The Kidney, Glacial lake in Rila Mountains, Bulgaria.
The Kidney, known in Bulgarian as Bъbrekа, is a glacial lake in the Rila Mountains of Bulgaria, sitting at about 2,280 meters (7,480 feet) above sea level. It is the widest of the Seven Rila Lakes and has a clearly kidney-shaped outline that sets it apart from the others.
The seven lakes of the Rila Mountains, including this one, were shaped by glaciers during the last ice age, which carved deep basins into the rock. When the ice melted, water filled these basins and formed the group of lakes that exists today.
The lake is known in Bulgarian as Bъbrekа, which simply means kidney, a name that anyone can verify by looking at it from above. Hikers often stop here to rest on the rocky shore before continuing to the other lakes nearby.
The lake is frozen from October through June, so summer is the best time to visit and see the water. It sits along a marked trail that connects all seven lakes, making it easy to include in a loop hike.
Although the Kidney is the widest of the seven lakes, it is also the shallowest, which makes it unusual among its neighbors. This shallow depth means the water warms faster in summer than in the deeper lakes nearby.
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