Rugged resplendence

Sapphire lakes numbering in the hundreds dot the rough-hewn landscape of Bulgaria's oldest national park. Many of the lakes reflect the husky granite peaks of the Pirin Mountains—within the park more than 60 peaks exceed 8,500 feet in elevation. Even a brief hike here provides excellent exercise, as 90 percent of the park is classified as steep terrain. Trails wind through ravines and valleys, across ridges, and among pristine forests, including stands of ancient trees. The country's oldest coniferous tree is here, the 1,300-year-old Baikushev's pine; it began its life right around the same time as the birth of the First Bulgarian Empire.