The Musala
Lakes are located in the Rila Mountains beneath Mount Musala (2925 meters), the
Balkan’s highest peak.
The Musala
Lakes are part of Rila National Park, declared a protected area on February 24,
1992. In the Rila Range there are more than 120 permanent glacial lakes and
roughly 30 that are seasonal.
Musala’s
Seven Lakes are situated on four cirque terraces. The highest of these is Icy
Lake (Ledeno Ezero), which as its name implies is fed by glacier melt. The
whole year round this lake is covered with ice that only partly thaws for four
months of the year, from July to November. To the south of this lake rises the
northern ascent to Musala peak. Glacier Lake is the deepest of the seven Musala
lakes. Its water flows into the second and third lakes beneath it on the second
cirque terrace. The third Musala lake, Alekovo, is considered by tourists to be
the most beautiful of the seven. There is only one lake on the third cirque
terrace, beneath Irechek Peak (2,852 meters). This is Lake Karakeshevo, the fifth
of Musala’s seven. Near this lake on the bank facing the sixth lake stands the
Musala Shelter. Somewhat farther down is the seventh lake. The sixth and
seventh Musala lakes feed the river Bistritsa.
