Rila National Park

Very beautiful national park, we took the lift and walked for 3 hours around the lakes.
The temperature was great, though it might get very cold on a windy day.
The walk is suitable for children as well, but the initial 30 min climb might be tough for people with disabilities.

A beautiful national park, I was only able to visit the seven lakes hike but hoping in the future to come and explore more of the park.

The Rila Mountains in Bulgaria boast a collection of stunning alpine lakes, each with its unique charm. The "Seven Rila Lakes" are a captivating natural wonder, tucked amidst the picturesque landscape. Situated at varying altitudes, they form a mesmerizing chain, drawing hikers and nature enthusiasts alike. The tranquil beauty of these lakes, named The Tear, The Eye, The Kidney, The Twin, The Trefoil, The Fish Lake, and The Lower Lake, paints a serene portrait. They offer a rewarding trek through lush forests and rocky paths, providing a glimpse into the awe-inspiring diversity of Bulgaria's natural splendor.

Absolutely stunning views, easy trails suitable for all levels, not too crowded (we went in the beginning of July). Plus, it’s lovely to start and end the hike with a peaceful ride on the ski lift.

Epic scenery, challenging hikes, different views and landscapes as you hike through different parts of rila national park. We did a 2-day hike from the start of the lift place (skipping the lift) to the famous *place name* waterfall, and then slept at ivan vazov hut. Next day hiked down to the rila monastery. Total amount 25 km, but with an ascension of more than 1,5 km on the first day and also down 1,5km the next day, in combination with some very steep routes, so don't be fooled by the relative low amount of hiking kilometres.

TL:DR you can plan awesome multi-days hikes here, as well as just visit the 7 lakes if you take the lift

Absolutely gorgeous mountains, absolutely gorgeous lakes, absolutely gorgeous scenery. Kept very clean, has great, challenging and easy to follow trails and has many different huts you can spend your night in!

Rila National Park is the largest national park in Bulgaria spanning an area of 810.46 km2 (312.92 sq mi; 200,270 acres) in the Rila mountain range in the south-west of the country.Rila National Park is among the largest and most valuable protected areas in Europe. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has listed the park as Category II. Two of the four nature reserves are included in the UN list of Representative Protected Areas, and four of the nature reserves are included in the World Network of Biosphere Reserves under the UNESCO Man and Biosphere Programme.

It was nice. When we were there, there were very few people and the scenery here was also very beautiful. It still had some ice in the top of the mountain!
Very nice place for hiking

Absolutely gorgeous place but WARNING!! The weather can change quickly. It was partly sunny when we got up there in late June. Most of the loop around the 7 lakes was smooth sailing. But towards the end a cloud rolled in and the visibility went down significantly within about 60 seconds. I could barely see my friend 10 feet in front of me. We were able to find a little cabin and wait for it to blow over. We were able to navigate back, but it was a little stressful.
Point being: bring extra food, extra water, and extra layers of clothing in case you get stuck. The trails are marked okay...but not perfect.
So as long as you are prepared, I highly recommend this hike. Such a stunning area. And taking the chairlift was definitely worth it- gave us more time at the top.

We did the 7 lakes hike. Magnificent views, beautiful landscape, feasible in duration and difficulty. It took us a 6h hike from the upper ski lift to the highest peak and back to the lower ski lift. A must do when in Bulgaria!

Awesome hike to the lakes. Unfortunately we ran out of time so could only hike to the bottom two lakes as the chairlift was out of action and was not carrying people to the top so we had to hike up. The hike was worth it however and we had lunch with a beautiful view next to the second lake.

Great place to visit even for someone who hasn't trekked before. The views from the ski lift and ofcourse the lakes were all spectacular. There is also a little cafe near the ski lift on top in case you need to use either of those facilities.

Amazing and beautiful Bulgarian mountain. Beautiful views fresh air and pure lakes. Everything what you want from mountain that you can see in one place. Everyplace is near from the biggest peak Musala to magical 7 rila lakes for a few days but remember for whole life

I love it. Unfortunately some of the lakes are polluted and alge is blooming. You must go to the 7th lake, views are stunning

Stunning landscapes
Very beautiful and wild mountain range

Absolutely gorgeous place to visit and would definitely recommend if you are ever in Rila. Lift costs 20 leva return per person, 12 leva for kids. The trail is easy enough to navigate so you should have no problems reaching some of the higher places where you can see most of the lakes. Please just note that swimming or throwing things into the lakes is forbidden and we try our best to keep them clean and natural as they should be.

Breathtaking place. Not too many people on a week day (we went there on a Friday to avoid crowds).

Nice place to visit. Not far away from Sofia(1:30h). An easy drive. You need to pay 5 leva to park near the lift to the 7 lakes lounge. If you want to walk to there just walk it is about 2 hours walk and can eat blueberry if you go into the right season. After that give your self 5 hour if you want to see all the 7 lakes.

Beautiful mountains for both hiking as well as skiing. Easily accessible from Sofia, approx 1 hour drive to Borovets or 2 hours to Bansko. Well marked tracks, with the highest peak in the Balkans - Musala. Don't miss visiting Rila Monastery.

Breathtaking views! Nature is unique here! Must visit place! Be well prepared is you take some ecopath in the woods or mountain. Most of them are well marked.