The Central Balkan National Park (CBNP) is the second largest national park in Bulgaria and one of the largest European protected areas.

The CBNP covers an area of 72,021.07 ha (720 sq. km) and belongs to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) category II. The park contains rare and endangered wildlife species and communities, self-regulating ecosystems with great biological diversity, as well as historical sites of global cultural and scientific significance. It was established in 1991 to conserve the unique natural scenery and heritage of this area and protect the customs and livelihood of the local population. The CBNP was designed around 9 existing strict nature reserves which were declared during the communist time. These reserves contain representative examples of ecosystems that comprise unique, remarkable and characteristic plant or animal species in their natural habitat. All are areas of prime conservation significance – listed as Category I according to the IUCN classification.

CBNP and its nine reserves are located in the central part of Bulgaria, in the most central and higher portions of the Balkan Mountain Range – the chief range of the Balkan Peninsula and Bulgaria and an extension of the Alpine-Carpathian folds. The altitude ranges from 500 to 2,376 metres. Botev peak is the highest peak in the park and in the Balkan Range.
The park contains sections of five administrative regions and falls within nine municipalities.
The CBNP is an important part of the national ecological network and is a protected area under the Birds and Habitats Directives within the European NATURA 2000 network.