Seven Rila Lakes

About this place

The Seven Rila Lakes are a group of glacial lakes in the northwestern Rila Mountains of Bulgaria, formed in cirques carved by ice. They lie between 2,100 and 2,500 metres above sea level and are the most visited group of lakes in the country, about 55 km in a straight line from Sofia. Each lake is named after its most striking feature. The highest is «the Tear», for its clear water, followed by «the Eye», almost perfectly oval and Bulgaria's deepest cirque lake at 37.5 metres. Then come «the Kidney», with the steepest shores, «the Twin», the largest, «the Trefoil», with its irregular shape, «the Fish Lake», the shallowest, and «the Lower Lake», where the waters gather to form the Dzherman River. The lakes step down one above the other, linked by small streams that form tiny waterfalls. The water gleams deep blue and turquoise among green pastures and rocky peaks, snow patches linger on the slopes into early summer, and purple crocuses bloom around them in spring. The best time to visit is July and August, when temperatures pass 10°C and sudden storms are less likely. A chairlift covers part of the way, then visitors hike a mountain trail; the weather is harsh the rest of the year.