Balkan Mountains

The Balkan Mountains are a vast mountain range running through the center of present-day Bulgaria. The range, also known as Stara Planina, is approximately 530 kilometers long and stretches from the border of Serbia in the west to the Black Sea in the east. The Balkan Mountains are known for their numerous, high peaks – some of which reach elevations of more than two thousand meters – and the two main gorges through which travel is made possible.

The Balkan Mountains have not only defined Bulgaria's physical landscape, but have also played a role in the development of the country's culture. Throughout Bulgaria's history, the range has served as a natural fortress protecting the country and making it a safe haven for its people. This natural fortress has also fostered the emergence of a distinct Bulgarian culture.

Geographical Overview

The Balkan Mountains are part of a large system of mountain ranges in the Balkan Peninsula in southeast Europe. The Balkan Mountains are the northernmost portion of this system and stretch across the entire length of Bulgaria, neatly dividing the country into northern and southern halves and separating the Danubian Plain of the north from the Maritsa Valley of the south. Among the local population, the Balkan Mountain range is commonly referred to as Stara Planina, which, when translated to English, means "old mountains." Geologically speaking, this name is rather inaccurate, as the Balkan Mountains are actually Bulgaria's youngest mountain range, having arisen at approximately the same time as the Himalayas and Alps.

Geographers typically divide the Balkan Mountains into three primary massifs, or regions of principle mountainous formation: the Western Stara Planina, a 190-kilometer range running from Belogradchik Pass to Zlatitsa Pass; the Central Stara Planina, which stretches 185 kilometers from Zlatitsa Pass to Vratnik Pass; and the Eastern Stara Planina, which runs 155 kilometers from Vratnik Pass to Cape Emine. The Balkan Mountains reach their maximum height in the Central Stara Planina, which contains twenty-five peaks measuring more than two-thousand meters, including the 2,375-meter Botev Peak, the highest of the entire range. The Western Stara Planina, meanwhile, boasts four peaks that are more than two-thousand kilometers high while the peaks of the Eastern Stara Planina, the smallest portion of the range, reach a maximum height of only a little more than one-thousand meters.

The geological makeup of the Balkan Mountains is fairly diverse. The most common types of rock found throughout the formation are granite and schist, which are most abundant in the range's highest peaks. Elsewhere, deposits of sandstone, limestone, gneiss, and marlstone can also be found.

In addition to acting as a physical barrier, the Balkan Mountains are one of the most important watersheds in Bulgaria and on the entire Balkan Peninsula. The snow cover found on the range's many peaks is the source of numerous rivers that run north and south. The northward-flowing rivers empty into the Danube River and eventually into the Black Sea while those running toward the south ultimately flow into the Aegean Sea. The waterpower generated from the rivers originating in the Balkan Mountains is essential to the production of electrical power in Bulgaria.

The Balkan Mountains are characterized by a mild climate with average temperatures that vary depending on season and elevation. In summer, temperatures typically range from about sixty to seventy degrees Fahrenheit in the lower elevations to about forty-five to sixty degrees Fahrenheit in the higher elevations. In winter, those average temperature ranges drop to about twenty-six to thirty degrees Fahrenheit in the lower elevations and fifteen to twenty-six degrees Fahrenheit in the higher elevations.

The Balkan Mountains are home to a number of interesting tourism sites, including the Central Balkan National Park and the Raychova Dupka cave. The Central Balkan National Park, located within the Central Stara Planinia, has nine separate nature reserves spread over a stretch of 85 kilometers. At 377 meters, the Raychova Dupka cave is Bulgaria's deepest cave.

History and Culture

Originally known to the Ancient Greeks as the Haemus Mons, the Balkan Mountains have played a significant part in Bulgaria's history and the emergence and survival of its culture. From the time Bulgaria became a country in the seventh century, the Balkan Mountains have served as an effective natural barrier that has made it difficult for foreign forces to invade the country. Because the range has protected them from invasion by outsiders, the inhabitants of Bulgaria were able to develop a distinct national culture. When Bulgarians have encountered aggressive foreign forces, such as those of the Byzantine Empire, the Balkan Mountains gave them a great tactical advantage. The mountains were the site of the many important battles between the Bulgarians and the Byzantines, including the Battle of Rishki Pass in the year 759 and the Battle of Pliska in the year 811. When Bulgaria later fell under the control of the Ottoman Empire, many of the remote villages in the Balkan Mountains became strongholds for the preservation of traditional Bulgarian culture and refuges for those fighting against Ottoman oppression. At various times, the mountain region was also home to several of Bulgaria's previous capital cities, including Pliska, Preslav, and Veliko Tarnovo.

Bibliography

Frucht, Richard, editor. Eastern Europe: An Introduction to the People, Lands, and Culture. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, Inc., 2005.

Hall, Richard C. The Modern Balkans: A History. Reaktion Books, Ltd., 2011.

Kay, Annie. Bulgaria. Bradt Travel Guides, 2008.

Perry, Julian. Walking in Bulgaria's National Parks. Milnthorpe, England: Cicerone Press, Ltd., 2010.

Zahariev, Dimcho. “Editorial Note: Balkan Mountains – a Symbol of Liberty – Part I (Eastern Balkan).” Acta Scientifica Naturalis, vol. 11, no. 1, Mar. 2024, pp. I–VIII. EBSCOhost, doi.org/10.2478/asn-2024-0001. Accessed 14 Oct. 2024.