It can safely be asserted that Bulgaria is a mountainous country.The mountains occupy half of the country's territory, with the high mountain relief – i.e., at an altitude above 1,600 m., comprising 5% of its entire area. The Bulgarian mountains are easily accessible, and the towns and villages have preserved the authentic Bulgarian spirit and hospitality.

Geographical science indicates the existence of 37 mountains on the territory of Bulgaria, 36 of them situated in the southern part of the country and the mountain range of  Balkan Range  is the border between Northern and Southern Bulgaria. It is namely the mountain range of Balkan Range  , the longest and the biggest in area, known as the Balkan Mountains, too, which gave the name to our Balkan Peninsula. The second longest mountain range in our country is spread in parallel to it, to the south - Sredna Gora . These two mountains, except their magnificent natural endowments, are closely related to the history of our people as well. The most impressive mountainous system, however, is the Rila-Rhodope Massif, including Rila , Pirin , the Rhodopes , Slavianka and Sturgach. Pirin is the most beautiful and Alpine-like Bulgarian mountain. Slavianka and Sturgach are border Greek mountains. Slavianka is a very interesting tourist site famous for its fields of Pirin tea.

The mountains in Bulgaria are extremely diverse in kind. If they lack something, it is solely the “cosmic” altitudes and the everlasting snow and ice. Small and big, barren and forested, rounded and steep, low and high, rocky and openly Alpine all of them are accessible during the four seasons of the year and they provide for limitless opportunities for recreation, sports and tourism.

The opportunities offered by Bulgarian mountains in relation to the pleasant and beneficial use of one’s free time are great in number. For motor tourists there is a sufficiently branched road network providing access to the most interesting natural, historical and cultural places of interest, as well as to all the settlements and resorts. Hiking tourism related opportunities are unlimited in number and hiking can be practised during all four seasons of the year. It is mainly for its purposes that over 300 chalets and high-mountain cabins were built in the Bulgarian mountains, a sufficiently dense network, which allows for the longest mountain hikes to be concluded within one day.

Bulgarian mountains offer excellent conditions for one of the most attractive and emotional kinds of sports in the open air - mountaineering. Alpine sites in our country, which are of interest even to the most outstanding climbers in Europe add up to dozens. In the first place, without a rival, is the Maliovitsa mountain ridge of Rila - the cradle and centre of Bulgarian mountaineering - a vast Alpine “stadium”, among which the most beautiful Bulgarian peak rises – Mt. Maliovitsa (2730 m). Other well-known Alpine sites are Vihren and Stapalata (the Stairs) in Pirin, Vratsata, Lakatnik, Raiski Skali (Paradise Rocks), Severniya Dzhendem (Northern Hell), Maglizh and Karandila in Balkan Range, Kominite (the Chimneys) and Reznyovete in Vitosha, the gorge on Erma River.

There are very good conditions for other modern mountainous sports, too - mountain marathon, mountain biking, delta- and paragliding, rafting and kayaking.