Iskar River

Right affluent of Danube river it takes its sources from the highest central part of Rila. Iskar river is formed from the flowing together of Cherni(Black), Beli(White) and Levi(Left) Iskar. For beginning of the river is taken Cherni Iskar, which runs out from the Chanakgjol lake (the Dish) under Damga peak in the northwest part of Rila. Then the river flows through the Govedartsi valley, where it accepts its right feeders Urdina, Lopushnitsa and Levi Iskar. Before the short Dervish defile in it flows Beli Iskar.Iskar is the longest river in Bulgaria(368 km). Iskar flows in direction south-north.After the dam lake “Iskar” the river makes two gorges between Lozenska and Plana mountains and from Pancharevo till Kurilo  flows through the Sofia plain. In its upper reaches it is a torrential mountain river. From village German begins the middle reaches. After town Novi Iskar the river comes into the magnificent 100 km long Iskar gorge in the Balkan mountain. In some places the gorge is 1 km wide and the rocks are 300-400 m high. From village Chomakovtsi begins the lower reaches and through the Danube plain it flows into the Danube river by Gigen village. Iskar has 25 feeders with length over 15 km. Some of them are: Palakaria, Lesnovska river(Stari Iskar), Blato, Vladaiska, Perlovska, Batulijska, Iskretska, Malak Iskar and Panega.The average declination is about 6,7%; the catchment-basin area adds up to 8646 sq. km. The annual flow by village Gorni Passarel is 12 m3/sec and by village Kunino(middle reaches) – 47 m3/sec. The forestation adds up to 30%.There are four dams built: Iskar(the biggest in the Balkans), Beli Iskar, Passarel und Pancharevo. On the banks of the river are situated the capital Sofia and the towns: Samokov, Novi Iskar, Svoge, Mezdra, Roman and Cherven brjag. On both banks of river Iskar there are a lot of cultural monuments – ancient and medieval ruins of castles and a necklace of monasteries like these in Govedartsi, Samokov, Passarel, Urvich, Kurilo, Romcha, Svoge, Shelen, Cherepish, Tsarevets, Strupets, Karlukovo etc. and natural beauties – the mineral springs in Pancharevo and the lakes Iskar and Pancharevo, the Skaklja waterfall by Bov, the climbing rocks and caves by Lakatnik, the rocks “Ritlite” by Ljutibrod the rocks and caves by Tsarevets, Kunino, Karlukovo and Reselets etc. Where Iskar flows into the Danube are the ruins of one of the greatest Roman fortified towns in Bulgaria – Eskus, near Gigen village.There is railroad along the river from Sofia till Cherven brijag. Iskar river is a nice spot for recreation, sight-seeing, hiking, climbing, swimming, angling and etc.