The Pirin Mountains are comparable to the Swiss Alps and the most beautiful in Bulgaria. It is recognised as a true alpine exprience by walkers, most often combined with trek in Rila Mountains by most of the groups, coming on a guided (escorted) hiking holiday in Bulgaria. It is the second highest after the Rila Mountains (in Bulgaria) and the third in the Balkan Peninsula (mount Vihren 2914 m a.s.l.). Pirin is situated in the southwestern part of the Rila-Rodopi mountain range.
Pirin has the typical climate of a mountain but with a well-expressed Mediterranean influence, mainly through the valleys of Strouma and Mesta rivers. This is why Pirin is the mountain with the greatest number of sunny days throughout the year in comparison to Rila, Balkan Mountains, Vitosha and Osogovo.
The average annual temperature in the area, located at an altitude of about 2000 meters above sea level, is 3.7oC. The greatest rainfalls and snowfalls come in November and December and the least - in August. The average rain and snowfall at Vihren is within the 1500-1600 mm per square meter annually.
Pirin's borders are: to the north - Rila Mountains; to the east - the valley of Mesta divides Pirin from the Rodopi Mountains; to the west - it reaches the valley of Strouma; to the south - the mountain is bordered on Slavyanka and Stargach. The area of the Pirin Mountains is 1210 square kilometers and it is divided into three parts - Northern Pirin, Mid-Pirin and Southern Pirin.
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MAIN PARTS

> NORTHERN PIRIN
The biggest in area (74% of the overall area of the mountain), the longest (42 km), the tallest and the most spectacular of the three parts. There are sixty peaks at an altitude of above 2500 meters. The tallest of them is Vihren (2914 m a.s.l.).
This part hosts all glacial lakes (140-150 in number) where the most interesting lake groups are the Bunderishki lakes (one of the most accessible and popular hiking destination in the mountains), the Tevno lake, Vasilashki lakes, Samodivski lakes, Gazeiski lakes. The biggest lake is the Popovo - 124 acres, which is also the deepest - 29.5 m. The glacial lake with the highest altitude in the Balkans is the Gorno Polezhansko lake (at 2710 m a.s.l.) - another favourite hiking place.
There is the historical Rozhen Monastery "Birth of the Blessed Virgin", the Popina Luka Waterfalla and the Sandy Pyramids of Melnik.

> MID-PIRIN
The smallest part, which amounts to 6.7% of the overall area. It is also the shortest and its greater part is covered with broad-leaved vegetation.
The highest peak is Orelyak (Eagle) - 2099m a.s.l. where at present a television transmission tower is in operation. Seen from the West, it looks like an eagle, with wings open and ready for flight.

> SOUTHERN PIRIN
Lies over an area, amounting to 19 % of overall area. This is the lowest, most round and most rarely visited part. Its highest parts are covered in coniferous trees. No lakes can be found here.
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RESERVES
Because of the unique nature of the Pirin Mountain, in 1976 the Pirin National Park was found to cover - at present - nearly the whole of the mountain to an area of 274 square kilometers and it is under the protection of UNESCO (however most of the territories are open for hiking groups).
Here are the reserves Bayuvi dupki-Dzhindzhiritsa, Tisata and Orelyak.