Natural Park “Rila Monastery” was established in June 2000. The Park’s territory covers 13 000ha alpine pastures and 14 370.7ha of forests. It’s purpose is to preserve biodiversity and the beauty of nature, as well as cultural and historical heritage and to provide for the beauty of the places suitable for recreation and tourism.
      The intensive weather conditions and gravitational forces bring forth the formation of taluses, landslides and talus-cones.
      The area of Kirilova Polyana is very spectacular. there is the beautiful rocky ark, which consists of the peaks Zlia zab, Iglata, Kupenite, Lovnitsa, Orlovets and Eleni Vrah.
      The whole slope of the valley of Rilska River is cut by numerous steep gull’s, which are typical erosional forms. There are snow-slips and stone-falls as well. The most famous of these are Belia Uluk, Dalgia Uluk and Varnika, also known as Zlite Pototsi.
      A great number of lakes were formed as a result of a gravitational and accumulational action of Nature. There are about 27 glacial lakes in the park. The highest lake is the first of the Dyavolski Lakes (2445 m) and lowest is Suhoto Ezero (1892 m). Here is also the biggest alpine lake in the Balkan Peninsula which occupies an area of 21,2 ha and is 24 m in depth.

      “Rila Monastery” Natural Park is surrounded by thirty-six peaks over 2000 m in altitude. The highest of these peaks (over 2700 m) are Golyam Kupen (2731 m), Tcherna Polyana (2716 m), Rilets (2713 m) and Popova Kapa (2704 m).
      Many rivers - Rilska, Iliyna, Drushlyavitsa, Otchova, ets. -run trough the park.
      Over 1000 plants are found here and 71 are listed in Bulgaria’s Red Book. 19 of these are endemic and 5 are are found only in the park. Of these Rheum rhaponticum, Primula deorum, Verbascum jankaeum, Anthemis orbelica and Ligularia glauca are on the European list of legally protected plans.
      The environment of the Rila Valley is determined by the splendid diversity of the rich forest. Oak, beech, fir, spruce, yew, pine, lime, sycamore, ash, birch and pune scrub can be found here according to the altitude.
      About 150 animal species live in the park and fourteen of these are listed in Bulgaria’s Red Book. Here can be seen Triturus alpestris, Hyla arborea, Elaphe longissima, Master master and Aquila chrysaetos.
      In 1986 “Rilomanastirska Gora” was decreed a protected nature reserve of 3673,5 ha.
      The historical complex of Rila Monastery is in the heart of this area. The Monastery was pronounced a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983, and the part is named after it.
      The Monastery is the start of the several tourist trails of differing length and difficulty, and is also on the inetrnational E-4 trail which includes the Pyranees, the Alps and Olympus in Greece.