Kresna Gorge () is a steep

valley A valley is an elongated low area often running between hills or mountains and typically containing a river or stream running from one end to the other. Most valleys are formed by erosion of the land surface by rivers or streams over ...

in south-western

Bulgaria Bulgaria, officially the Republic of Bulgaria, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern portion of the Balkans directly south of the Danube river and west of the Black Sea. Bulgaria is bordered by Greece and Turkey t ...

, stretching about . The

gorge A canyon (; archaic British English spelling: ''cañon''), gorge or chasm, is a deep cleft between escarpments or cliffs resulting from weathering and the erosion, erosive activity of a river over geologic time scales. Rivers have a natural tend ...

has been formed by the Struma River, which flows from the

Vitosha Vitosha ( ), the ancient ''Scomius'' or ''Scombrus'', is a mountain massif, on the outskirts of Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria. Vitosha is one of the symbols of Sofia and the closest site for hiking, alpinism and skiing. Convenient bus lines and ...

mountains. Kresna gorge has a rich

biodiversity Biodiversity is the variability of life, life on Earth. It can be measured on various levels. There is for example genetic variability, species diversity, ecosystem diversity and Phylogenetics, phylogenetic diversity. Diversity is not distribut ...

, which has come under pressure from the Struma motorway construction project, a new leg of the Trans European Corridor No. 4. In the south, the gorge bisects the Tisata nature reserve. Kresna Gorge was the place of the Battle of Kresna Gorge between Bulgaria and

Greece Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...

during the 1913

Second Balkan War The Second Balkan War was a conflict that broke out when Kingdom of Bulgaria, Bulgaria, dissatisfied with its share of the spoils of the First Balkan War, attacked its former allies, Kingdom of Serbia, Serbia and Kingdom of Greece, Greece, on 1 ...

. The Greek army was threatened by encirclement in the valley, but due to the Romanian army advancing against the undefended capital Sofia, Bulgaria had to agree to an armistice and the resulting peace treaty in Bucharest which was unfavorable to Bulgaria's territorial aspirations.

Terrain and Climate

Kresna Gorge is situated near the villages of Palat, Drakata, and Krupnik while surrounded by the

Pirin The Pirin Mountains ( ) are a mountain range in southwestern Bulgaria, with the highest peak, Vihren, at an altitude of . The range extends about from the north-west to the south-east and is about wide, spanning a territory of . To the north ...

and Maleshevska Mountains. The gorge is a transitory Mediterranean climate, as it is located between the Central-European and Mediterranean climate zones. The Struma River cuts through the gorge and is a main geological feature. Near the riverbank are sediment soils which transition into shallow alluvial soil with maroon soil on the side. The rocky terrain varies throughout the gorge, including stony slopes, large vertical cliffs, and small rocky sections.

Ecology

Kresna Gorge is home to a diverse fauna and flora, as well as a ranging terrain. The southern reaches of the gorge bisect the Tisata nature reserve in two. The gorge is home to many important Mediterranean plant species, habitats, landscapes, and bird wildlife. There are approximately 31 species of reptiles, 75 species of mammals, and 232 species of birds in this relatively small gorge. Kresna Gorge is considered a

Natura 2000 Natura 2000 is a network of nature protection areas in the territory of the European Union. It is made up of Special Areas of Conservation and Special Protection Areas designated under the Habitats Directive and the Birds Directive, respectiv ...

conservation site, signifying its importance in the protection of endangered species. Some species of birds, such as cormorants, may not nest and breed in the gorge, but are utilizing its resources as part of longer passageways and migratory routes. The resources provided by the gorge are crucial, and serve as the main resting sites to threatened and rare species such as the Egyptian vulture. There are multiple types of forests located inside the gorge, including different types of oak trees such as ''

Quercus pubescens ''Quercus pubescens'' (Synonym (taxonomy), synonyms ''virgiliana''), commonly known as the downy oak, pubescent oak or Italian oak, is a species of white oak (genus ''Quercus'' sect. ''Quercus'') native to southern Europe and southwest Asia. It ...

'', ''

Carpinus orientalis ''Carpinus orientalis'', known as the Oriental hornbeam, is a species of hornbeam in the birch family Betulaceae, subfamily Coryloideae, native to southeastern Europe and Western Asia. It is quite tolerant of dry conditions, and usually occurs on ...

'', and ''

Fraxinus ornus ''Fraxinus ornus'', the manna ash or South European flowering ash, is a species of ''Fraxinus'' native to Southern Europe and Southwestern Asia, from Spain and Italy north to Austria and the Czech Republic, and east through the Balkans, Turkey, a ...

''. Considering the climate, typical Mediterranean flora species such as ''

Quercus coccifera ''Quercus coccifera'', the kermes oak or commonly known as Palestine oak, is an oak shrub or tree in section '' Ilex'' of the genus. It has many synonyms, including ''Quercus calliprinos''. It is native to the Mediterranean region and Northern ...

'' and ''

Phillyrea ''Phillyrea'' is a genus of two species of flowering plants in the family Oleaceae, native to the Mediterranean region, and naturalized in the Canary Islands and Madeira. They are evergreen shrubs or small trees growing to 3–9 m tall, related ...

'' thrive here. The magnitude of the vegetation and plant population in Kresna provides a foundation for the varied populations of birds and other animals who lives here.

Struma Motorway

The Struma motorway, a project that is part of The European Transport Corridor No IV, is planned to cut through the Kresna Gorge. The motorway is seen by the European Union, as well as the Bulgarian government, as a vital trade and tourism route, and receives funding from the European Investment Bank ( EIB). The motorway will provide a passageway from Germany and Hungary to Greece, and aims to boost the Bulgarian economy. The project, however, will also have some destructive effects for the inhabitants of the gorge and its

ecosystem An ecosystem (or ecological system) is a system formed by Organism, organisms in interaction with their Biophysical environment, environment. The Biotic material, biotic and abiotic components are linked together through nutrient cycles and en ...

. With the current road in the gorge, lack of proper mitigation has already led to many road kills over the years; with the construction of the new motorway project, animal mortality rate is expected to increase, not just because of direct traffic accidents but also because of the effects of

deforestation Deforestation or forest clearance is the removal and destruction of a forest or stand of trees from land that is then converted to non-forest use. Deforestation can involve conversion of forest land to farms, ranches, or urban use. Ab ...

and

habitat loss Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss or habitat reduction) occurs when a natural habitat is no longer able to support its native species. The organisms once living there have either moved elsewhere, or are dead, leading to a decrease ...

. The locals in the nearby villages are afraid their shops and livelihoods will be deserted when the motorway opens. They also fear that Kresna will attract fewer tourists and that young residents will migrate to other countries. The motorway will force some of the villagers to lose land and property during the construction, negatively impacting their livelihoods. The European Union financed both the Bulgarian government to build the motorway and the environmental groups that defend the endangered nature through construction. There has been a long battle between the government and construction companies on the one hand and residents and environmental groups on the other.Onthullende video: EU financiert strijdende partijen in Bulgarije
DDS, Olaf Stuger, 25 June 2019. Consulted 5 July 2020.

References

{{reflist, 3 Canyons and gorges of Bulgaria Landforms of Blagoevgrad Province