The Legend of Bezbog
The name of the area literary means Without God (Godless) but a legend suggests it comes from the name of God Bess (thus the parallel name Bessbog). The story tells that the Slavic God Perun had a beautiful daughter who lived by the Samodivi Lakes. These lakes, named after the mythological wood nymphs (‘samodivi’), are considered to be one of the most beautiful in Pirin, as they are nestled among rocks, a small creek winds between them and forms a waterfall between the two upper lakes. However, God Bess, who lived in a neighbouring mountain, decided to grab the beauty. Her brother Dzhengal (after whom the neighbouring peak is named) learned of these evil intentions and pursued the god until he finally overtook him on Mount Bezbog. There Dzhengal killed the god and buried him with stones. The large stone chamber formed on the top of the mountain certainly creates just the right impression to make us believe the legend.
The Hut
Bezbog hut is located at the foot of Mount Bezbog, north of Bezbog Lake, at an altitude of 2236 m. A cable car connects the lower Gotse Delchev hut (at 1412 meters above sea level) and Bezbog hut. It is nearly 3500 m long and takes the distance between the two huts in about 35 minutes.
On our trip we will ride the cable car to the Bezbog Hut and then enjoy a nice walk around the lake. The most adventurous of us can opt for a mountainous hike of more than 1,300 vertical feet (400 vertical meters) to the summit of Mount Bezbog.
The Lake
The 7 m deep lake is at an altitude of 2239 m. With dimensions of 225 by 125 m, its area amounts to 1.9 hectares. The lake gives birth to the Bezbozhka River (aka Duilovitsa) which flows into the Mesta River. Sometimes avalanches fall into the lake. In April 1971, an avalanche fell down the gully of Mount Bezbog and destroyed the old hut which was built west of the lake on the very slope of the summit.
The Peak
Bezbog (or Bessbog) is a granite peak in Pirin, towering at 2645 meters above sea level. Its slopes on the south are stony and the western slopes of Bezbog are rocky and very steep, in some places even vertical. To the east, covered in scrub mountain pine, lays the Bezbog hill. The Bezbog Lake rests hidden beneath it. The path from the hut to the peak through this hill is quite steep and no wonder it is often referred to as the Small Soul Taker. The path is narrow and winds between the pine scrubs and one can easily lose sight of it. But the view from the top is totally worth the trouble of climbing.