Rila Monastery Nature Park Management Plan - part - usaid

February 2004
Description, physical and geographic characteristics
The High Conservation Significance Zone comprises three sections of different size
located in the northwestern and southeastern portions of the Park with 13,350 ha of
total area. All three are characterized by their rugged terrain and varying climatic
conditions. Their boundaries are as follows:
- Kalin section: to the west, north and south borders on the Park boundary. The
east boundary from south to north follows the ridge from Voloveto Peak and
reaches 2500m were it turns to the east and follows this elevation as it
connects with the Varla section. On the south under 2500m, this part of the
Zone borders with the Environmentally Sound Use Zone;
- Varla section: to the west of the northern part of the Eleshnitsa River and the
Rila Monastery-Baucher-Ivan Vasov Chalet path to the south, the Park
boundary to the north, to the east and south to the reserve boundary and the
Environmentally Sound Use Zone;
- The Marinkovsko-Radovichko-Mramoretski section: to the west it borders
the Rila Monastery Forest Reserve and includes the buffer zone located along
Rilska River valley to Brichebor. Below the Brichebor ridge to the south, the
boundary goes along the channel at an elevation of 2000m. On the northern
slopes of the Iliyna River Valley, covers the Kamenitsa and Radovichka
Rivers streams and the upper streams of Dimchov Dol, Sospa Dol,
Gramadlivitsa, Tamniya Dol and Kravarski Dol Rivers to the west. On the
southeast, the zone boundary overlaps with the Park boundary, and continues
to the west of the Radovichka River Valley and the southern boundary of the
zone goes along the upper timberline.
The Kalin and Verla sections both lie on silicate bedrock. In them, one can trace the
transition corresponding to altitudinal forest zoning, from broad-leafs to the highmountain
treeless zone. The terrain is highly varied, with a very great altitude
differential: from 1,100 to 2,669m asl (Vazov Peak). Characteristic of this zone are
very steep inclines, (more than 70 0 ), silicate outcroppings, rounded ridges, pointed
peaks and deep valleys and gorges.
In the eastern part of the Marinkovsko-Mramoretski-Radovichko section is a
transition between silicate and limestone bedrock. The terrain is rugged, dominated
by valleys oriented to the north, moderately inclined slopes, passing gradually into
rounded ridges. The Mramoretski sub-section lies in the high mountain zone and is in
itself a mountain ridge oriented to the north and south, abundant in limestone
outcroppings, niches and caves in the rock face, and terraced slopes, among others.
Regimes for the High Conservation Significance Zone
Any human acts and activities are strictly forbidden except those as per Paragraph 1.1.1
above, and the following:
Rila Monastery Nature Park
Management Plan-Draft
2004 - 2013
195