Rock formations in the Shegava River Canyon of the Kyustendil Kraishte in Bulgaria
Besna Kobila in Serbia is the highest mountain in Kraishte

Kraishte (Bulgarian: Краище, sometimes with a definite article Краището, Kraishteto) or Krajište (Serbian: Крајиште) is a geographical and historical region split between southwestern Bulgaria and southeastern Serbia, with a very small part in northeastern North Macedonia.

Geography

Geographically, Kraishte is a mosaic of highlands and mountains of low to medium height, interspersed with high valleys.[1] To the west, the region is delimited by the valley of the South Morava in Serbia. To the north Kraishte includes the Znepole area with the valley of the Jerma and reaches the Svetlya valley and the Radomir basin. To the east and south are the Dupnitsa and Kyustendil basins respectively, in which the Dzherman and Struma rivers separate it from the higher mountains of Rila and Osogovo. To the southwest, it extends to the Kriva River in North Macedonia.[2]

The highest summit of Kraishte is the Besna Kobila mountain in Serbia (1,922 m); the border mountain of Karvav Kamak includes the highest point of the region in Bulgaria, Bilo (1,737 m).[2] The Bulgarian part of the region includes 23 small mountain ranges in two grouping: the Ruy-Verila range encompassing Miloslavska planina (1,485 m), Ruy (1,706 m), Ezdimirska Planina (1,219 m), Strazha (1,385 m), Lyubash (1,398 m), Bohovska planina (1,318 m), Karvav Kamak (1,737 m), Leshnikovska Planina (1,086 m), Elovishka Planina (1,329 m), Penkyovska Planina (1,187 m), Lyulyak (1,324 m), Erulska Planina (1,481 m), Cherna Gora (1,129 m), Golo Bardo (1,158 m) and Verila (1,415 m) and the Milevsko-Konyavska range consisting of Milevska planina (1,733 m), Izvorska Planina (1,243 m), Kobilska Planina (1,356 m), Chudinska Planina (1,497 m), Lisets (1,500 m), Zemenska Planina (1,295 m), Rudina Planina (1,172 m) and Konyavska Planina (1,487 m).

There is only one nature reserve — Ostritsa, situated in Golo Bardo mountain range.

Major towns in Kraishte include Tran and Zemen in Bulgaria and Bosilegrad in Serbia.

In Serbian geography, the region is regularly treated together with the neighbouring Vlasina as "Vlasina and Krajište".[3]

Climate

Kraishte has a moderate, relatively cool continental climate. Warm air masses from the Mediterranean are mostly blocked by the Osogovo, Doganica and Dukat mountains. Instead, the prevailing winds blow from the north. Winters are long and often bitterly cold; the northeasterly winter wind Kozodero ("the goat flayer") can keep the rivers frozen for months at a time. Springs and autumns are short and summers are relatively cool for the interior of the Balkans.[4] The town of Tran in Kraishte holds the record for the lowest temperature ever measured in Bulgaria, at –38.3 °C.[5]

List of mountains in Kraishte

Ruy in Bulgaria
Flower meadows in Golo Bardo, Bulgaria
MountainHeightCountries
Miloslavska1485 mBulgaria, Serbia
Ruy / Ruj1706 mBulgaria, Serbia
Bohovska1318 mBulgaria, Serbia
Karvav Kamak / Krvavi Kamik1737 mBulgaria, Serbia
Milevska1733 mBulgaria, Serbia
Izvorska1243 mBulgaria, Serbia
Chudinska / Čudinska1497 mBulgaria, Serbia
Ezdimirska1219 mBulgaria
Strazha1385 mBulgaria
Lyubash1398 mBulgaria
Leshnikovska1085 mBulgaria
Elovishka1329 mBulgaria
Penkyovska1187 mBulgaria
Lyulyak1324 mBulgaria
Erulska1481 mBulgaria
Cherna Gora1129 mBulgaria
Golo Bardo1158 mBulgaria
Kobilska1356 mBulgaria
Lisets1500 mBulgaria
Zemenska1295 mBulgaria
Rudina1172 mBulgaria
Konyavska1487 mBulgaria
Gramada1719 mSerbia
Čemernik1719 mSerbia
Vardenik1875 mSerbia
Besna Kobila1922 mSerbia
Dukat1881 mSerbia, North Macedonia
Lisinska1829 mSerbia
Gloška1756 mSerbia

See also

References

  1. School, Balkan Heritage Field. "Nishava and Kraishte Regions". www.bhfieldschool.org. Retrieved 2023-05-20.
  2. 1 2 Цветанов, Момчил (2015). Българските планини (in Bulgarian). Стара Загора: Domino. p. 6. ISBN 978-954-651-249-9.
  3. "Власина и Крајиште – Vlasina and Krajište". Свилен конац Silken Thread. 2017-12-28. Retrieved 2023-05-20.
  4. "Стратегија развоја еколошког воћарства" (PDF). Општина Босилеград. August 2012.
  5. "15 records set by freezing cold in Bulgaria". bnr.bg. Retrieved 2023-05-20.

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