The Pirin Mountains lie in the south-western part of Bulgaria, extending south-east for 80 kilometres from their junction with the Rila Mountains at the Predela Pass (1140 metres) to their boundary with the Slavyanka Mountains at the Paril Saddle (1170 metres). To the west they are bordered by the valley of the river Struma (Strymon) and to the east by that of the river Mesta (Nestos). Within these borders, the Pirin Mountains cover a total area of 2585 square kilometres. The average altitude of the range is only 1033 metres, but there are sixty peaks over 2500 metres, and three above 2900 metres, including Mt. Vihren (2914 metres), the second highest summit in Bulgaria.The Pirin Mountains take their name from Perun, the Slavic thunder god who was said to dwell amidst the highest peaks of the range. It is certainly a fitting residence for a storm god, for these mountains are the wildest and most rugged of all the Bulgarian ranges, the northern part having a truly alpine form with jagged peaks, sharp crests, and numerous glacially sculpted cirques and valleys.
When walking in the Pirin Mountains, you cannot help noticing the abrupt change between limestone and granite rocks that takes place beneath your feet. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the Northern Pirin at the Vihrenski Preslap, a ridgeback saddle where limestone suddenly gives way to granite. Another very obvious feature in northern parts of the range is the influence of glaciation. The beautiful alpine form of the Pirin Mountains with their narrow crests, scooped-out cirques and deep trough valleys is a legacy of this process. Today the glaciers may have gone, but evidence of their former presence is still very clear to see.
