Todorka ( bg, Тодорка ) is a massive peak in the Pirin Mountains of south-western Bulgaria. It is the only peak of the Todorka side ridge and has a summit elevation of 2746 m (9009 ft.)

above sea level Height above mean sea level is a measure of the vertical distance (height, elevation or altitude) of a location in reference to a historic mean sea level taken as a vertical datum. In geodesy, it is formalized as ''orthometric heights''. The comb ...

. Todorka is the 11th highest peak in Pirin and is made of granite, and although not rocky, it is steep. It is a relatively short crest with three peaks - Golyama (Big), Sredna (Middle) and Malka (Little) Todorka. Golyama Todorka is located to the north and viewed from the town of Bansko looks like a dramatic pyramid. There are several ski tracks from its slopes, and has been developed extensively since 2000 and is now a major ski area, with a lift-served summit of 2600 m (8530 ft). Bansko hosted World Cup races for the women in

2009 File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; 2009 Iran ...

and for the men in

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.Bansko World Cup.com
- - accessed 2010-02-26 Following the ridge to the southwest of Golyama Todorka is Sredna Todorka at 2706 m (8878 ft.) and to the southeast is Malka Todorka (2712 m, 8898 ft.). To the east of the cirque their form are situated the two lakes Todorini Ochi (Todora's eyes) which are part of the

Vasilashki Lakes The Vasilashki Lakes () are situated in Pirin, Bulgaria in a large cirque between the Todorka and Vasilashki Chukar peaks. The cirque is opened to the east, where it faces the Demyanitsa river in which the water of the lakes pour. This cirque also ...

near which runs the route between the Vihren refuge and Demyanitsa refuge. To the west is the Banderitsa valley which makes a peculiar twist following the twist of the Todorka peak. That is the reason why the end of the valley lies invisible from Bansko. There is an impressive panorama from the peak. To the west can be seen Vihren and Kutelo, to the east is the Strazhite edge. To the south Kamenitsa rises above the other peaks. To the north in cloudless days there is a dramatic view to Bansko in which the streets and buildings are clearly visible.

Legends

There are two legends about the name of the peak. The first one tells about the brave

Bulgarian Bulgarian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the country of Bulgaria * Bulgarians, a South Slavic ethnic group * Bulgarian language, a Slavic language * Bulgarian alphabet * A citizen of Bulgaria, see Demographics of Bulgaria * Bul ...

woman Todorka who the defended the Sinan fortress against the Turks during the Bulgarian-Ottoman Wars. She fought to the end and finally ran to the peak above the castle chased by the Turks, jumped into the abyss and died. According to the second legend a local girl named Todorka did not manage to persuade her father to marry to her beloved Vasil. She ran away from home, reached the peak and started to cry from which the two lakes Todorini Ochi were formed. Vasil searched for her in vain and in the end reached the nearby peak Vasilashki Chukar and threw himself in despair into the lake below (one of the Vasilashki Lakes).

References

External links

Bansko Ski.com
- - official site for Bansko ski area
Bansko World Cup.com
- {{in lang, en -site for World Cup races Mountains of Pirin Two-thousanders of Bulgaria Landforms of Blagoevgrad Province