Pirin National Park, Bulgaria

Pirin National Park, named initially Vihren National Park, encompasses southwestern Bulgaria's larger part of the Pirin Mountains. The international hikers’ route E4, goes from the Pyrennees through the Alps before crossing Bulgaria’s Rila Pirin ranges and ending in the Peloponnese, Greece. The national park is best accessed at the town of Bansko on the northeastern side. Pirin National Park was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983. Within the park, there are more than 182 species of medicinal plants and 1,315 other plant species – roughly 1/3 of Bulgaria’s total. The park also harbors approximately 320 kinds of moss and lichen and 165 varieties of algae.