T HE N ATURE O F B ULGARIA By Yana Mladenova

B ULGARIA Bulgaria sits at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, right in the belly of the Balkans. Any journey of length showcases the country's amazing variety of landforms.

B ULGARIA Called the sleeping beauty of the Balkans by New York Times magazine, Bulgaria has four beautiful and mild seasons and a gorgeous nature.

R ILA M OUNTAINS Rila is the highest mountain in Bulgaria and on the whole Balkan Peninsula. It is a part of the Rila- Rhodope Massif and occupies its north-east end.

T HE B ALKAN R ANGE The Balkan Range cuts right across the country - from the border with Serbia to the Black Sea coast, a forbidding mountain known to the Bulgarians as Stara Planina or the "Old Mountains". The 550km-long granite Balkan Range has become emblematic of Bulgaria.

B ANSKO Bansko is a town and ski resort in southwestern Bulgaria, located at the foot of Pirin at an altitude of 925m above sea level. It is the birthplace of 20th century Bulgarian poet Nikola Vaptsarov.

B ELOGRADCHIK R OCKS The Belogradchik Rocks are a group of bizarrely shaped sandstone, limestone and conglomerate rock formations located on the western slopes of the Balkan Mountains near the town of Belogradchik in northwest Bulgaria.

B ELOGRADCHIK R OCKS The rocks vary in color from primarily red to gray and yellow and some of them reach up to 200m height. Many rocks have fantastic shapes and are associated with interesting legends.

K RUSHUNSKI W ATERFALLS The Krushunski waterfalls are a natural marvel found in Central Bulgaria, 35km north-east of Lovech and 12km south of Letnitsa.

D ANUBE R IVER The Danube is the longest river in the European Union and Europe's second longest river after Volga. Danube is the Bulgarian river- door to Europe.

T HE B ULGARIAN S EASIDE The Bulgarian Black Sea coast is a magnet for hundreds of thousands of Bulgarians and foreign visitors every year.

A LBENA Albena is located 35km north of the city of Varna on a pretty bay on Black Sea's north coast. It has 5km long and 150m wide beach, lying in a picturesque bay surrounded by splendid green forests and the climate that invites to enjoy all outdoor sports.