Skakavitsa hut and the Seven Rila Lakes

Skakavitsa Hut was built in 1921-1922 by enthusiasts from the town of Dupnitsa and that makes it the first tourist hut in Bulgaria. It is located in Northwestern Rila Mountains, within the Rila National Park and Skakavitsa Reserve, at a height of 1896 meters above the sea. Its a complex of two buildings and offers shelter and food for up to 90 people.

The hut is most easily reachable along the asphalt road Sapareva Banya-Pionerska Hut (up to Zeleni Preslop, also known as Gorna Zemya) and further one hour of walking. Higher along the valley is located the biggest waterfall in Rila Mountains – Skakavitsa Waterfall (30 min of walking from the hut).

The Seven Rila Lakes (Bulgarian: Седемте рилски езера, romanized: Sedemte rilski ezera) are a group of glacial lakes, situated in the northwestern Rila Mountain in Bulgaria. They are the most visited group of lakes in Bulgaria. The lakes are situated between 2,100 and 2,500 metres elevation above sea level.

Each lake carries a name associated with its most characteristic feature. The highest one is called Salzata ("The Tear") due to its clear waters that allow visibility in depth. The next one in height carries the name Okoto ("The Eye") after its almost perfectly oval form. Okoto is the deepest cirque lake in Bulgaria, with a depth of 37.5 m. Babreka ("The Kidney") is the lake with the steepest shores of the entire group. Bliznaka ("The Twin") is the largest one by area. Trilistnika ("The Trefoil") has an irregular shape and low shores. The shallowest lake is Ribnoto Ezero ("The Fish Lake") and the lowest one is Dolnoto Ezero ("The Lower Lake"), where the waters that flow out of the other lakes are gathered to form the Dzherman River.

The Seven Lakes are a tourist attraction in Bulgaria because of its natural environment. The lakes are located one above the other and are connected by small streams, which form tiny waterfalls and cascades. Tourist accommodation in the lakes' vicinity include a chalet on the northeastern shore of The Fish Lake, at an elevation of 2,196 m. The most common time to visit the lakes is summer, in July and August, when temperature is above 10 degrees Celsius and the risk of sudden storms is lower.[citation needed] During the rest of the year the weather can be severe.The lakes usually freeze during October, and do not melt before June. The ice cover can reach up to 2 meters.