The Seven Rila Lakes (, ) are a group of

glacial lake A glacial lake is a body of water with origins from glacier activity. They are formed when a glacier erodes the land and then melts, filling the depression created by the glacier. Formation Near the end of the last glacial period, roughly 10,0 ...

s, situated in the northwestern

Rila Mountain Rila (, ) is the highest mountain range of Bulgaria, the Balkan Peninsula, and Southeast Europe. It is situated in southwestern Bulgaria and forms part of the Rila–Rhodope Massif. The highest summit is Musala at an elevation of 2,925 m whi ...

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 ...

. Situated between 2,100 and 2,500 metres elevation above sea level, they are the most visited group of lakes in

. Each lake carries a name associated with its most characteristic feature. The highest one is called ''Salzata'' ("The Tear") due to its clear waters that allow visibility in depth. The next one in height carries the name ''Okoto'' ("The Eye") after its almost perfectly oval form. Okoto is the deepest

cirque A (; from the Latin word ) is an amphitheatre-like valley formed by Glacier#Erosion, glacial erosion. Alternative names for this landform are corrie (from , meaning a pot or cauldron) and ; ). A cirque may also be a similarly shaped landform a ...

lake in Bulgaria, with a depth of 37.5 m. Babreka ("The Kidney") is the lake with the steepest shores of the entire group. Bliznaka ("The Twin") is the largest one by area. Trilistnika ("The Trefoil") has an irregular shape and low shores. The shallowest lake is Ribnoto Ezero ("The Fish Lake") and the lowest one is Dolnoto Ezero ("The Lower Lake"), where the waters that flow out of the other lakes are gathered to form the Dzherman River. The Seven Lakes are a tourist attraction in Bulgaria because of its natural environment. The lakes are located one above the other and are connected by small streams, which form tiny waterfalls and cascades. Tourist accommodation in the lakes' vicinity include a

chalet A chalet (pronounced in British English; in American English usually ), also called Swiss chalet, is a type of building or house, typical of the Alpine region in Europe. It is made of wood, with a heavy, gently sloping roof and wide, well-su ...

on the northeastern shore of The Fish Lake, at an elevation of 2,196 m. The most common time to visit the lakes is summer, in July and August, when temperature is above 10 degrees Celsius and the risk of sudden storms is lower. During the rest of the year the weather can be severe. The lakes usually freeze during October, and do not melt before June. The ice cover can reach up to 2 meters.

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File:Bliznakaezero.jpg, The Rila Lakes File:Okoto Lake.jpg, The Eye File:Езеро Бъбрека, Седемте рилски езера; Lake "The Kidney", The Seven Rila lakes.jpg, The Kidney File:Pogled kum ezerata ot biloto.JPG, Lower Lake, Fish Lake, Trefoil and The Twin File:Поглед към седемте Рилски езера.jpg, Seven Rila Lakes View File:Paneurhythmy exercises in the Rila Mountains, Bulgaria.jpg, Paneurhythmy exercises in next to the Rila Lakes File:Rila lakes.jpg, View of the Seven Rila Lakes File:Ezeroto Bubreka.JPG, Lake Babreka File:Ezeroto Sulzata.JPG, Lake Salzata File:Последните лъчи на слънцето.jpg, Lake Bliznaka

References

* {{coord, 42, 12, 09, N, 23, 18, 54, E, display=title Lakes of the Rila Lake groups of Bulgaria Landforms of Kyustendil Province Tourist attractions in Kyustendil Province

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