Climate
The park has a continental climate, owing to its position in the Balkan Mountains and distance from the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast. The area has hot summers and cold, snowy winters â which is good for the popular sky resorts in the Uzana area. This part of Bulgaria has all four seasons, although spring is brief and falls mainly in April. The average high daily temperature in summer is about 27 C and in winter about 4 C.
History
All of the Stara Planina has a significant and special place in the history of Bulgaria since its foundation in 681. They served as a natural fortress of the Bulgarian Empire for centuries and formed an effective barrier to Moesia where most of the medieval capitals were located. The Central Balkan mountains, in or close to Nature Park Bulgarka, were the site of numerous battles between the Bulgarian and the Byzantine Empires, including the Battle of Tryavna 1190 CE. For many centuries the Byzantines feared that mountain and on several occasions Byzantine armies had pulled back only on the news of approaching Stara Planina.
During the Ottoman rule many haiduks Bulgarian freedom fighters found refuge in Stara Planina. Close to Botev peak is the Shipka Pass, the scene of the four battles in Russo-Turkish War, 1877-78 which ended Turkish rule in the Balkans. Close to the pass in the village of Shipka there is a Russian Orthodox church, built to commemorate Russian and Bulgarian bravery during pass defense.
Landscape
Some of the most striking landscapes are included in the Nature Park Bulgarka with steep cliffs and some of the highest waterfalls in the Balkan peninsula and lush vegetation. The Balkan Mountains are also called he Stara Planina СÑаÑа планина, Bulgarian for âOld Mountains.â
This region, located between the steep topography of the Central Balkan Mountains and the lower and sloping eastern part of Stara Planina, is characterized by significant diversity in terrain. This diversity of terrain in the area supports a great diversity in flora and fauna. Further, due to the area's position in a section of the Balkans that served as a crossroads for Bulgarian for centuries, the park is also home to many historical sites.
Flora and fauna
The Stara Planina is remarkable for its flora and fauna. In terms of zoology, the park is located the Balkan region of European fauna.
Many wild animals, such as the Eurasian wolf, fox, the golden jackal, Eurasian brown bear, wild boar, red deer, roe deer, hare, eastern hedgehog, squirrel, badger, mink and others inhabit the forested lands of the Nature Park Bulgarka. Birds in the park include the golden eagle, the common kestrel, rock dove, great spotted woodpecker, black woodpecker, green woodpecker, cuckoo, common buzzard, owl, white wagtail, turtledove, jay, magpie, raven, hooded crow, blackbird, thrush, starling, lark, finch, nightingale, domestic sparrow, oriole, great tit and others.
Reptiles native to the park lands include are three species of snakes, lizards and others. Amphibians include several frogs, salamander and invertebrates include snails, tritons and many kinds of insects. Fish in the waterways include trout, black fish, and others.
Forests cover about 80% of the park area, or 17,461 hectares. Various types of beech constitute the largest portion of the forest, at 65%. Other verities of deciduous trees include oaks, water locust, birch hornbeam, linden, elm, acacia, aspen, maple, ash, wild cherry, holly, rowan, birch and others. Coniferous trees found in the park include white and black pine, spruce, fir, white fir and others. Gymnosperm plants covers about 0.6 ha. This botanical uniqueness, which occurs only in this part of Bulgaria and has includes special combinations of beech, yew, and laurel, makes the park a significant conservation habitat. Within Nature Park Bulgarka are designated areas established to promote greater habitat conservation.
Nearly 70% of the officially recognized medicinal plants in Bulgaria may be found within the Nature Park Bulgarka.
At least 360 plant species grow in the park, including 31 species listed as threatened or endangered. This includes; yew, wild ticket silivryak gesneriaceae, mountain maple, Bulgarian types of orchids, medicinal tweeter, mountain onion cytisus, mountain vetch astragalus, among other. However, as one of the youngest nature parks in Bulgaria, a full classification of all the types of flora and fauna available is yet to come.