Musala Peak

Musala reaches 2,925 metres in the Rila mountains and is the highest point in Bulgaria and in the whole Balkan peninsula, which makes it the standard objective for anyone walking in the country. The usual route starts with the gondola from Borovets up to Yastrebets at about 2,360 metres, then follows a marked path past the Musala lakes, a chain of glacial tarns in a rock basin, to the Everest hut and up the final rocky slope to the summit, three to four hours from the lift. There is a meteorological observatory on the top. On a clear day the view runs across Rila to Pirin and the Rhodopes and, in exceptional conditions, to the Aegean. Snow lies on the upper section into July.

What you actually see

• The highest point in the Balkans - 2,925 metres at the summit.
• The Musala lakes - a chain of glacial tarns in the rock basin below.
• The summit observatory - the meteorological station on the top.
• The Rila to Pirin view - the ranges laid out on a clear day.

When to go

July to September; snow lies late and returns early, and outside that window it is a winter mountaineering route. A day from Borovets. Start early, since afternoon storms are common in summer.

Honest expectations

Weather changes very fast and people are caught out on the summit ridge every year. The gondola has limited hours and closes in wind, which strands walkers. The final section is rock and can be icy into summer. There is no shelter beyond the huts.

Nearby

Borovets is at the foot; the Seven Rila Lakes lie west in the same range.