Pirin National Park and Bansko

A UNESCO-listed national park of limestone and granite peaks, with more than 100 glacial lakes. Vihren, 2,914 m, is Bulgaria's second-highest mountain; it's a long but non-technical climb from the Vihren hut. The Baykusheva Mura, a pine tree over 1,300 years old, is near the Banderitsa hut.

Bansko, at the foot of the mountains, is a ski resort in winter, with an old town of stone houses and traditional taverns (mehanas). Melnik, to the south, is famous for its sandstone pyramids and wine.