The roof of the Balkans
Musala is the highest summit of the Balkan Peninsula: no peak in Bulgaria, Greece, North Macedonia, Serbia or the other Balkan states is higher. Its height is 2,925 m, measured from the datum of the port of Varna (2,925.4 m in the Bulgarian encyclopaedia; some maps round it to 2,926 m). The next two Balkan giants are close behind: Mytikas on Olympus in Greece is 8 m lower and Vihren, the highest peak of Pirin, 11 m lower. Musala's topographic prominence of 2,473 m puts it among the ten most prominent peaks in Europe, and it is also one of the most isolated major summits of the continent.
From the top, on a clear day, you can see every major Bulgarian range: Vitosha to the north-west, Sredna Gora and the long line of the Balkan Mountains to the north, the Rhodopes to the south-east and Pirin to the south. A popular story says that the Aegean Sea is visible too; Bulgarian geographers point out that the mountains of southern Bulgaria and northern Greece and the curvature of the Earth make this impossible.
Where it is and how to get there
The summit lies in the eastern part of Rila, in the municipality of Samokov, Sofia Province, and within Rila National Park, the largest of Bulgaria's three national parks (declared on 24 February 1992, over 81,000 ha, with about 120 lakes, most of them glacial). Three of Bulgaria's main rivers, the Iskar, the Maritsa and the Mesta, rise close to Musala.
The usual base is Borovets (about 1,350 m), Bulgaria's oldest mountain resort, which grew out of a royal hunting retreat at the end of the 19th century. It lies about 70 km from Sofia and 9–10 km from the town of Samokov; local buses connect Samokov with Borovets, and Samokov with Sofia. Other road-heads for longer approaches are Belmeken, the Semkovo area above Belitsa, and the Treshtenik hut and the Akademika student base above Yakoruda on the southern side.
Routes to the summit
From Borovets with the Yastrebets gondola (the classic route). The six-seat gondola runs 4,827 m from Borovets to the Yastrebets top station at about 2,360 m, a climb of roughly 1,000 m in about 20 minutes. Next to the top station is the Yastrebets hut (2,345 m, 31 places). From here a wide, almost level track leads in about an hour to the Musala hut on the shore of the lowest Musala lake (about 2,380–2,390 m). Above the hut the path steepens, passing the chain of the seven Musala lakes in a glacial cirque, to the Everest hut (also called the Ledeno Ezero shelter) beside the Icy Lake, the highest lake in Rila and on the Balkan Peninsula (2,709 m). The hut is about 1 h 15 min above the Musala hut; the summit is a further 40 minutes up a rocky zigzag path. Bulgarian guides give about 2 h 45 min to 4 hours from the top of the gondola to the summit; the return trip from the gondola is about 14 km. The route is well marked and technically easy in summer, but it is a real high-mountain walk: about 600 m of ascent on foot at altitudes where the weather can turn to snow even in July.
From Borovets on foot. Without the lift, the old route follows a track from Borovets to the lower station of the Markudzhik lifts and continues on a good path to the Musala hut (about 4 hours), then follows the classic route: around 7 hours from the resort to the summit and at least 5 hours back. Many walkers break it with a night at the Musala hut or the Everest hut.
From the south. From the Grancharitsa (Granchar) hut, reached from Yakoruda, Belmeken, Semkovo or the Ribni Ezera hut, the summit takes about 4 hours along the main ridge past some of the highest tops of Rila: Yurushki Chal (2,768 m), Marishki Chal (2,776 m) and the Golyam and Malak Bliznak (about 2,779 m and 2,777 m). From the Zavrachitsa hut it is about 5 hours, and from the Maritsa hut, up the valley of the Maritsa near its source lakes, about 4 hours.
Ridge routes for experienced walkers. The jagged ridge from Yastrebets over Aleko (2,713 m) and Bezimenen (2,792 m) and the "staircase" from the Deno saddle over Deno (2,790 m), Irechek (2,852 m) and Malka Musala (2,902 m) are unmarked or partly marked scrambles with exposed sections; they are not for beginners. Bulgarians also walk to Musala from Vihren in Pirin: a five-day trek of almost 100 km.
Huts, the weather station and the observatory
The Musala hut belongs to the Bulgarian Tourist Union. The old building has 65 places, outdoor toilets, solid-fuel heating, its own power supply, a dining room and a buffet. Next to it the union has built a large three-storey hut with 130 places in two- and four-bed rooms with en-suite bathrooms; at the time of writing the union's page still described it as awaiting commissioning. In summer the hut is often full, so book ahead. The Everest hut by the Icy Lake has 37 places, electric heating, a small dining room and a buffet; it is useful for an overnight stay or for shelter in bad weather. Both huts and the Yastrebets hut lie on the European long-distance path E8. Camping near the Musala hut is permitted only in the marked zones.
On the summit stands the high-mountain weather station, the first and the highest in Bulgaria and on the Balkan Peninsula, opened on 2 October 1932 for the Second International Polar Year. The Bulgarian Tourist Union raised the money for it, with a donation from King Ferdinand. After its meteorologist Ognyan Filimonov died in a fall on 20 September 2016, the station was mothballed from 30 September 2016. Next to it is the Musala Basic Environmental Observatory of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (working since 1999), which measures greenhouse gases, aerosols and cosmic rays and is part of the World Meteorological Organization's Global Atmosphere Watch network. An earlier cosmic-ray station, built in 1959–1960 with the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, was destroyed by fire on 29 October 1983. The summit stamps for Bulgaria's "100 National Tourist Sites" and "10 Mountain Summits" collections are kept at the weather station (and at the Everest hut).
When to go and weather
Musala has an alpine climate. The mean annual temperature on the summit is about −2.9 °C: −12 °C in February and only 5.4 °C in August, the warmest month. The lowest temperature recorded is −31.2 °C; the highest around 19–20 °C. Snow covers the summit on average 254 days a year, and about 45 % of the precipitation falls as snow. North-westerly winds prevail.
The hiking season is short: from late June to September, when the paths are usually free of snow and the gondola runs on its summer schedule. Even then, carry a warm jacket, hat and gloves, and expect cloud and afternoon thunderstorms. Early October can still be good, but snow is possible and the gondola may already have stopped. In winter the route from the Musala hut becomes a mountaineering ascent: above the cirque a winter variant is marked with iron poles linked by a steel cable, but avalanche danger, ice and whiteouts make it a serious undertaking that needs crampons, an ice axe and experience. The first documented winter ascent was made in 1923 by ten people led by Pavel Deliradev and Peyo Peev, who climbed from Borovets along the Markudzhik ridge.
Water
The classic route passes seven lakes and many streams, but the area is busy with walkers and grazing, so treat or filter any natural water before drinking. The simplest option is to buy drinks at the huts: the Yastrebets hut and the Musala hut both have a dining room and a buffet, and the Everest hut, about 40 minutes below the summit, has a buffet too. There is no water on the summit itself. For the round trip from the gondola carry at least 1–1.5 litres per person, more on hot days or if you walk up from Borovets.
Mobile coverage and internet
Bulgarian mobile networks cover Borovets and the resort's ski area; on the open upper slopes and the summit you can often get a signal, but coverage in the cirques and on the southern side is not guaranteed and varies by operator. Do not rely on mobile data for navigation: download an offline map and the route before you leave. The emergency number is 112. The Bulgarian Red Cross Mountain Rescue Service (PSS) can be reached through 112, on 1470 (for Mtel and Vivacom subscribers) or at its 24-hour post in Sofia, +359 2 963 20 00.
Dangers and safety
The altitude itself rarely causes problems for healthy walkers, but sudden weather changes do. Fog can cover the cirque within minutes, and above the Everest hut the path crosses rocky ground where it is easy to slip on ice or wet granite. In thunderstorms the summit, the ridges and the metal cables of the winter route are dangerous places to be. The unmarked ridges from Yastrebets and over Irechek and Malka Musala have exposed sections where a fall can be fatal; walkers who have strayed onto them from the main path describe getting stuck among the pinnacles late in the day. Start early, keep an eye on the gondola's last descent time, and turn back if the weather deteriorates.
History and name
The name comes through Ottoman Turkish from the Arabic musalla, usually explained as "place of prayer" or "near God"; another explanation derives it from an Arabic word for "dominant". By a decree published on 21 December 1949 the peak and its weather station were renamed Stalin, and the Musala lakes became the Stalin lakes; the old names returned in 1962.
The summit area is built of Palaeozoic granite cut by porphyry dykes, and the landscape around it was shaped by glaciers: the seven Musala lakes lie in steps from 2,709 m down to about 2,390 m in three linked cirques. Borovets, the gateway to the mountain, was known as Chamkoria until 1942 and hosted World Cup alpine ski races in 1981 and 1984.
Interesting facts
- The Icy Lake (Ledenoto Ezero) below the summit is the highest lake in the Balkans at 2,709 m. It is also the deepest of the Musala lakes (16.4 m), and its surface water barely reaches 8 °C in summer.
- Musala's summit station was the first of three Bulgarian high-mountain weather stations; Cherni Vrah on Vitosha and Botev in the Balkan Mountains followed by 1940.
- On 17 December 2019 the summit recorded a December record of +7.6 °C.
- Rila National Park, which includes Musala, is home to Macedonian pine and Bulgarian fir on the middle slopes, and the summit area is known as one of the easiest places in Europe to see the wallcreeper.
- A glacier on Greenwich Island in Antarctica, Musala Glacier, is named after the peak, and many Bulgarian towns have a Musala street.
FAQ
How high is Musala? 2,925 m (2,925.4 m by the Bulgarian survey; some maps give 2,926 m). It is the highest point of Bulgaria and the Balkan Peninsula, with 2,473 m of prominence.
How long does it take to climb Musala? From the top of the Yastrebets gondola, about 2 h 45 min to 4 hours up and a little less down; the round trip is about 14 km. On foot from Borovets allow about 7 hours up and 5 hours down, or split the trip with a night at the Musala hut.
How difficult is it? In summer the classic route is a well-marked, non-technical mountain walk with about 600 m of ascent from the gondola. The ridge variants are exposed scrambles, and in winter the ascent requires crampons, an ice axe and avalanche awareness.
Is there water on the way? There are lakes and streams, but treat natural water. Drinks are sold at the Yastrebets hut, the Musala hut and the Everest hut; there is nothing on the summit. Carry at least 1–1.5 litres.
Is there mobile phone coverage? Usually in Borovets, on the open slopes and often on the summit, but it is patchy in the cirques. Call 112 in an emergency; the Mountain Rescue Service can also be reached on 1470 (Mtel and Vivacom).
When is the best time to climb Musala? From late June to September, when the paths are clear of snow and the gondola runs. Snow can fall in any month, so carry warm clothing.
Do I need a permit or a guide? No. The route lies in Rila National Park; follow park rules (stay on marked paths, camp only in marked zones near the Musala hut). Guides can be hired, but the summer route is commonly done independently.
Why is the hut below the summit called Everest? It is the popular name of the shelter by the Icy Lake, the last hut before the summit; its official name is the Ledeno Ezero shelter.