| Vihren | |
|---|---|
| Вихрен | |
 Vihren from the north | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 2,914 m (9,560 ft)[1] |
| Prominence | 1,783 m (5,850 ft)[1] |
| Listing | Ultra |
| Coordinates | 41°46′04″N 23°24′03″E / 41.76778°N 23.40083°E[1] |
| Geography | |
  Vihren Location in Bulgaria | |
| Location | Blagoevgrad Province, Bulgaria |
| Parent range | Pirin Mountains |
| Climbing | |
| Easiest route | Hike/scramble from Vihren refuge |
Vihren (Bulgarian: Вихрен [ˈvixrɛn]) is the highest peak of Bulgaria's Pirin Mountains. Reaching 2,914 metres (9,560 ft), it is Bulgaria's second and the Balkans' third highest, after Musala and Mount Olympus.[2] Although Vihren is deprived of lakes and streams due to the karst topography, a number of Pirin's lakes are located around the peak, as is Europe's southernmost glacial mass, the Snezhnika glacieret.[3] Until 1942 Vihren was known as Eltepe (peak of storms); it was also called Buren (stormy) and Malnienosets (lightning-bringer).[4] The UNESCO World Heritage Site Pirin National Park was originally known as the Vihren National Park.[5] Vihren is included in the 100 Tourist Sites of Bulgaria under No. 2.[6]
- ^ a b c "List of Ultra Prominent Peaks of Europe". Ultra Prominent Peaks. Retrieved 16 December 2017.
- ^ Geographic Dictionary of Bulgaria 1980, p. 112
- ^ Grunewald 2010, p. 129
- ^ Dushkov 1972, p. 42
- ^ "History". Official Site of Pirin National Park. Retrieved 16 December 2017.
- ^ "Vihren Peak". Official Site of the Bulgarian Tourist Union. Retrieved 16 December 2017.