Seven Rila Lakes

TheSeven Rila Lakes(Bulgarian:Седемте рилски езера,romanized:Sedemte rilski ezera,pronounced[sɛdɛmˈtɛˈriɫskiɛzɛˈra]) are a group ofglacial lakes,situated in the northwesternRila MountaininBulgaria.Situated between 2,100 and 2,500 metres elevation above sea level, they are the most visited group of lakes inBulgaria.

Each lake carries a name associated with its most characteristic feature. The highest one is calledSalzata( "The Tear" ) due to its clear waters that allow visibility in depth. The next one in height carries the nameOkoto( "The Eye" ) after its almost perfectly oval form. Okoto is the deepestcirquelake 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 achaleton the northeastern shore of The Fish Lake, at an elevation of 2,196 m.^{[citation needed]}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.^{[citation needed]}The lakes usually freeze during October, and do not melt before June. The ice cover can reach up to 2 meters.

List

English name	Bulgarian name (transliterated)	Altitude	Area	Depth	Notes
The Tear	Сълзата (Salzata)	2,535 m (8,317 ft)	0.7 ha (1.7 acres)	4.5 m (15 ft)	Named after its clear waters
The Eye	Окото (Okoto)	2,440 m (8,010 ft)	6.8 ha (17 acres)	37.5 m (123 ft)	Named after its oval shape. Deepest cirque lake in Bulgaria
The Kidney	Бъбрека (Babreka)	2,282 m (7,487 ft)	8.5 ha (21 acres)	28.0 m (91.9 ft)	Steepest shores of all
The Twin	Близнака (Bliznaka)	2,243 m (7,359 ft)	9.1 ha (22 acres)	27.5 m (90 ft)	Largest by area
The Trefoil	Трилистника (Trilistnika)	2,216 m (7,270 ft)	2.6 ha (6.4 acres)	6.5 m (21 ft)	Irregular shape and low shores
Fish Lake	Рибното езеро (Ribnoto ezero)	2,184 m (7,165 ft)	3.5 ha (8.6 acres)	2.5 m (8.2 ft)	Shallowest
The Lower Lake	Долното езеро (Dolnoto ezero)	2,095 m (6,873 ft)	5.9 ha (15 acres)	11.0 m (36.1 ft)	Lowest