The highest, Salzata (the Tear), is known for its crystal-clear water. Okoto (the Eye), at 37.5 metres, is the deepest cirque lake in Bulgaria. Most visitors take the chairlift from the Panichishte area up to the Rila Lakes hut, then follow a well-trodden trail up the cirque to ridge-top viewpoints where several lakes can be seen at once. The best time to visit is July and August; the lakes usually stay frozen from October until June.
Sofia, Bulgaria
Seven Rila Lakes
The Seven Rila Lakes are a chain of glacial lakes in the north-western Rila Mountains, inside Rila National Park, and the most visited lake group in Bulgaria. Lying one above another between about 2,095 and 2,535 metres, each has a name taken from its shape or character: the Tear, the Eye, the Kidney, the Twin, the Trefoil, the Fish Lake and the Lower Lake.
- Rila National Park
- Salzata
- Okoto
