Although the Pirin Mountain’s best known tourist spot is Bansko, situated on its northeast slopes, the range affords many more sightseeing, winter sports and summer exploration activities than just those available in the town.
Located in south-western Bulgaria, between the valleys of the Struma and Mesta Rivers, the Pirin Mountain is a relative compact range in terms of its overall area, although it boasts Bulgaria’s second – and Europe’s seventh, highest peak – Vihren (2,914 metres).

The Pirin National Park, which encompasses most of the mountain, is one of the largest and most important ones not only in Bulgaria but also in Europe.

Originally created in 1962, the park was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1983. “The rugged mountains, with some 70 glacial lakes scattered throughout them, are home to hundreds of endemic and rare species, many of which are representative of the Balkan Pleistocene flora,” according to UNESCO’s official information, which adds that the “mountains also have diverse and unique landscapes of great aesthetic value.”

More than 1,300 kinds of plants – such as different types of pine trees and the Edelweiss, which is a symbol of Pirin, and 2,100 kinds of animals – deer, brown bears, wild goats, wolves and foxes, inhabit the mountain.

The area offers a wide variety of activities for both the winter and summer seasons, for those who like to be active, as well those who prefer a more relaxing time spent in the mountain.

Fishing, after the purchase of a special ticket, is allowed in some of the lakes and rivers located inside the Pirin National Park between March and September.

In addition to Bansko, other popular destinations for skiers and snowboarders are Dobrinishte and the area around the Bezbog Peak, which is for the more adventurous and boasts the newest cabin in the mountain.

The town of Sandanski, on the south-western slopes of the mountain, attracts visitors with the hot mineral water springs, in which it is possible to soak during the entire year.

Because of the small area of the Pirin, the number of mountain cabins in the range is also low, at about a dozen. They can be used as bases for hiking to peaks, lakes and other cabins or, for those located near ski slopes, like Bezbog, for skiing and snowboarding adventures. For a list, contact information and detailed descriptions of the most of the cabins, see here.

Also about a dozen, marked tourist paths of various difficulty, connect or start out at the different cabins or the national park’s entry points, considered to be the towns of Bansko, Dobrinishte, Razlog, Sandanski and Melnik. For some of the possible routes, their description and duration, see here.

An alternative way to get to know the mountain is to visit the special information centre dedicated to the Pirin National Park, in Bansko's center. It is new, modern and quite interesting to visit – it contains a model of the mountain, some photographs, and plenty of useful information, and in some cases - samples of the local flora and fauna. It is also a valuable source of information on the mountain cabins.

A map (in Bulgarian) of the mountain cabins and tourist paths throughout the Pirin Mountain can be seen here.