Blagoevgrad Province lies in south-western Bulgaria on the border with Greece to the south and the Republic of North Macedonia to the west. It comprises 14 local authority areas, 96 administrative sub-units and 280 population centres and has 288 161 inhabitants (2022 figure). The smallest town in Bulgaria, Melnik, which lies on the edge of the Pirin Mountains, has been designated a cultural and historical reserve. National parks and nature reserves, along with the Parangalitsa biosphere reserve, have been established to conserve the region’s natural beauty. Pirin National Park is on the UNESCO world cultural and natural heritage list.