South-West Bulgaria

South-West Bulgaria holds the country's three highest mountain ranges — Rila, Pirin, and Vitosha — along with Sofia, the capital, and the border regions of Kyustendil and Blagoevgrad. It is the single most visited region in the country, combining alpine landscapes, UNESCO sites, and a ski culture centred on Bansko and Borovets.

The headline sights are Musala peak, the Seven Rila Lakes, the UNESCO-listed Rila Monastery, and Pirin National Park. Sofia itself rewards travellers with Roman ruins, Byzantine churches, the Boyana Church frescoes, and a Vitosha mountain rising directly behind the city — an immediate escape from the urban into the alpine.