The Iskar River originates in the Rila Mountains and is formed by the confluence of the Black Iskar and White Iskar rivers, 500 meters north of the village of Beli Iskar. It flows through the regions of Sofia, Sofia City, Vratsa, Lovech, and Pleven. It is a right tributary of the Danube River.
In the upper and middle reaches of the Iskar, the river’s waters are used primarily for hydroelectric power generation and water supply. The largest dam in Bulgaria, “Iskar,” has been built, along with the smaller dams “Beli Iskar,” “Pasarel,” and “Pancharevo,” as well as the hydroelectric power plants “Beli Iskar,” “Iskar,” “Mala Tsarkva,” “Pasarel,” “Kokalane,” and several small run-of-river hydroelectric power plants from the “Middle Iskar” Project have been built. In the Pre-Balkan region and the Danube Plain, the river’s waters are used primarily for irrigation.
The river valley, especially its two gorges—the Pancharevo and Iskar Gorges—has been used since ancient times to cross the Stara Planina Mountains, and it is no coincidence that highways and a railroad line were built along them. The Iskar Gorge is also home to the Sofia–Gorna Oryahovitsa–Varna double-track railroad line, which is of great importance to Bulgaria; in the section from Novi Iskar to Cherven Bryag, it follows the river valley.
The Pancharevo and Iskar Gorges feature numerous natural attractions—rock formations, caves, and more—which offer excellent conditions for tourism, mountaineering, recreation, and fishing. Balkan trout and black barbel are found in the upper reaches of the river.
