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.
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]
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]
| Mountain | Height | Countries | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1485 m | Bulgaria, Serbia | ||
| Ruy / Ruj | 1706 m | Bulgaria, Serbia | |
| 1318 m | Bulgaria, Serbia | ||
| Karvav Kamak / Krvavi Kamik | 1737 m | Bulgaria, Serbia | |
| 1733 m | Bulgaria, Serbia | ||
| 1243 m | Bulgaria, Serbia | ||
| Chudinska / Čudinska | 1497 m | Bulgaria, Serbia | |
| 1219 m | Bulgaria | ||
| 1385 m | Bulgaria | ||
| 1398 m | Bulgaria | ||
| 1085 m | Bulgaria | ||
| 1329 m | Bulgaria | ||
| 1187 m | Bulgaria | ||
| 1324 m | Bulgaria | ||
| 1481 m | Bulgaria | ||
| 1129 m | Bulgaria | ||
| 1158 m | Bulgaria | ||
| 1356 m | Bulgaria | ||
| 1500 m | Bulgaria | ||
| 1295 m | Bulgaria | ||
| 1172 m | Bulgaria | ||
| 1487 m | Bulgaria | ||
| 1719 m | Serbia | ||
| 1719 m | Serbia | ||
| 1875 m | Serbia | ||
| 1922 m | Serbia | ||
| 1881 m | Serbia, North Macedonia | ||
| 1829 m | Serbia | ||
| 1756 m | Serbia |