| Midzhur/Midžor | |
|---|---|
| MidzhurМиджур(in Bulgarian) • MidžorМиџор(in Serbian) • | |
 Picture taken from the Serbian side | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 2,169 m (7,116 ft) |
| Prominence | 1,478 m (4,849 ft) |
| Listing | Ribu |
| Coordinates | 43°23′38″N22°40′54″E / 43.39389°N 22.68167°E /43.39389; 22.68167 |
| Naming | |
| Language of name | Bulgarian, Serbian |
| Geography | |
  Midzhur/Midžor Location of Midžor on the border between Bulgaria and Serbia Show map of Bulgaria Midzhur/Midžor Midzhur/Midžor (Serbia) Show map of Serbia | |
| Location | Bulgaria,Serbia |
| Parent range | Balkan Mountains |
Midžor (Serbian Cyrillic:Миџор,pronounced[mîdʒɔr]) orMidzhur (Bulgarian:Миджур,pronounced[miˈd͡ʒur]) is a peak in theBalkan Mountains, situated on the border betweenBulgaria andSerbia. At 2,169 metres (7,116 ft), it is the highest peak of the WesternBalkan Mountains, as well as the highest inSerbia.[note 1]
In Bulgaria, the peak is known as Midzhur.
Since the early 1990s, it has been accessible to tourists from both sides of the border; previously, access was forbidden due to the peak being in the border area. Due to those restrictions, the nature around the peak has been preserved untouched. On the Bulgarian side, the peak is reachable from the villages ofChuprene andGorni Lom inVidin Province.
FromChuprene there are two possibilities for climbing. There is a 17 km dirt road following the river Chuprenska to the Gorski Ray refuge (1,450 m) or a 9 km foot track following the river Manastirska.
From the refuge there is a marked track which passes through theChuprene biosphere reserve and leads to the main summit on a saddle between the peaks Replyanska Tsarkva (1,969 m) and Ostra Chuka (1967 m). To the south east through the peaks Ostra Chuka and Oba (2,033 m) the track reaches a saddle from where theLom River and theTimok flow out at border stone 336. From there, the peak can be climbed from the north-western slope.
At 7 km from the village ofGorni Lom is located the Gorni Lom refuge (840 m). There is also another refuge upstream called Mudzhur. There are steep tracks from there leading to the saddle between Oba and the peak at border stone 336 from where both tracks from the two villages merge.
The source of theLom River is at the foot of the peak. A cascade of small hydroelectric power plants is in operation on the river near the peak and four more are under construction.[1] Chuprene biosphere reserve, which is under the protection ofUNESCO, is situated to the west of the peak. It is one of the last sanctuaries in Bulgaria where theCapercaillie nests.
In Serbia the peak is known as Midžor.
The extreme peak of the western mountain is north of the village ofTopli Dol, located in the centre of SerbianStara Planina, betweenTri Čuke (1936 m) on the SE side andBabin Zub (1758 m) on the SW side. The massif of the Midžor peak is substantial. Its western, eastern, and southern slopes are grassy and not so steep, while its northern side is rocky and very steep. This side is also the most attractive and very popular among rock climbers.
There is a hotel called "Babin Zub" on the slopes. There are no fees or permits needed to enter the Serbian Stara Planina.[2]
