pchelin to the north, as well as at the towns of Dolna Banya to the west and Momin Prohod to the northeast. The climate is temperate continental with Alpine influence . The valley

11424-465: The total potential of the country. The water reserves that form within the mountain range are the most important source of clean potable water for the surrounding settlements, the national capital Sofia and part of the population of Northern Greece and European Turkey. The regime of the rivers of Rila is directly related to the elevation and about half of the water reserves in the mountain are at an elevation above 2,050 m. The main drainage divide in

11536-514: The town of Kostenets, where it joins the first class I-8 road , part of European route E80 . The second class II-19 road which branches off I-1 at Simitli , goes east crossing the Predel Saddle into the Razlog Valley and at the homonymous town links with the second class II-84 road which runs in north-eastern direction along the Avramovo Saddle and links with the I-8 road/E80 near Pazardzhik . Rila

11648-602: The traditional Bulgarian National Revival style with several edifices and a park. Its 170 kW hydroelectric generator installed in 1912 is still working unaltered. Two other hunting lodges were constructed for the monarchs — Sitnyakovo and Saragyol . There are 17 mountains refuges with a total of 1938 beds. There are 198 km primary and 363 km secondary hiking trails in Rila National Park, including E4 European long distance path that traverses it from west to south and E8 European long distance path that traverses it from north-west to south. Rila National Park

11760-472: The village of Kostenets with a total discharge of 12 L/sec and temperature of 46–73 °C. Rila has well developed cultural tourism and contains five of the 100 Tourist Sites of Bulgaria  — the Church of Theodore Tyro and Theodore Stratelates in the village of Dobarsko , the Rila Monastery and the Stob Earth Pyramids , the Seven Rila Lakes, the museum of history and the convent in the town of Samokov, and

11872-425: The width — between 375 m and 10 m, the area — between 1 m and 212 decares, the depth — between 0.5 m and 37.5 m. Most of them are between 2 m and 10 m deep and four reach depth of over 20 m. The water is transparent as deep as 15 m. Most of the lakes are covered with ice during most of the year — from October to June. The ice thickness reaches 3 m in

11984-543: The zone between 1,300 m and 1,600 m is dominated by European beech ( Fagus sylvatica ), at places mixed with European silver fir ( Abies alba ). The endemic Rila oak ( Quercus protoroburoides ) inhabits only the Rilska River valley. The forests of coniferous zone between 1,600 m and 2,100 m consist of primarily of Norway spruce ( Picea abies ), Macedonian pine ( Pinus peuce ) и Scots pine ( Pinus sylvestris ). The sub-Alpine zone up to 2,500 m

12096-437: Was chosen because of the length and the quality of sunshine with direct light (more than 2,500 h/year) and the purity of its atmosphere (high altitude and low average humidity). This furnace serves as a science research site studying materials at very high temperatures. Temperatures above 3,500 °C (6,330 °F) can be obtained in a few seconds; in addition, it provides rapid temperature changes and therefore allows studying

12208-487: Was given hospitality during his quest to steal the cattle of Geryon during his famous Labours . Hercules, characteristically drunk and lustful, violates the sacred code of hospitality and rapes his host's daughter. Pyrene gives birth to a serpent and runs away to the woods, afraid that her father will be angry. Alone, she pours out her story to the trees, attracting the attention of wild beasts who tear her to pieces. After his victory over Geryon, Hercules passes through

12320-498: Was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List for its spectacular geologic landforms and testimony to the unique " transhumance " agricultural system. The Pyrenean region possesses a varied ethnology, folklore and history: see Andorra ; Aragon ; Ariège ; Basque Country ; Béarn ; Catalonia ; Navarre ; Roussillon . For their history, see also Almogavars , Marca Hispanica . The principal languages spoken in

12432-495: Was used to take detailed photographs of the surface of the Moon in preparation for the Apollo missions. Other studies conducted in 1965 provided a detailed analysis of the composition of the atmospheres on Mars and Venus, this served as a basis for Jet Propulsion Laboratory scientists to predict that these planets had no life. Since 1980, the observatory has had a 2-metre telescope, which is

12544-572: Was visited by about 100,000 tourists annually for the period 2000–2014 reaching a peak of 268,000 in 2012, while with a little more than 1 million visitors Rila Monastery Nature Park is the second most visited one in the country, after Vitosha . In 2000 on the south-western slopes was established the Dancing Bears Park Belitsa that shelters all dancing bears from Bulgaria following the ban of that practice, as well as individuals from Albania and Serbia. The abundant mineral springs along

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