Rila

Declared in 1992, it is the largest national park in Bulgaria and protects the Rila massif, with Musala (2,925 m) as the roof of the whole Balkan peninsula. On its slopes stands the historic Rila Monastery, founded in the 10th century and reckoned the spiritual cradle of Bulgarian identity through centuries of Ottoman rule, which lies just outside the park's strict boundaries but is inseparable from its sacred landscape.