TheBalkan mountain range[2] is located in the eastern part of theBalkan peninsula inSoutheastern Europe. It is conventionally taken to begin at the peak ofVrashka Chuka on the border betweenBulgaria andSerbia. It then runs for about 560 kilometres (350 mi), first in a south-easterly direction along the border, then eastward across Bulgaria, forming a natural barrier between the northern and southern halves of the country, before finally reaching theBlack Sea atCape Emine. The mountains reach their highest point withBotev Peak at 2,376 metres (7,795 ft).
In much of the central and eastern sections, the summit forms the watershed between the drainage basins of theBlack Sea and theAegean. A prominent gap in the mountains is formed by the predominantly narrowIskar Gorge, a few miles north of the Bulgarian capital,Sofia. Thekarst relief determines the large number of caves, includingMagura, featuring the most important and extended European post-Palaeolithic cave painting,Ledenika,Saeva dupka,Bacho Kiro, etc. The most notable rock formation are theBelogradchik Rocks in the west.
There are several important protected areas:Central Balkan National Park,Vrachanski Balkan,Bulgarka, andSinite Kamani, as well as a number ofnature reserves. The Balkan Mountains are remarkable for their flora and fauna.Edelweiss grows there in the region ofKozyata stena. Some of the most striking landscapes are included in the Central Balkan National Park with steep cliffs, the highest waterfalls in the Balkans and lush vegetation. There are a number of important nature reserves such as Chuprene, Kozyata stena and others. Most ofEurope's large mammals inhabit the area including thebrown bear,wolf,boar,chamois anddeer.
The mountains are the source of the name of the Balkans (sometimes considered as a distinct peninsula or region). InBulgarian andSerbian the mountains are also known asСтара планинаStara planina (pronounced in Bulgarian as[ˈstarɐpɫɐniˈna] and in Serbian as[stâːraːplanǐna]), a term whose literal meaning is 'old mountain'.[3]
It is widely believed this name was brought to the region by theOttoman Turks but it may have ultimately derived from thePersianbālkāneh orbālākhāna, meaning "high, above, or proud house."[4]. InBulgarian, the archaic wordbalkan (балкан) was borrowed fromTurkish and means "mountain".[5] The name is still preserved in Central Asia with theBalkan Daglary (Balkan Mountains)[6] and theBalkan Province ofTurkmenistan.
In Antiquity and the Middle Ages the mountains were known as Haemus (Αἷμος), derived from aThracian word*saimon, 'mountain ridge'.[7] The name of the place where the range meets the Black Sea,Cape Emine, is derived fromAemon.
There are two differentfolk etymologies for the name Haemus, derived from ancient Greek mythology. One suggests that the name 'Haemus' comes from the Greek word "haima" (αἵμα), meaning "blood," based on the myth of the battle betweenZeus and the monster/titanTyphon.[8] The other attributes the name to KingHaemus.[9] See theMythology section below for more details.
Other names used to refer to the mountains in different time periods includeAemon,Haemimons,Hem,Emus, the SlavonicMatorni gori and the TurkishKocabalkan.[10]
The modern Slavic name "Stara Planina" was first attested at the beginning of the 16th century byAntun Vrančić.[11]
According to the mythology, the origin of the range is that KingHaemus and his wifeRhodope were transformed into mountains, Haemus Mons (now known as the Balkan Mountains) and theRhodope Mountains respectively, for daring to call themselvesZeus andHera.[9]
Another myth states that during the clash between Typhon and Zeus, Typhon hurled entire mountains at the god, but Zeus deflected them with his thunderbolts, causing Typhon's blood to spill across the land. The mountain was named Haemus after this event, as the Greek word haima (αἷμα) means "blood".[8]
The Balkan Mountains are, technically, achain offold mountains—mountains formed by the compression and breaking of layers of rock. On ageological time scale, they are a rather young and recently formed part of theAlp-Himalayan chain which stretches across most ofEurasia. The Balkan Mountains can be divided into two parts—the main Balkan Chain and the Pre-Balkans (Fore-Balkan) to the north, which extend slightly onto theDanubian Plain. To the south, the mountains border theSub-Balkan valleys, a row of 11 valleys running from the Bulgarian-Serbian border east to theBlack Sea, separating the Balkan Mountains from a chain of other ranges known asSrednogorie (which includesVitosha andSredna Gora).
The Balkan Mountains consist of around 30 distinct peaks; within Bulgaria, the range can be divided into three sections:
TheWestern Balkan Mountains extend fromVrashka Chuka, at the border with Serbia, to the Pass ofArabakonak, with a total length of 190 kilometres (120 mi). The highest peak isMidžor, at 2,169 metres (7,116 ft).
TheCentral Balkan Mountains run from Arabakonak to theVratnik Pass, with a length of 207 kilometres (129 mi).Botev Peak, the highest mountain in the Balkan range at 2,376 metres (7,795 ft), is located in this section.
TheEastern Balkan Mountains extend from the Vratnik Pass toCape Emine, with a length of 160 kilometres (99 mi). The highest peak is Balgarka, at 1,181 metres (3,875 ft). The eastern Balkan Mountains form the lowest part of the range.
A view of the Balkan MountainsThe monument onShipkaCentral Balkan MountainsRosomačka river, SerbiaHorses at the Balkan Mountains, SerbiaView from Ray Resthouse towards the Central Balkan Mountains withRaysko Praskalo waterfall in the middleBelogradchik RocksKozya Stena Reserve
In their central and eastern sections, the mountains form a water divide between the rivers flowing to theDanube in the north and those flowing to theAegean Sea in the south. However, they are crossed by Bulgaria's longest river, theIskar, which forms theIskar Gorge. Rivers that take their source from the Balkan Mountains and flow northwards to the Danube include theTimok,Archar,Lom,Tsibritsa,Ogosta,Skat,Vit,Osam,Yantra, andRusenski Lom. The mountains are also the source of theKamchiya, which flows directly into the Black Sea. Although not so abundant in mineral waters as other parts of Bulgaria, there are severalspas such asVarshets,Shipkovo and Voneshta Voda.
Developments in modern times have completely changed the geography of Serbia, especially when it comes to waterfalls. Still, there are a number of waterfalls to be seen, especially in the western and central parts of the range, such asRaysko Praskalo (the highest waterfall in the Balkans), as well asBorov Kamak,Babsko Praskalo,Etropole Waterfall,Karlovsko Praskalo, and Skaklya, among others. The area of the Stara Planina has always been sparsely populated and inaccessible because of the rugged and forested terrain, but also as a location of the Serbian-Bulgarian border. As armies relinquished the borders, giving control to the border police, civilians were allowed to explore the area.[12] As a result, higher and higher waterfalls have been discovered on the Serbian side of the Stara Planina in the years since, including Čungulj (1996) at 43 m (141 ft);[13]Pilj (2002) at 64 m (210 ft);[13]Kopren (2011) at 103.5 m (340 ft);[14] andKaluđerski Skokovi (2012) at 232 m (761 ft).[15]
The mountains are crossed by 20 passes and two gorges. There are paved roads crossing the Balkan Mountains at the followingpasses (listed from west to east):
The Balkan Mountains have had a significant and special place in the history of Bulgaria since its founding in 681. It was a natural fortress of theBulgarian Empire for centuries and formed an effective barrier toMoesia where most of themedieval capitals were located. The Balkan mountains were the site of numerous battles between the Bulgarian andByzantine Empires including theBattle of the Rishki Pass (759),Battle of the Varbitsa Pass (811), theBattle of Tryavna (1190) and theBattle of Devina (1279). In the battle of the Varbitsa Pass, KhanKrum decisively defeated an enormous Byzantine army, killing EmperorNikephoros I. For many centuries, the Byzantines feared these mountains, their armies reportedly retreating upon approaching them.
Central Balkan National Park is among the largest and most valuable of the protected areas in Europe. Since 2017, its ancient beech forests have been included in thePrimeval Beech ForestsUNESCOWorld Heritage Site.[16][17] It is the third largest protected territory in Bulgaria, spanning an area of 716.69 km2 with total length of 85 km from the west to the east and an average width of 10 km. Within its territory are located the highest summit of the mountain range,Botev Peak (2376 m), as well as the highestwaterfall in the BalkansRaysko Praskalo (124.5 m).[16] The rugged and diverse relief determines the presence of numerousgorges,cliffs, water features and caves, including Raychova Dupka, the second-deepest cave discovered in Bulgaria and in the mountain range, reaching depth of -377 m.[18]
The flora of Central Balkan National Park is diverse and consists of 1689 species ofvascular plants, 45 species ofalgae and 238 species ofmosses.[19] These include 23 Bulgarian endemic species, such as leafy primrose (Primula frondosa), which is only found within the park's boundaries,Alchemilla achtarowii,Alchemilla jumrukczalica,Betonica bulgarica,Centaurea davidovii, as well as another 75 Balkan endemics.[20]
Vrachanski Balkan Nature Park is situated in the western section of the mountain range and spans an area of 301.29 km2.[26] Its territory includes some of the most extensive karst areas in Bulgaria with over 600 caves, such asLedenika, the gorgeVratsata whose 400 m vertical cliffs are the highest in the Balkans, and numerous waterfalls, such asSkaklia (141 m drop but unlike Raysko Praskalo it is seasonal) andBorov Kamak (63 m drop).[27][28] The flora includes 1082 species of vascular plants and 186 species of mosses. The endemism is lowers when compared to the Central Balkan National Park — 6 Bulgarian and another 36 Balkan endemic species.[29] The vertebrate fauna encompasses 276 species.[30] The recorded mammal species are 58 and include gray wolf,golden jackal, wildcat, marbled polecat,European polecat, European pine marten and 22 bat species.[31] The birds are 181 species, including 124 nesting ones. Typical species are thegolden eagle,long-legged buzzard,peregrine falcon, Eurasian eagle-owl,Alpine chough,Alpine swift,Eurasian crag martin,red-rumped swallow,wallcreeper, etc.[32] There are 15 reptile and 11 amphibian species; of them important populations exist of themeadow lizard,European copper skink,Balkan crested newt, as well as the only habitat in Bulgaria of thenorthern crested newt, which is also its southernmost locality worldwide.[33][34] There have been successful efforts in the reintroduction of two vulture species that went extinct from the mountain range in the past several decades. In 2021 the firstcinereous vulture in Bulgaria in nearly 30 years hatched in Kotel mountains in the eastern section of the mountain range, thus establishing the second breeding colony in the Balkans, after the one in north-eastern Greece.[35] In recent years, several breeding pairs ofgriffon vulture have established themselves in the Vratsa Balkan to the west, as well as in the eastern sections of the Balkan Mountains.[36] The eastern Balkan Mountains are among the priority areas in the reintroduction programme for thebearded vulture.[37] Since the early XXI century there have been several records of theEurasian lynx, which has been considered extincts in Bulgaria since the 1940s, in a number of localities along the Balkan Mountains.[38]
The Nature Park Stara PlaninaTupavica WaterfallsThe Nature Park Stara Planina
First group of trees was protected in 1966, followed by the creation of 7 special nature reserves and 3 natural monuments in the 1980s. Nature park Stara Planina was established in 1997 and since 2009 is in its present borders, covering an area of 1,143.22 km2 (441.40 sq mi).[39] The protected area was expanded in 2020.[40]
The sediments extend from thePaleozoic to theCenozoic eras.[41] Limestone terrain is known for the shortlosing streams andtufaceous waterfalls. There are canyons and gorges, like those of theToplodolska reka andRosomačka reka rivers.[42] The Rosomača canyon (Rosomački lonci orSlavinjsko grlo), with its 60 metres (200 ft) tall, cascade limestone walls, is known for its resemblance of the Colorado's Grand Canyon, but on a much smaller scale. The 500 metres (1,600 ft) long gorge is a remnant of the former cave which eroded in time.[43] Underground waters on the mountain reach the surface in the forms of common springs, well-springs (vrelo) and diffused springs (pištevina). There are some 500 springs with the flow of over 0.1 L/s (1.3 imp gal/min). The strongest spring is the intermittentJelovičko vrelo, known for its fluctuations, characterized by the bubbling and foaming.[42]
Montane ecosystems are diverse and include several plant communities: forests, shrubs, meadows, pastures andpeatlands. There are six differentvegetation zone in the park.Oak,beech,spruce,subalpine zone of the shrub vegetation ofcommon horsetail,blueberry, subalpine spruce andmugo pine. Other plants include shrubalder, steppepedunculate oak, but also rare and endangered species likeEuropean pasqueflower,yellow pheasant's eye,Kosovo peony,common sundew,Heldreich's maple,martagon lily,pygmy iris andmarsh orchid.[42] In total, there are 1,190 plant species, including a locally endemic wingedbellflower (Campanula calyciliata) and Pančić'sfrog grass (Senecio pancicii), which can be found only on the mountain. There are also communities of mountainoussphagnumbogs on the localities of Jabučko Ravnište, Babin Zub and Arbinje.[41] Some 350 herb species are considered medicinal oraromatic. In 2022, several independent surveys from various universities and institutes were conducted, in order to list all of them, to enhance their protection, and to check possibilities for potential plantation production. Vast areas south and southeast from the mountain are already transformed into the aromatic herbs plantations, especially the entire slopes of the nearby mountains being planted withlavender.[44]
In the 1980s, fossils ofThecodontosaurus were discovered on the mountain. It is one of the oldest recorded species of dinosaurs, and the remains are estimated to be some 250 million years old.[45]
Some 190 species of butterflies are recorded.[45] The area is asalmonid region, inhabited by theriverine brown trout. Another 25 species of fish live in the rivers and streams, so as thefire salamander andnewts. Over 30 mammalian species are found in the park, includinglesser mole-rat,hazel dormouse and the Tertiary relict,European snow vole.[42] Brown bear became extinct in Serbian part, but evidence showing the presence of the bears were found in 2014. The bears have been photographed in 2015, before disappearing again until 2019 when a young brown bear was filmed on camera.[46]
There are 203 species of birds, of which 154 are nesting in the park, 10 are wintering, 30 are passing and 13 are wandering. Important species includegolden eagle,Ural owl andhawk. As the park is the most important habitat in Serbia forlong-legged buzzard,Eurasian woodcock and an endemicBalkan horned lark, an area of 440 km2 (170 sq mi) was declared a EuropeanImportant Bird Area. Thegriffon vulture disappeared from the region in the late 1940s. In 2017 a program for their reintroduction began within the scope of a wider European program. Among other things, the feeders will be placed along the vultures' migratory route.[42][47] By 2023, there were regular sightings of griffon vultures, and, thanks to the efforts of Bulgarian and Spanish ornithologists, the cinereous vultures were seen flying over the Serbian side, while the population decline ofEgyptian vultures was slowed down. Neither griffon nor cinereous vultures are still nesting on Serbian side. The latter has not been nesting since the 1960s, when they were eradicated through the state operated campaign of poisoning wolves.[48]
Human heritage spans from the prehistoric remains,Classical antiquity including theRoman period andlate mediaeval monastic complexes. Some of those older monuments are fragmentary and relocated from their original locations. There are numerous examples of the ethnic edifices characteristic for the architecture of the region in the late 19th and early 20th century (houses, barns, etc.)[42]
Serbian section of the mountain is seen as a location for dozens ofmicro hydros, mini power plants which caused problem with the environmentalists and local population. Even the Ministry for environmental protection halted some of the projects and litigated with the investors. They also announced the change of the Nature protection law, which will permanently forbid the construction of plants in protected areas. In order to prevent further degradation, the Nature Park Stara Planina was nominated for theUNESCO'sMan and the Biosphere Programme and for the world list ofgeoparks, while over tens of thousands of citizens signed petitions against the micro hydros and numerous protests have been organized by the local population.[49] This prompted similar protests in other parts of Serbia and the association "Defend the rivers of Stara Planina" was founded, which expanded its base of operations outside of the Stara Planina region. The activism resulted in various physical altercation between the local citizens on one, and contractors and their security guards on the other side, amidst the police interventions.[50][51][52]
A video of Stara Planina in Serbia.
In October 2018,Minister of Environmental ProtectionGoran Trivan, said that the current law allows for the micro hydros to be built in the protected areas.[53] The government allowed the construction of 800 micro hydros, which has been described as "megalomaniacal" by the ecologists, as they would produce less than 1% of the total electricity. Environmentalists also accused the government of destroying the plant and animal life using the pretext ofrenewable energy.[54] In September 2019,Pirot city administration announced it is removing from the spatial plan all 43 existing locations for the micro hydros on the protected area of Stara Planina. There are 15 locations remaining in the unprotected sector of the mountain, but city officials announced abolishing of these locations in the future, too.[55]
By the 2020s, Stara Planina became a popular filmmaking locality. With Serbian productions, the foreign movies were also filmed here, including the 2019 Indian action movieUri: The Surgical Strike. Its director,Aditya Dhar, expressed surprise with "unremarkable similarity between Stara Planina andKashmir". The2022 Australian Oscar entryYou Won't Be Alone was also filmed on the mountain.[56]
^known locally also asStara Planina (Bulgarian andSerbian:Стара Планина,Ancient Greek:Αἵμος,Latin:Haemus)Николов, Васил С. [Vasil S. Nikolov]; Йорданова, Марина Д. [Marina D. Ĭordanova] (1997).Планините в България [The mountains of Bulgaria] (in Bulgarian). Sofia, Bulgaria: Prof. Marin Drinov Publishing House of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. p. 7.ISBN954-430-029-5.
^Андрейчин Л. и др., Български тълковен речник (допълнен и преработен от Д. Попов). Четвърто преработено и допълнено издание.: Издателство "Наука и изкуство". С., 1994
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^Balkan studies. Édition de lA̕cadémie bulgare des sciences. 1986.
^Tzankov, Nikolay; Stoyanov, Andrei (2008). "Triturus cristatus (Laurenti, 1768): a new species for Bulgaria from its southernmost localities".Salamandra.ISSN0036-3375.
^abcdefDr Dušan Mijović (30 July 2009), "Vrela Stare Planine",Politika (in Serbian)
^Andrijana Cvetićanin (8 August 2021).И ми Гранд кањон за сликање имамо [WE also have Grand Canyon to brag about].Politika-Magazin, No. 1245 (in Serbian). p. 19.
^Истраживање биљног света на Старој планини - На једном месту више од хиљаду врста лековитог биља [Survey of the plant life on Stara Planina - More than a thousand species of medicinal herbs on one location].Politika (in Serbian). 27 June 2022. p. 08.
^abВодопади, врела, понорнице и фосили [Waterfalls, water springs, sinking rivers and fossils].Politika-Magazin, No. 1247 (in Serbian). 22 August 2021. p. 22.
^Sandra Petrušić (9 October 2018)."Cena diletantizma" [The price of dilettantism] (in Serbian). NIN.
^Пирот брише све локације за МХЕ из просторног плана [Pirot erases all micro hydro locations from its spatial plan].Politika (in Serbian). 20 September 2019. p. 09.
Management Plan of Central Balkan National Park 2016-2025 (План за управление на Национален парк "Централен Балкан" 2016 - 2025 г.) (in Bulgarian). София (Sofia):Ministry of Environment and Water. 2016.
Management Plan of Vrachanski Balkan Nature Park (План за управление на Природен парк "Врачански Балкан") (in Bulgarian). София (Sofia): Ministry of Environment and Water. 2011.
Дончев (Donchev), Дончо (Doncho); Каракашев (Karakashev), Христо (Hristo) (2004).Теми по физическа и социално-икономическа география на България (Topics on Physical and Social-Economic Geography of Bulgaria) (in Bulgarian). София (Sofia): Ciela.ISBN954-649-717-7.
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