site.btaNovember 8, 1962: Pirin National Park Is Established

November 8, 1962: Pirin National Park Is Established
November 8, 1962: Pirin National Park Is Established
One of the high-altitude lakes of Pirin National Park (BTA Photo/Krassimir Nikolov)

The Pirin National Park was established 63 years ago. At that time, Order 3074 of the Committee on Forestry and Forest Industry announced the creation of Vihren People's Park, covering an area of 6,736 hectares in the northern part of the Pirin Mountains between the basins of the Banderitsa and Demyanitsa rivers. The reason for the park's creation was the centuries-old forests of white and black pine, spruce, fir, alpine peaks, glacial cirques, and lakes located within it.

On September 30, 1974, the Ministry of Forestry and Environmental Protection renamed it Pirin People's Park, covering an area of 26,413 hectares. The reserves of Bayuvi Dupki, Segmentepe, and Malka Dzhindzhiritsa were added to its territory.

In 1983, the park was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. This happened at the 7th Session of the World Heritage Committee, held from December 5 to 9 in Florence.

On October 15, 1999, the Ministry of Environment and Water reclassified Pirin People's Park as Pirin National Park with an area of 40,356 hectares, following the adoption of the Protected Areas Act in Bulgaria  on October 30, 1998.

The park encompasses more than 50 marble and granite peaks over 2,500 m high, as well as 186 high-altitude lakes. The highest peak is Vihren (2,914 m), the third highest on the Balkan Peninsula. There are 172 species of animals in the park, 114 of which are endangered, and more than 1,100 species of higher plants. 

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By 13:42 on 08.11.2025 Today`s news

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