Vitosha ( bg, Витоша ), the ancient ''Scomius'' or ''Scombrus'', is a mountain massif, on the outskirts of

Sofia Sofia ( ; bg, София, Sofiya, ) is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria. It is situated in the Sofia Valley at the foot of the Vitosha mountain in the western parts of the country. The city is built west of the Iskar river, and h ...

, the capital of

Bulgaria Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedo ...

. Vitosha is one of the symbols of Sofia and the closest site for hiking,

alpinism Mountaineering or alpinism, is a set of outdoor activities that involves ascending tall mountains. Mountaineering-related activities include traditional outdoor climbing, skiing, and traversing via ferratas. Indoor climbing, sport climbing, ...

and

skiing Skiing is the use of skis to glide on snow. Variations of purpose include basic transport, a recreational activity, or a competitive winter sport. Many types of competitive skiing events are recognized by the International Olympic Committee ( ...

. Convenient bus lines and rope ways render the mountain easily accessible. Vitosha has the outlines of an enormous dome. The territory of the mountain includes Vitosha nature park that encompasses the best known and most frequently visited parts. The foothills of Vitosha shelter resort quarters of Sofia; Knyazhevo quarter has

mineral In geology and mineralogy, a mineral or mineral species is, broadly speaking, a solid chemical compound with a fairly well-defined chemical composition and a specific crystal structure that occurs naturally in pure form.John P. Rafferty, ed. (2 ...

springs. Vitosha is the oldest nature park in the

Balkans The Balkans ( ), also known as the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throughout the who ...

. The mountain emerged as a result of

volcanic activity Volcanism, vulcanism or volcanicity is the phenomenon of eruption of molten rock (magma) onto the surface of the Earth or a solid-surface planet or moon, where lava, pyroclastics, and volcanic gases erupt through a break in the surface called a ...

and has been subsequently shaped by the slow folding of the granite rock layers and a series of gradual uplifts of the area. It appears dome shaped at first sight, but the mountain, 19 km long by 17 km wide, actually consists of concentric denudational plateaus rising in tiers one above the other. Vitosha is separated into four main parts whose main ridges gather at a crown known as ''

Cherni Vrah Cherni Vrah ( bg, Черни връх , "Black Peak") is the summit of Vitosha Mountain in Bulgaria. Rising to 2290 m, the peak is the fourth highest mountain summit in the country after Musala (2925 m, Rila Mountain), Vihren (2914&nbs ...

'' ('Black Peak', Bulgarian: ). This is the highest point of the mountain at 2290 m and is one of 12 peaks of Vitosha over 2000 m in height. It is the highest

massif In geology, a massif ( or ) is a section of a planet's crust that is demarcated by faults or flexures. In the movement of the crust, a massif tends to retain its internal structure while being displaced as a whole. The term also refers to a ...

of Srednogorie mountain chain system, together with

Sredna gora Sredna Gora ( bg, Средна гора ) is a mountain range in central Bulgaria, situated south of and parallel to the Balkan Mountains and extending from the Iskar to the west and the elbow of Tundzha north of Yambol to the east. Sredna Gora ...

Plana (mountain) Plana ( bg, Плана) is a mountain in western Bulgaria, bounded by Sofia Valley to the north, Iskar River to the east, Samokov Valley to the south and southwest, and Vitosha Mountain to the northwest. The summit Manastirishte rises to 1338m. ...

Lyulin Mountain Lyulin () is a range of hills in western Bulgaria, located several kilometres west of Sofia. The highest point is Dupevitsa Peak (1,256 m). The Buchino Pass divides the hills into two, a western and an eastern part. Bonsovi Polyani are a popular t ...

Greben (mountain) Greben ( Cyrillic: Гребен, meaning "ridge" or literally "comb") is a mountain in southeastern Serbia, with a small section of the southwestern ridge in Bulgaria. It is named after a large karst ridge that runs along its spine. Greben rises ...

Viskyar Mountain Viskyar Mountain ( bg, Вискяр) is a minor range of hills in western Bulgaria rising to 1077 m (Mechi Kamak Peak), and bounded by Lyulin Mountain to the southeast, Sofia Valley to the northeast, Zavalska Mountain to the northwest, and ...

, etc. They all are a result of the folding of the earth layers through the Mesozoic, causing also magma sheet-like intrusion (or concordant pluton) that has been injected between layers of

sedimentary rock Sedimentary rocks are types of rock that are formed by the accumulation or deposition of mineral or organic particles at Earth's surface, followed by cementation. Sedimentation is the collective name for processes that cause these particles ...

. The laccolithic domed form of Vitosha is a typical example. Bulgaria's longest cave –

Duhlata Duhlata ( bg, Духлата) is a cave situated in Vitosha mountain, western Bulgaria. With a total length of 18,200 m, Duhlata is the longest cave in the country. It was declared a natural monument in 1962. The cave is home to six species ...

, with a total length of 18,200 m, is situated in Vitosha in the karstic region near the village of Bosnek. Since the ancient times of the

Thracians The Thracians (; grc, Θρᾷκες ''Thrāikes''; la, Thraci) were an Indo-European speaking people who inhabited large parts of Eastern and Southeastern Europe in ancient history.. "The Thracians were an Indo-European people who occupied t ...

a large population has always existed at the base of Vitosha. For the last four thousand years the

economy An economy is an area of the production, distribution and trade, as well as consumption of goods and services. In general, it is defined as a social domain that emphasize the practices, discourses, and material expressions associated with the ...

of this large settlement has always been connected, in one way or another, with the neighboring mountain. The name Vitosha comes from the two-peaked, twin ridge mountain, which rises above the Sofia field and has acquired its present shape in stages over many millennia. A meteorological station was built at the top in 1935, and is still operating. The station also serves as a rest shelter for hikers and is the headquarters for the mountain rescue team. Historical documents show that several centuries ago Vitosha mountain was still covered by the remains of the inaccessible " Great Bulgarian Forest" (''Magna Silva Bulgarica''). Today, the natural coniferous forests of Vitosha remain only in the reserve Bistrishko Branishte and around

Zlatnite Mostove Zlatnite Mostove ( bg, Златните мостове, ‘Golden Bridges’) is the largest stone river on Vitosha Mountain, Bulgaria. The feature is situated in the valley of Vladayska River, extending 2.2 km, and up to 150 m wide, wit ...

(The Golden Bridges). The Golden Bridges is a stone river consisting of a ribbon of huge boulders running down the mountainside. This scenic spot is located along the Vladayska River in an area of mixed deciduous and evergreen forest. However, this is only one of the

stone rivers A stone run (called also ''stone river'', ''stone stream'' or ''stone sea''nature park, hence Vitosha became the first park of this kind in the

. During the following year, some of the early Bulgarian reserves,

Bistrishko Branishte Bistrishko Branishte ( bg, Бистришко бранище) is a nature reserve in the Vitosha Nature Park on Vitosha Mountain in Bulgaria. It was established in 1934, together with Vitosha Nature Park. Since 1977 it has been a biosphere r ...

(subsequently expanded to 10.61 km²) and

Torfeno Branishte Torfeno Branishte ( bg, Торфено бранище / ‘Turf Reserve’) is a nature reserve on Vitosha Mountain in Bulgaria, along with the Bistrishko Branishte reserve. The reserve has a surface area of 728.8 ha comprising the part ...

(7.84 km² respectively), were designated within its boundaries. The park boundaries fluctuated over many years and today it encompasses the entire mountain; an area of 266.06 km². It is the highest

of Srednogorie mountain chain system, that includes also the mountains of

range, Plana, Lyulin, Greben, Viskyar, etc.

Ecology

Due to a great variability in

elevation The elevation of a geographic location is its height above or below a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface (see Geodetic datum § Ver ...

, a rich diversity of climates,

flora Flora is all the plant life present in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring (indigenous (ecology), indigenous) native plant, native plants. Sometimes bacteria and fungi are also referred to as flora, as in the terms '' ...

and

fauna Fauna is all of the animal life present in a particular region or time. The corresponding term for plants is ''flora'', and for fungi, it is ''funga''. Flora, fauna, funga and other forms of life are collectively referred to as ''Biota (ecology ...

can be found within the park. Research has revealed that on the comparatively small area of the mountain there are 1,500 species of higher plants, 500 species of

fungi A fungus ( : fungi or funguses) is any member of the group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and molds, as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as a kingdom, separately from ...

, 500 species of algae, 326 species of mosses, and 200 species of lichens. Among the, 31 species are Balkan endemics and 52 species are included in the

IUCN Red List The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data Book, founded in 1964, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biol ...

of endangered species. The forests are mainly composed of Norway spruce and Bulgarian fir, with some

Macedonian pine ''Pinus peuce'' (Macedonian pine or Balkan pine) (Serbo-Croatian/ Macedonian: молика, molika; Bulgarian: бяла мура, Byala mura) is a species of pine native to the mountains of Macedonia, Bulgaria, Albania, Montenegro, Kosovo, the ...

Scots pine ''Pinus sylvestris'', the Scots pine (UK), Scotch pine (US) or Baltic pine, is a species of tree in the pine family Pinaceae that is native to Eurasia. It can readily be identified by its combination of fairly short, blue-green leaves and orang ...

, and at the tree-line,

mountain pine ''Pinus mugo'', known as bog pine, creeping pine, dwarf mountain pine, mugo pine, mountain pine, scrub mountain pine, or Swiss mountain pine, is a species of conifer, native to high elevation habitats from southwestern to Central Europe and S ...

, and mixed

deciduous In the fields of horticulture and Botany, the term ''deciduous'' () means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, ...

forest at lower altitudes, mainly beech,

birch A birch is a thin-leaved deciduous hardwood tree of the genus ''Betula'' (), in the family Betulaceae, which also includes alders, hazels, and hornbeams. It is closely related to the beech- oak family Fagaceae. The genus ''Betula'' contains ...

aspen Aspen is a common name for certain tree species; some, but not all, are classified by botanists in the section ''Populus'', of the '' Populus'' genus. Species These species are called aspens: *'' Populus adenopoda'' – Chinese aspen (Chin ...

and

alder Alders are trees comprising the genus ''Alnus'' in the birch family Betulaceae. The genus comprises about 35 species of monoecious trees and shrubs, a few reaching a large size, distributed throughout the north temperate zone with a few sp ...

. Regarding herbaceous plants, well-established populations of ''

Veratrum album ''Veratrum album'', the false helleborine, white hellebore, European white hellebore, or white veratrum ( syn. ''Veratrum lobelianum'' Bernh.) is a poisonous plant in the family Melanthiaceae. It is native to Europe and parts of western Asia (west ...

'' are present on the mountain, as well as other species commonly called 'lilies'. There are also

orchids Orchids are plants that belong to the family Orchidaceae (), a diverse and widespread group of flowering plants with blooms that are often colourful and fragrant. Along with the Asteraceae, they are one of the two largest families of flowering ...

, such as the East European green-winged orchid (''

Orchis morio ''Anacamptis morio'', the green-winged orchid or green-veined orchid ( synonym ''Orchis morio''), is a flowering plant of the orchid family, Orchidaceae. It usually has purple flowers, and is found in Europe and the Middle East. Description It f ...

'') that grows in the higher parts. Lungwort (''

Pulmonaria officinalis ''Pulmonaria officinalis'', common names lungwort, common lungwort, Mary's tears or Our Lady's milk drops, is a herbaceous rhizomatous evergreen perennial plant of the genus ''Pulmonaria'', belonging to the family Boraginaceae. Etymology The ge ...

'') is another widespread herbaceous plant on Vitosha; it develops in dank sites under the shade of the forest.

Honours

Vitosha Saddle,

Rezen Knoll Rezen Knoll ( bg, връх Резен, vrah Rezen, ) is a knoll rising to 433 m in eastern Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica. The knoll is bounded to the east, north and west by Perunika Glacier, and linked to Burdi ...

, Komini Peak, and Kikish Crag on

Livingston Island Livingston Island (Russian name ''Smolensk'', ) is an Antarctic island in the Southern Ocean, part of the South Shetlands Archipelago, a group of Antarctic islands north of the Antarctic Peninsula. It was the first land discovered south of 60 ...

in the

South Shetland Islands The South Shetland Islands are a group of Antarctic islands with a total area of . They lie about north of the Antarctic Peninsula, and between southwest of the nearest point of the South Orkney Islands. By the Antarctic Treaty of 1 ...

Antarctica Antarctica () is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean, it contains the geographic South Pole. Antarctica is the fifth-largest cont ...

are named respectively for Mount Vitosha, and for the Vitosha peaks of

Malak Rezen Malak Rezen ( bg, Малък Резен / ‘Little Slice’) is a peak rising to 2,191 m in northeastern Vitosha Mountain in Bulgaria. The peak is situated 1.5 km northeast of the summit Cherni Vrah, and 1.3 km north by east of G ...

and

Golyam Rezen Golyam Rezen ( bg, Голям Резен / ‘Big Slice’) is a peak on Vitosha Mountain in Bulgaria. Rising to 2,277 m, the peak is second to the mountain's summit Cherni Vrah situated 900 m to the west. Golyam Rezen hosts an Air T ...

, Kominite Peak, and Kikish site. Image:Vitosha and Sveta Nedelya.jpg, Vitosha seen from Sofia Image:View_from_Vitosha_Montain,_Sofia_03375.jpg, East

seen from Vitosha Image:View_from_Vitosha_Mountain_Sofia_03378.jpg, Another view Image:Arbres givrés sur le Vitocha (février 2009).JPG, Snow-covered trees in February, northern side Image:Boyana waterfall.jpg, Boyana waterfall, highest in Vitosha Image:Mountain-1.JPG, View of the Vitosha Mountain from the South Park of Sofia Image:Vitosha seen from the center of Sofia.jpg, Vitosha seen from

National Palace of Culture The National Palace of Culture (, ; abbreviated as , NDK), located in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, is the largest, multifunctional conference and exhibition centre in south-eastern Europe. It was opened in 1981 in celebration of Bulgaria's 13 ...

Vitosha is also the name of: * Radio Vitosha * Vitosha Boulevard - a popular main street in Sofia; with shops, boutiques and restaurants.

References

External links

Photo Gallery

Mountain Vitosha Gallery

Nature Park Vitosha Web Site

Mountain & Ski resort Vitosha - info, hotels, properties

Hiking in Vitosha Mountains

History of the park, travelling information, photographs

Vast Image Gallery of Vitosha
{{Authority control Mountain ranges of Bulgaria Landforms of Sofia City Province Nature parks in Bulgaria Geography of Sofia City Province Ski areas and resorts in Bulgaria Tourist attractions in Sofia Parks in Sofia Extinct volcanoes Geology of Bulgaria

Ecology

Honours

See also

References

External links