01/08/2019
Allowed quota for Road the town of Kalofer - Botev Peak 03.08.2019 (Saturday) is reached
According to the Central Balkan National Park Management plan, Road №60 The town of Kalofer - Botev Peak is with restricted access of until 10 motor vechicles per day and it is allowed only in the weekend (Saturday and Sunday) and thought the Bulgarian official rest days from the 1st of June to the 30th of September.
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01/08/2019
Uzunbodzhak Biosphere Reserve
The Uzunbudzak Biosphere Reserve covers a considerable part of the Strandja Mountain (over 78,400 ha). It is one of the most interesting and rich biodiversity regions in Bulgaria and Europe. Its territory is a natural transition between the vegetation, flora and fauna of Europe and Asia because of the terrestrial connection that existed until about 7,500 years ago at the site of the present-day Bosphorus Strait. The flora of the biosphere reserve is characterized by a large number of species that were widespread during the Tertiary (Tertiary relics). The wildlife is also remarkable for its great diversity of species. The populations of many of them are of global, European and national importance.
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01/08/2019
Allowed quota for Road Tazha chalet - Botev Peak 04.08.2019 (Sunday) is reached
According to the Central Balkan National Park Management plan, Road Tazha chalet - Botev Peak is with restricted access of until 10 motor vechicles per day and it is allowed only in the weekend (Saturday and Sunday) and thought the Bulgarian official rest days from the 1st of June to the 30th of September.
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30/07/2019
UNESCO Summer University Closing Session Discusses Prospects for Central Balkan Biosphere Park
The closing session of the Summer University under the UNESCO program "Man and the Biosphere" was held at the Information and Cultural Center of Troyan on the 26th of July. The event was opened with a greeting from the deputy Mayor of Troyan municipality - Bistra Cholakova.
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23/07/2019
UNESCO Summer Unversity was opened in Karlovo
The fifth edition of the International initiative was opened on July 22nd in the hall of the Municipality of Karlovo with welcome notes by the deputy mayor of the Municipality of Karlovo Stoyko Karagenski, the Director of the National Nature Protection Service of the MOEW Miroslav Kalugerov, the Permanent Representation of UNESCO in Bulgaria Hristo Georgiev, Director of Central Balkan National Park Gencho Iliev, the Executive director of the Bulgarian Biodiversity Foundation Rumyana Ivanova and proff. Michael Scoullos from the Greek National Committee of Man and the Biosphere Program of UNESCO. All of them greeted the young professionals from around the world who will be studying for a week on topics related to the successful development of biosphere reserves.
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News archive
Biosphere Reserve
The BR originates from four smaller biosphere reserves included in the MAB program in 1977. These are the strict natural reserves of Boatin, Tsarichina, Steneto and Dzhendema. In 2017, these biosphere reserves were transformed, expanded and renamed to create Central Balkan – Biosphere Reserve, meeting the requirements and principles of Seville's strategy.
Part of the territory of the Central Balkan Biosphere Reserve is a National Park with the same name. It was declared in 1991 and corresponds with the Category II of the IUCN Protected Area Category System.
There are three zones in the BR:
- Core zone – includes the nine strict natural reserves of Boatin, Tsarichina, Kozya stena, Steneto, Severen Dzhendem, Peeshti skali, Sokolna, Dzhendema and Stara Reka within the boundariae of the national park;
- Buffer zone – covers the entire territory of the park outside the reserves in it;
- Transition zone – the territories of the municipalities bordering the National Park – Troyan, Sevlievo, Pavel Banya, Karlovo and Anton.
CBNP (the core and buffer zones of the biosphere reserve) is one of the most important ecological corridors in the South Eastern Europe, supporting genetic exchange, distribution and connections between species from the Carpathians and other mountains in Eastern Europe, the southern parts of the Balkan Peninsula and Asia Minor.
The grasslands are distributed mainly in the upper subalpine and alpine treeless areas in the park. Under the 8 centuries of intensive grazing’s influence (including annual burning of bushes and trees) on the ridge parts of the park have formed extensive grassland communities.
Beech forests cover approximately 60 000 ha of the CBBR and are one of the biggest compact, relatively unchanged by men massifs in Europe. The dominant species is the common beech. Average age of the beech communities in the core and buffer zones of the biosphere reserve is 135 years, including some vital forests aged 240. Coniferous woods have limited size and are vastly dominated by the Norway spruce. The region is the northernmost point in the world and the only one in Stara Planina where the Balkan endemic Macedonian pine is growing naturally.
CBBR presents the opportunities for sustainable development through sustainable tourism, presenting historical and archaeological sites, architectural landmarks and preserved traditional crafts (wood-carving, icon-painting, leather-processing, weaving, pottery, coppersmith), enhance trading with local traditional products (home-made production of cheese, milk, rakia (Bulgarian brandy), wine, jams and other conserved food), as well as cultural festivals and gastronomic tourism and exchange of experience with other BR. The BR represents a framework for the sustainable development of the region.
The BR has a collective management body – an Advisory Council that plans and coordinates activities with the participation of all stakeholders.
(week days from 8:00 to 16:30)
+359886090658
(in non-working hours)
or е-mail address:
office@centralbalkan.bg