Protected areas
- 3 national parks – Rila, Pirin, Central Balkan
- 11 nature parks – Vitosha, Strandzha, Bulgarka, Rila Monastery, Persina, Sinite Kamani, Shumen Plateau, Rusenski Lom, Golden Sands, Vrachanski Balkan, Belasitsa
- Reserves such as Srebarna (UNESCO) and Kupena
- The ancient beech forests in Central Balkan are included in the joint UNESCO site “Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and Other Regions of Europe”.
The animals
Bulgaria is home to one of the largest populations of brown bear in the European Union, as well as wolves, jackals, wild boar and lynx. Chamois live in Rila and Pirin. There are over 400 species of birds, among them the griffon vulture, the black stork and the Dalmatian pelican.
The rose and the yoghurt
- The Kazanlak rose (Rosa damascena) – the Rose Valley between the Balkan Mountains and Sredna Gora produces one of the most valuable rose oils in the world. One kilogram of oil takes about 3–4 tonnes of blossom. The rose harvest is in May and June, early in the morning.
- Yoghurt – the bacterium Lactobacillus bulgaricus was discovered in 1905 by the Bulgarian physician and microbiologist Stamen Grigorov. If someone claims the Greek one is better, don't argue. Just hand them a spoonful of ours.
Between us
In Bulgaria it is not strange to meet a bear out on a trip. What is strange is if the bear is more surprised than you. The rule is: don't run, don't feed it, don't take a selfie. It is on holiday too.