NEWS /20th Anniversary of RilaA Monastery Nature Park
Today, 20 years ago, by Order of the Minister of Environment and Water, the Rila Monastery Nature Park was established. To mark its anniversary, the Park Directorate presents to the public its latest print edition. The book is dedicated to the twentieth anniversary of the park and presents the unique beauty, exceptional biodiversity, and rich cultural and historical heritage of the protected area. It was issued with the kind assistance of the Southwestern State Enterprise.
Rila Monastery Nature Park was declared on June 26, 2000. It occupies an area of 25,253.2 ha and is one of the largest nature parks in Bulgaria. It falls entirely on the territory of Rila municipality and covers the middle and high mountain parts of the western part of Rila Mountain. On its territory is the reserve "Rilomanastirska Gora" with an area of 3665 hectares.
1,400 species of higher plants, 38.88% of the higher flora in Bulgaria have been identified in the park, as well as about 2,600 species of invertebrates and 202 species of vertebrates.
In the heart of the park is the UNESCO List of Cultural Monuments of World Importance - Rila Monastery, to which the nature park owes its name.