Tsaritchina Biosphere Reserve, Biosphere reserve in Balkan Mountains, Bulgaria.

Tsaritchina Biosphere Reserve is a protected area in the Balkan Mountains of Bulgaria and is part of the UNESCO World Heritage network. The land is mostly covered by beech forests, with alpine meadows and mountain streams running through the steep slopes.

Tsarichina was declared a reserve by Council of Ministers Decree No. 4942 on 18 July 1949, covering 3,418.7 hectares in the upper catchment of the Beli Vit. In 1977 it was designated a UNESCO biosphere reserve, and in 2017 it was included in UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere programme as part of the Central Balkan Biosphere Reserve.

Visitors walking through the reserve can still see old logging paths that now serve as hiking trails. The clearings left by past tree cutting have grown back naturally and are visible as open patches among the dense forest.

Sturdy footwear and a map are needed before entering the reserve, as the terrain is steep and some sections are poorly marked. Rangers at entry points can advise on which routes match your experience and what conditions to expect.

Some of the beech forests inside the reserve have never been logged and are among the few in Europe that remain in their natural state. Scientists use them as a baseline to understand what a forest looks like when left entirely on its own.