The Troyan Pass is as impressive as the name belies. Stunning in summer and fall, and impassable in winter and early spring with ten foot high snow drifts. How exciting having one of the two major mountain passes over the Balkan range so close to our home! Just ten minutes from our village one can begin the heady incline. The road then spirals up the mountain for roughly a half an hour until it reaches the summit – a height of 1,520 m (4,987 feet).
We come up here often to admire the view and to impress our visitors! The vista never fails to delight as it changes with the seasons. Today is mid May and 31°, but I carry a light jacket as I know it will be cooler at the summit.
We stop at a halfway vantage point to observe the hand gliders and to admire our village from aloft. Today, however, there are none. We see that the flag they use to detect the thermals is hanging sleepily on its’ pole, and conclude that conditions are not conducive for them to fly. We continue our ascent, snaking up the steep incline with rock formations on both sides. As we near the summit the Liberation Arch comes into view.
The Liberation Arch is at the peak of the Troyan Pass
The arch is situated at the very top of the Troyan Pass and commemorates the 100th anniversary of the liberation of Bulgaria from the Ottoman Empire during the Russian -Turkish war (1877-1878). The thirty seven meter high sculpture is also dedicated to the “second liberation” of Bulgaria by the Russian army in 1944 during World War II.
We walk up to the pinnacle of the Troyan Pass to admire the arch more closely – very impressive. I note that the temperature here is a good 10° less than at the bottom of the mountain. I am glad that I remembered my jacket.
At the entrance to the roadway leading up to the arch are other paths that explore the National Park. It is recommended, however, that one does not go too far without an armed ranger. There are brown bears, wild boar (which we have seen with our own eyes) wolves, mountain lions, and a variety of large birds including eagles. There is also a rich variety of flora and fauna. This is a vast unspoiled wilderness and recognised as an Unesco World Heritage site.
Mountain Heights
Of course there are taller mountains in Bulgaria including Rila (Mt. Musala) at 2925m/9596ft – being also the highest on the Balkan Peninsula. Pirin (Mt. Vihren) at 2914m/9560ft. And Mt.Botev at 2376m/7795ft to list just a few.
We continue our journey over the summit of the mountain and then head down the other side. Here we reach a hotel with a chairlift – a ski resort in winter time. We stop at another of our favourite haunts, a Swiss inspired café which sits precariously on the edge of the mountain side and with panoramic views over the countryside. We order coffee and pancakes – the best! And then we head down the other side of the mountain to see the town of Troyan itself. This is always such a lovely day out and we feel very blessed to live in such close proximity to such an awe inspiring location.
Addendum
Five years after writing this post, we actually purchased a house not far from Troyan itself
and this is us travelling over the Troyan Pass in winter time to view it
[…] and on the other, the majestic Sredna Gora. The village is about four kilometres from the Troyan Pass. Even on warm days there is a nip in the air as you reach the summit. The pass is one of only two […]