A paved mountain road to Shipka Pass in Bulgaria
Bulgaria, europe
12 km
1,190 m
moderate
Year-round
Okay, road trip lovers, listen up! Shipka Pass in Bulgaria is calling your name. Situated right on the border of Stara Zagora and Gabrovo provinces, this beauty climbs to 1,190m (3,904ft) in the Stara Planina Mountain, nestled within the Bulgarka Nature Park. History buffs, take note: this pass has seen some serious battles!
We're talking about National Road I-5 (yep, that's part of the E85), and rumor has it, this is the highest paved pass in the whole country! The road is fully paved and even leads 12km east to the summit of Buzludzha.
The whole shebang stretches for 44.4 km (27.58 miles) between Palauzovo and Kazanluk, winding north to south. Generally, you can hit this road year-round, but keep an eye on the weather forecast in winter – things can get dicey, and closures are possible.
The views from the top, located in Shipka National Park, are simply breathtaking. And while you're there, you can't miss the Shipka Memorial, a towering monument commemorating the heroes of past battles. Oh, and did I mention you'll be cruising through the Valley of Roses on your way? Perfume lovers, rejoice! This is where most of the world's rose extract comes from.
Where is it?
A paved mountain road to Shipka Pass in Bulgaria is located in Bulgaria (europe). Coordinates: 42.7820, 24.7346
Road Details
- Country
- Bulgaria
- Continent
- europe
- Length
- 12 km
- Max Elevation
- 1,190 m
- Difficulty
- moderate
- Coordinates
- 42.7820, 24.7346
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