The Edelweiss – the white gold of Pirin

The edelweiss is one of the symbols of Razlog. There are about 30 species of edelweiss in the world, but only one of them is found in Bulgaria. The name of the edelweiss (in Latin Leontopodium – “Lion’s paw”) in German means “nobly white”.
In Bulgaria, edelweiss is found only in Pirin and the Balkan Mountains. Its stem reaches a length of up to 20 centimeters and both it and the flowers are fleshy and covered with hairs. Between them are held air “cushions” that protect the plant from strong sunlight, to which it is particularly sensitive. The flowers of the edelweiss have a star-shaped shape, are covered with very densely spaced silvery hairs, which give them their dazzling white color. The flowers resemble a small star with about 10 petals arranged in a circle.
In addition to its beautiful white flowers, the edelweiss is highly appreciated by tourists because it grows in the highest and most inaccessible parts of the mountains, thus becoming a symbol of the free spirit and the majesty of nature.
If you want to see the edelweiss, arm yourself with a lot of patience, because the areas where it is found are difficult to pass. The plant blooms in the months of July and August. Its picking is prohibited and the plant is included in the Red Book of Bulgaria. It is found in the cracks of hard-to-reach limestone rocks and rocky meadows in the coniferous, subalpine and alpine belts.
In Pirin, it is found around Vihren, Kazana, Bayuvi Dupki, Kamenititsa.

The legend tells:
Once upon a time there lived a sister and brother, Edel and Weiss. One day, while lying in a meadow, Weiss saw an unknown white flower high on the rocks.
– Edel, Edel! Look, dear! Do you see that flower?
When she saw it, Edel suggested that they climb up and pick it as a gift for their parents. They climbed the rock, their foreheads covered in sweat, and the higher they went, the more difficult it became. Weiss had barely managed to pick the unknown flower when he felt the stone slipping under his fingers. He shouted to his sister that he was falling, she gave him her hand in a desire to save him, and they both flew into the abyss. The following year, at the place where the two fell, a flower sprouted, which in memory of the children was named EDELWEISS.

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