Displaying items by tag: The Stara Planina
FORTIFIED BULGARIA
CROSSING BALKAN RANGE
STARA PLANINA'S FLYING SAUCER
BULGARIA'S ROMANTIC VILLAGES
PASS OF FREEDOM
UP AT SHIPKA
For the modern traveller, the Stara Planina is probably Bulgaria's greatest geographical obstacle: a massive mountain range, crossed by narrow passes which are slow, full of bends, and often closed in winter. In the past, however, the Stara Planina was an effective natural protection against enemies. One of its major passes, by the 1,326-metre Shipka Peak, is one of the best examples.
ALL ALONG BYALA REKA
Even before the day trippers have started their descent to Byala Reka, or White River, their uneven melody precedes them. After a while the singers themselves appear, hikers whose tiredness testifies that they have seen much more than just the Byala Reka Eco-Path.
ZGORIGRAD FORGOTTEN TRAGEDY
KALOFER
Kalofer is one of those places that all who'd rather avoid Bulgaria's highway pass en route between Sofia and Burgas, yet few bother to stop, and even fewer stay on. From a certain standpoint, this is positive. It keeps mass tourism confined to the highway, away form the town huddled in the foothills of Mount Botev, once known as Ümrükçal, which means Fist Mount – Stara Planina’s tallest summit at 2,376 metres. Kalofer is a pearl you will fall in love with. But to discover it, you need to make an effort.