Central Balkan National Park, National park in Stara Planina Mountains, Bulgaria
Central Balkan National Park covers 716 square kilometers through the Stara Planina range and includes dense beech forests, waterfalls, and summits reaching 2376 meters. The territory consists of nine nature reserves with different zones that apply varying levels of protection.
The status as a national park was established in 1991, while archaeological finds point to ancient settlements by Thracians and Celts. Stone tools and ceramic fragments from different periods have been discovered at several locations.
The name refers to the central section of the Balkan range, where families have gathered wild herbs for generations and produced mountain cheese in small dairies. Visitors can still encounter shepherds and their flocks on pastures used during summer months.
The administration operates on weekdays from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM, with emergency contact available outside these hours. Well-marked hiking trails cross the terrain, though some sections require mountain experience.
Around 1900 plant species grow here, including 30 varieties found only in Bulgaria. Roughly 70 percent of the country's invertebrate species live within the reserves.
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