Vitosha ( bg, Витоша ), the ancient ''Scomius'' or ''Scombrus'', is a
mountain massif
In geology, a massif ( or ) is a section of a planet's crust that is demarcated by faults or flexures. In the movement of the crust, a massif tends to retain its internal structure while being displaced as a whole. The term also refers to a ...
, on the outskirts of Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria. Vitosha is one of the symbols of Sofia and the closest site for hiking, alpinism and skiing. Convenient bus lines and rope ways render the mountain easily accessible. Vitosha has the outlines of an enormous dome. The territory of the mountain includes Vitosha
nature park
A nature park, or sometimes natural park, is a designation for a protected natural area by means of long-term land planning, sustainable resource management and limitation of agricultural and real estate developments. These valuable landscape ...
that encompasses the best known and most frequently visited parts. The foothills of Vitosha shelter resort quarters of Sofia; Knyazhevo quarter has mineralsprings. Vitosha is the oldest nature park in the Balkans.
The mountain emerged as a result of volcanic activity and has been subsequently shaped by the slow folding of the granite rock layers and a series of gradual uplifts of the area. It appears dome shaped at first sight, but the mountain, 19 km long by 17 km wide, actually consists of concentric denudational plateaus rising in tiers one above the other. Vitosha is separated into four main parts whose main ridges gather at a crown known as '' Cherni Vrah'' ('Black Peak', Bulgarian: ). This is the highest point of the mountain at 2290 m and is one of 12 peaks of Vitosha over 2000 m in height. It is the highest massif of Srednogorie mountain chain system, together with Sredna gora, Plana (mountain),
Lyulin Mountain
Lyulin () is a range of hills in western Bulgaria, located several kilometres west of Sofia. The highest point is Dupevitsa Peak (1,256 m). The Buchino Pass divides the hills into two, a western and an eastern part. Bonsovi Polyani are a popular t ...
pluton
In geology, an igneous intrusion (or intrusive body or simply intrusion) is a body of intrusive igneous rock that forms by crystallization of magma slowly cooling below the surface of the Earth. Intrusions have a wide variety of forms and com ...
karst
Karst is a topography formed from the dissolution of soluble rocks such as limestone, dolomite, and gypsum. It is characterized by underground drainage systems with sinkholes and caves. It has also been documented for more weathering-resistant ro ...
ic region near the village of Bosnek.
Since the ancient times of the Thracians a large population has always existed at the base of Vitosha. For the last four thousand years the economy of this large settlement has always been connected, in one way or another, with the neighboring mountain. The name Vitosha comes from the two-peaked, twin ridge mountain, which rises above the Sofia field and has acquired its present shape in stages over many millennia.
A
meteorological station
A weather station is a facility, either on land or sea, with instruments and equipment for measuring atmospheric conditions to provide information for weather forecasts and to study the weather and climate. The measurements taken include tempera ...
was built at the top in 1935, and is still operating. The station also serves as a rest shelter for hikers and is the headquarters for the mountain rescue team. Historical documents show that several centuries ago Vitosha mountain was still covered by the remains of the inaccessible "
Great Bulgarian Forest
Great Bulgarian Forest (latin: ''Silva Magna Bulgarica'' or ''Silvas Bulgarorum'') was the territory between Belgrade and the Gate of Trajan, entering Via Militaris in Thrace. In the Middle Ages this territory was afforested with inaccessible for ...
" (''Magna Silva Bulgarica''). Today, the natural
conifer
Conifers are a group of conifer cone, cone-bearing Spermatophyte, seed plants, a subset of gymnosperms. Scientifically, they make up the phylum, division Pinophyta (), also known as Coniferophyta () or Coniferae. The division contains a single ...
ous forests of Vitosha remain only in the reserve Bistrishko Branishte and around Zlatnite Mostove (The Golden Bridges). The Golden Bridges is a
stone river
In geology, rock (or stone) is any naturally occurring solid mass or aggregate of minerals or mineraloid matter. It is categorized by the minerals included, its chemical composition, and the way in which it is formed. Rocks form the Earth's o ...
consisting of a ribbon of huge boulders running down the mountainside. This scenic spot is located along the
Vladayska River
The Vladayska (Владайска река, ''Vladayska reka'') is a river in western Bulgaria, a tributary of the Perlovska.
The river flows from the northwestern slopes of Cherni Vrah on Vitosha Mountain, crossing Torfeno Branishte Nature Reser ...
in an area of mixed deciduous and evergreen forest. However, this is only one of the stone rivers found in Vitosha and they were once the moraines of ancient glaciers. Their further formation occurred due to the spherical erosion of the sienite rocks and their gradual movement to down stream valleys by the forces of gravity and moving water.
At a time when nature conservation ideas were a long way from the present understanding, some enlightened noblemen took the first step in 1934 by declaring 66 km² of Vitosha a
nature park
A nature park, or sometimes natural park, is a designation for a protected natural area by means of long-term land planning, sustainable resource management and limitation of agricultural and real estate developments. These valuable landscape ...
, hence Vitosha became the first park of this kind in the Balkans. During the following year, some of the early Bulgarian reserves, Bistrishko Branishte (subsequently expanded to 10.61 km²) and Torfeno Branishte (7.84 km² respectively), were designated within its boundaries. The park boundaries fluctuated over many years and today it encompasses the entire mountain; an area of 266.06 km². It is the highest massif of Srednogorie mountain chain system, that includes also the mountains of Sredna gora range, Plana, Lyulin, Greben, Viskyar, etc.
Ecology
Due to a great variability in elevation, a rich diversity of climates, flora and fauna can be found within the park. Research has revealed that on the comparatively small area of the mountain there are 1,500 species of higher plants, 500 species of fungi, 500 species of
algae
Algae (; singular alga ) is an informal term for a large and diverse group of photosynthetic eukaryotic organisms. It is a polyphyletic grouping that includes species from multiple distinct clades. Included organisms range from unicellular mic ...
, 326 species of
mosses
Mosses are small, non-vascular flowerless plants in the taxonomic division Bryophyta (, ) ''sensu stricto''. Bryophyta (''sensu lato'', Schimp. 1879) may also refer to the parent group bryophytes, which comprise liverworts, mosses, and horn ...
, and 200 species of
lichen
A lichen ( , ) is a composite organism that arises from algae or cyanobacteria living among filaments of multiple fungi species in a mutualistic relationship.IUCN Red List of endangered species.
The forests are mainly composed of
Norway spruce
''Picea abies'', the Norway spruce or European spruce, is a species of spruce native to Northern, Central and Eastern Europe.
It has branchlets that typically hang downwards, and the largest cones of any spruce, 9–17 cm long. It is very close ...
and
Bulgarian fir
''Abies borisii-regis'' (Bulgarian fir) is a species of fir native to the mountains of the Balkan Peninsula in Bulgaria, northern Greece, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Albania and Serbia. It occurs at altitudes of 800–1,800 m, on mounta ...
, with some
Macedonian pine
''Pinus peuce'' (Macedonian pine or Balkan pine) (Serbo-Croatian/ Macedonian: молика, molika; Bulgarian: бяла мура, Byala mura) is a species of pine native to the mountains of Macedonia, Bulgaria, Albania, Montenegro, Kosovo, the e ...
beech
Beech (''Fagus'') is a genus of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to temperate Europe, Asia, and North America. Recent classifications recognize 10 to 13 species in two distinct subgenera, ''Engleriana'' and ''Fagus''. The ''Engle ...
, birch, aspen and alder. Regarding herbaceous plants, well-established populations of ''
Veratrum album
''Veratrum album'', the false helleborine, white hellebore, European white hellebore, or white veratrum ( syn. ''Veratrum lobelianum'' Bernh.) is a poisonous plant in the family Melanthiaceae. It is native to Europe and parts of western Asia (west ...
'' are present on the mountain, as well as other species commonly called 'lilies'. There are also orchids, such as the East European green-winged orchid (''
Orchis morio
''Anacamptis morio'', the green-winged orchid or green-veined orchid (synonym ''Orchis morio''), is a flowering plant of the orchid family, Orchidaceae. It usually has purple flowers, and is found in Europe and the Middle East.
Description
It fl ...
'') that grows in the higher parts. Lungwort ('' Pulmonaria officinalis'') is another widespread herbaceous plant on Vitosha; it develops in dank sites under the shade of the forest.
Honours
Vitosha Saddle
Vitosha Saddle (Vitoshka Sedlovina \'vi-tosh-ka se-dlo-vi-'na\) is a narrow ice-covered saddle of elevation 1050 m extending in southwest–northeast direction between Great Needle Peak (Falsa Aguja Peak) and Vihren Peak in the Levski Ridge of Ta ...
Komini Peak
Komini Peak ( bg, връх Комини, vrah Komini, ) is a peak with an elevation of on the north slopes of Levski Peak, in the Tangra Mountains, in Livingston Island, Antarctica.
The peak has precipitous rocky western slopes and was first ...
, and
Kikish Crag
Kikish Crag ( bg, връх vrah Kikish, ) is a peak rising to 650 m in Friesland Ridge, Tangra Mountains on Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica and is named after Kikish site in Vitosha Mountain, Bulgaria.
Location
The c ...
on Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica are named respectively for Mount Vitosha, and for the Vitosha peaks of Malak Rezen and Golyam Rezen, Kominite Peak, and Kikish site.
Image:Vitosha and Sveta Nedelya.jpg, Vitosha seen from Sofia
Image:View_from_Vitosha_Montain,_Sofia_03375.jpg, East Sofia seen from Vitosha
Image:View_from_Vitosha_Mountain_Sofia_03378.jpg, Another view
Image:Arbres givrés sur le Vitocha (février 2009).JPG, Snow-covered trees in February, northern side
Image:Boyana waterfall.jpg, Boyana waterfall, highest in Vitosha
Image:Mountain-1.JPG, View of the Vitosha Mountain from the South Park of Sofia
Image:Vitosha seen from the center of Sofia.jpg, Vitosha seen from National Palace of Culture
Vitosha is also the name of:
*
Radio Vitosha
Radio Vitosha is a radio station based in Sofia, Bulgaria, and founded in 1991. It targets listeners aged between 24 and 45. The motto of Radio Vitosha is ''Следвай музиката'' (Follow the music).
The station was the first in Bulgar ...
*
Vitosha Boulevard
Vitosha Boulevard ( bg, булевард „Витоша“, often called just , Vitoshka) is the main commercial street in the centre of Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, which is abundant in posh stores, restaurants and bars. It extends from the ...
- a popular main street in Sofia; with shops, boutiques and restaurants.
Aleko
The Moskvitch-2141, also known under the trade name Aleko (Russian: "АЛЕКО", derivative from the name of the automaker "Автомобильный завод имени Ленинского Комсомола", ''Avtomobilny zavod imeni Leni ...
*
Geography of Bulgaria
Bulgaria is a country situated in Southeast Europe that occupies the eastern quarter of the Balkan peninsula, being the largest country within its geographic boundaries. It is bordering Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedonia to the we ...
*
List of mountains in Bulgaria
Mountains constitute a significant part of Bulgaria and are dominant in the southwest and central parts. Bulgaria's highest mountains are Rila (highest peak Musala, 2925 m; the highest in the Balkans) and Pirin (highest peak Vihren, 2914 m). Th ...
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List of mountains of the Balkans Top 20 highest ultra prominent mountains in mainland Balkans
This is a list of the top 20 highest ultra prominent mountains in mainland Balkan Peninsula.
Triglav peak (2,864 m, prominence 2,059 m) in the Slovenian Julian Alps is geographi ...
*
List of ecoregions in Bulgaria
This is a list of the ecoregions in Bulgaria - terrestrial ecoregions and freshwater ecoregions as defined by the World Wildlife Fund and the Marine Ecoregions of the World—MEOW global classification system.
Biogeography
Broadly, Bulgarian ...
Pluton
In geology, an igneous intrusion (or intrusive body or simply intrusion) is a body of intrusive igneous rock that forms by crystallization of magma slowly cooling below the surface of the Earth. Intrusions have a wide variety of forms and com ...
Lyulin Mountain
Lyulin () is a range of hills in western Bulgaria, located several kilometres west of Sofia. The highest point is Dupevitsa Peak (1,256 m). The Buchino Pass divides the hills into two, a western and an eastern part. Bonsovi Polyani are a popular t ...
Rila
Rila ( bg, Рила, ) is the highest mountain range of Bulgaria, the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula and Southeast Europe. It is situated in southwestern Bulgaria and forms part of the Rila–Rhodope Mountains, Rhodope Massif. The highest summit is Mus ...
Balkan Mountains
The Balkan mountain range (, , known locally also as Stara planina) is a mountain range in the eastern part of the Balkan Peninsula in Southeastern Europe. The range is conventionally taken to begin at the peak of Vrashka Chuka on the border betw ...
*
Rhodope Mountains
The Rhodopes (; bg, Родопи, ; el, Ροδόπη, ''Rodopi''; tr, Rodoplar) are a mountain range in Southeastern Europe, and the largest by area in Bulgaria, with over 83% of its area in the southern part of the country and the remainder in ...
* Etosha National Park - National Park in Namibia with somewhat similar name but with completely different ecosystem.
