National park Rila: Tourism

The Panichishte, Maliovitsa, Borovets, Semkovo, Treshtenik, Belmeken, Kostenets and Bodrost resorts are the main entry points into the park. Govedartsi village, Gerginitsa hut, Yundola, Predel, Slavovo locality, Dupnishka Bistritsa river and many others are the secondary entry points.

Rila National park attracts a great number of visitors and provides an opportunity for pleasant experiences in the open.

More and more visitors are interested in specialized tourism and rest in the open air– hang-gliding, wild animal watching (birds, wolves, chamois etc.), photo-hunting, mountain biking and horse back riding.

The rock areas (the northern face of Maliovitsa, Zlia zab, Orlovets etc.) afford an opportunity of practicing extreme sports – rock climbing and alpinism. The Rila NP with its training centre for climbers is a place for educational programmes, ski – rallies, ice climbing. The large ski tracks in the Borovets resort and the ski track along the Rajdavishki hill are in the close proximity of the park`s border.

Many tourist routes known in our country and abroad pass through the territory of the park. They are situated in the high parts (over 2000 m a.s.l.). These are: the route from Skakavitsa hut to Sedemte ezera, from Mussala peak to Mladost hut, from Mussala hut to Mussala peak etc. and two main European tourist routes – Е4 and Е8, which pass through the park in west-south and northwest-south direction.

You can get information on the routes from the tourist societies, the huts` managers and staff and the park`s officials.

Contact telephones of the tourist societies:
ТS Rilski ezera – Dupnitsa, Kokiche str. 1, PO Box 26, tel.: 0701/2 25 24
ТS Panichishte – Sapareva bania, Kniaz Boris str. 1, tel.: 0707/21 40
ТS Rilski tourist – Samokov, Iskar str. 2, tel.: 0722/ 2 22 05
ТS Aigidik – Blagoevgrad, Vasil Levski str. 1, tel.: 073/ 2 69 39

Huts – bed capacity, accommodation facilities

17 huts are situated on the territory of the park (Belmeken, Skakavitsa, Rilski ezera, Sedemte ezera, Mussala, Makedonia, Maritsa, Chakalitsa, Dobarsko, Granchar, Zavrachitsa, Chakar voivoda, Maliovitsa, Vada, Lovna, Otovitsa, Ivan Vazov) and 4 shelters (Everest, Ledenoto ezero, Strashnoto ezero, Orlovets). The capacity of the huts is 1938 beds.

Otovitsa hut. It is situated in the Otovitsa river valley at 1420 m a.s.l. Its capacity is 60 beds in rooms with 3, 4, 5, 6 and more beds with floor lavatories. It is managed by TS Mini Bobov dol – Bobov dol.

Skakavitsa hut. It is situated in the Skakavishka valley at the foot of the eastern slope of Kabul peak at 1876 m a.s.l. It is a solid structure with a capacity of 89 beds in rooms with 3, 4 and 5 beds and several dormitories, floor lavatories. It is managed by ТS Rilski ezera – Dupnitsa.

Lovna hut. It is situated in the Goreloto locality above the left bank of Jerman river at 1654 m a.s.l. It is a solid one-storey building with a capacity of 50 beds in rooms with 5 beds and 16 spring-beds. It is managed by ТS Panichishte – Sapareva bania, 048/90 32 32.

Vada hut. It is situated in the locality of the same name in Cherni Iskar river valley at 1410 m a.s.l. It is an one-storey building with a capacity of 36 beds in rooms with 3 and 6 beds. It is managed by ТS Rilski tourist – Samokov.

Rilski ezera hut. It is situated in Kamenitoto mostche locality, on the short rib that descends east of the eastern edge of Suhia rid, at 2150 m a.s.l. It is a five-storey solid structure with a capacity of 135 beds in rooms with 2, 3, 4 and 5 beds, several dormotories and four appartments. It is managed by ТS Rilski ezera – Dupnitsa.

Sedemte ezera hut. It is situated by the northeastern shore of the Shestoto (Ribnoto) lake at 2196 m a.s.l. It is a solid structure with two-storeys and a barret with a capacity of 92 beds in rooms with 2, 3, 4, 6 and more beds and plank-beds. It is managed by ТS Rilski tourist – Samokov.

Ivan Vazov hut. It is situated in the northwestern brink of Goliama Mokritsa circus above the right bank of Bistritsa river, at 2300 m a.s.l. It is a solid two-storey structure with a capacity of 65 beds in dormitories, 5 bungalows with 4 beds and 1 three-room bungalows with 4 and 5 beds. The bed capacity of the bungalows is 33. The hut is managed by PRO Sofia, Sapareva bania section.

Maliovitsa hut. It is situated in Maliovitsa river valley at 1960 m a.s.l. It is a complex of two buildings and eight bungalows with a bed capacity 125. It is managed by UC of BTU Sofia. For reservations: tel. 0722/2 82 10 – Samokov.

Makedonia hut. It is situated in Mechi prohod saddle, between Goliam and Malak Mechi peaks, at 2166 m a.s.l. It is a solid two-storey structure with a capacity of 41 beds in rooms with 4, 5 and 7 beds and a dormitory with two-storey beds. It is managed by ТS Aigidik – Blagoevgrad.

Chakalitsa hut. It is situated in Chakalitsa locality – southwestern Rila, at 1850 m a.s.l. within 40 km of Blagoevgrad. It is a solid three-storey structure with a capacity of 26 beds in rooms with 2, 3 and 5 beds. It is managed by ТS Aigidik – Blagoevgrad.

Dobarsko hut. It is situated in Vadata locality, southwestern Rila, at 1750 m a.s.l. It is a solid two-storey structure with a capacity of 35 beds in rooms with 4, 5 and 9 beds. It is managed by ТS Pirin – Razlog, Vazrajdane str., tel: 0747/ 22 56.

Musala hut. It is situated in a threshold of the circus, by the northern shore of Musalensko lake at 2389 m a.s.l. It is a wooden two-storey building with a capacity of 68 beds in rooms with 4, 6, 7, 9 and more beds and two dormitories with spring-beds. It is managed by ТS Rilski tourist – Samokov.

Chakar voivoda hut. It is situated in Jaltoezeren /Saragiol/ circus, by the road to the palace, at 2000 m a.s.l. It is a solid two-storey structure with a capacity of 51 beds in rooms with 5, 6 and 8 beds and two dormitories with plank-beds. It is managed by ТS Rilski tourist – Samokov.

Maritsa hut. It is situated in the catchment area of Liava and Prava Maritsa at 1900 m a.s.l. It is a solid two-storey structure with a capacity of 49 beds in rooms with 3 and 8 beds. It is managed by ТS Rilski tpurist – Samokov.

Zavrachitsa hut. It is situated in Zavrachitsa locality, on the left bank of Prava Maritsa, at 2178 m a.s.l. It is a solid two-storey structure with a capacity of 75 beds in rooms with 4 and 8 beds and three dormitories with plank-beds. It is managed by ТS Rilski tourist – Samokov.

Granchar hut. It is situated by the northern shore of Granchar lake, at 2187 m a.s.l. It is a solid two-storey structure with a capacity of 65 beds in a double room, four dormitories with double beds and a garret with plank-beds. It is managed by ТS Treshtenik – Yakoruda.

Belmeken hut. It is situated on the threshold of the circus, by the shore of Ravnivrashko lake, at 2224 m a.s.l. It is a solid three-storey structure with a capacity of 65 beds in rooms with 5, 6, 8 and more beds and two dormitories with plank-beds. It is managed by ТS Ravni vrah – Kostenets village, region of Sofia.

Everest shelter. It is situated by the northwestern shore of Ledenoto lake at 2709 m a.s.l. It is a wooden building with a metal one-storey construction and a garret with a capacity of 30 beds in a dormitory. It is managed by ТS Rilski tourist – Samokov.

Ledenoto ezero shelter. It is situated by the shore of Ledenoto lake, in the close proximity of Everest shelter at 2710 m a.s.l. It is a solid one-storey stone structure in a dormitory with 6 beds. It is managed by ТS Rilski tourist – Samokov.

Strashnoto ezero shelter. It is situated on the northern shore of Strashnoto lake, at the foot of Kupenite /Goliam Kupen – 2731 m/ and Popova kapa peak /2704 m/ at 2465 m a.s.l. It is a solid one-storey stone structure with an anteroom and a room with a capacity of 20 plank-beds. It is managed by ТS Rilski tourist – Samokov.

When there are not beds available in the huts during the summer season you can pitch tents around them.