Bełmeken, Mountain summit at 2626 meters in Pazardzhik Province, Bulgaria
Bełmeken is a mountain summit in Pazardzhik Province with steep slopes covered in alpine vegetation. The views from the peak extend across multiple mountain ranges in southern Bulgaria.
The summit was renamed Beli vrah on 29 June 1942, then Kolarov on 14 March 1950, after the Bulgarian communist leader Vasil Kolarov. It later reverted to Belmeken. The Belmeken High Mountain Sports Complex at 2,050 m, used for athletes' training and medical and biological research, stands close to the summit.
The peak gave its name to a street in Sofia's Bakston quarter. Nearby, at 2,050 m, the Belmeken High Mountain Sports Complex hosts training and medical-biological research on athletes. The summit also marks the highest colony of the European ground squirrel in Bulgaria and the Balkans, a protected species that serves as prey for eagles and other raptors.
Several marked hiking paths lead to the summit, and winter conditions from December through March require specialized equipment. Plan for changeable weather and bring suitable footwear for steep terrain.
Below the summit lies the highest colony of the European ground squirrel in Bulgaria and the whole Balkan Peninsula. The protected rodent serves as prey for eagles and other predators, and peregrine falcons, common ravens and Eurasian crag martins have been observed around the peak.
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