Shipka

At sunset, when dusk falls over the mountains and a freezing wind chills you to the bone, you can feel the earthshaking role that Shipka played in Bulgarian history. As far back as back the 4th Century BC, the mountain pass was of strategic importance to none other than Alexander the Great. The bulgarians mainly associate Shipka with the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-78, when it was the site where just 6,000 Russians and a handful of Bulgarians were able to repel the advance of 27,000 Ottoman soldiers.

Today, 500 steps lead up to the Shipka Monument. It's worth the effort to climb them, because at the top one is rewarded with one of the most picturesque, panoramic views of the Sredna Gora Mountains and the Valley of the Roses.