46 years of the Steneto Reserve
04 April 2025
On April 5, 1979, the Steneto Reserve was established – another of the pearls in the crown of the Central Balkan National Park.
The conservation history of Steneto actually began earlier – in 1963, when the area of the same name was declared a national park with an area of 1796 ha. 16 years later, by Order of the Chairman of the Committee for the Protection of the Natural Environment under the Council of Ministers, with the aim of “preserving the primary ecosystems and the rich genetic fund with many rare species for the country and Europe in an unchanged state”, the national park was re-categorized into the Steneto Reserve. The second largest reserve in the Central Balkans, today it occupies an area of 3578.8 ha.
In the "Steneto" reserve, the natural beauties of the Cherni Osam River canyon with its sheer rock walls and dizzying precipices, mysterious caves, clear mountain springs, old forests, rich animal world and ancient myths and legends of heroic deeds, golden rivers and winding Roman roads are harmoniously intertwined in an unforgettable unity.
The diverse conditions in the reserve also determine the extremely large species diversity of plants and animals. Here you can find nearly a quarter of the higher flora of Bulgaria. Many of the country's rare natural treasures are preserved here. Here is the kingdom of birds. Here is the abode of bears and eagles. Here one sinks into the abundant world of the Balkans, in the embrace of nature and here again forget about the city noise and vanity.
The conservation history of Steneto actually began earlier – in 1963, when the area of the same name was declared a national park with an area of 1796 ha. 16 years later, by Order of the Chairman of the Committee for the Protection of the Natural Environment under the Council of Ministers, with the aim of “preserving the primary ecosystems and the rich genetic fund with many rare species for the country and Europe in an unchanged state”, the national park was re-categorized into the Steneto Reserve. The second largest reserve in the Central Balkans, today it occupies an area of 3578.8 ha.
In the "Steneto" reserve, the natural beauties of the Cherni Osam River canyon with its sheer rock walls and dizzying precipices, mysterious caves, clear mountain springs, old forests, rich animal world and ancient myths and legends of heroic deeds, golden rivers and winding Roman roads are harmoniously intertwined in an unforgettable unity.
The diverse conditions in the reserve also determine the extremely large species diversity of plants and animals. Here you can find nearly a quarter of the higher flora of Bulgaria. Many of the country's rare natural treasures are preserved here. Here is the kingdom of birds. Here is the abode of bears and eagles. Here one sinks into the abundant world of the Balkans, in the embrace of nature and here again forget about the city noise and vanity.
