Expect many steps, strong wind and rapidly changing mountain weather.
Stays 
Vislupus · CC BY-SA 4.0Places · Shipka Pass
Shipka Monument
Паметникът на Шипка
A monumental tower above the Balkan pass commemorates decisive battles of the Russo-Turkish War.
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Visiting advice
Photos & short video
Bulgarian food
Local food →Local food
rose jam · Thracian wine · lamb dishes · chirpan-style meatballs
Wikimedia Commons contributorsFloral preserve · regional
Rose petal jam
A fragrant preserve that captures the Damask rose harvest in translucent syrup.
What's in it Edible rose petals, sugar, water and citric acid or lemon juice.
Марина1972 · CC BY-SA 3.0Clay-pot stew
Gyuvech
A slow clay-pot bake in which meat, seasonal vegetables and rice exchange flavours for hours.
What's in it Pork, lamb or beef, peppers, aubergine, okra, tomato, potato or rice, depending on season.
Mpb eu / Wikimedia Commons · public domainCheese bread · breakfast
Tutmanik
A soft, pull-apart yeast bread layered or rolled with white brined cheese and butter.
What's in it Flour, yeast, milk or yogurt, eggs, butter and sirene cheese.%20(1).jpg)
Wikimedia Commons contributorsGrilled meatball
Kyufte
A flattened grilled meatball, juicy inside and fragrant with cumin, pepper and onion.
What's in it Minced pork or mixed meat, onion, cumin, pepper, salt and sometimes parsley.
Viktorija N. Ivanov / Wikimedia CommonsSalad · vegetarian
Shopska salad
The classic first order: tomatoes, cucumber and peppers under a generous snowy layer of white brined cheese.
What's in it Tomatoes, cucumber, roasted or fresh pepper, onion, parsley and sirene cheese.
Biso / Wikimedia CommonsBreakfast · pastry
Banitsa
Crisp filo layers wrapped around eggs, yogurt and white cheese—a warm Bulgarian breakfast staple.
What's in it Filo pastry, eggs, yogurt, sirene cheese and butter or oil.NEARBY
Public transport
проход Шипка
© OpenStreetMap contributors · Open Database License · availability depends on local mapping
Map
Directions
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Directions
Buses and trains
Limited regional buses cross the pass; taxi or organised tour from Kazanlak/Gabrovo is more reliable.
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Nearby places
Khan Omurtag · CC0Stara ZagoraStara Zagora's eight millennia
Осемте хилядолетия на Стара Загора
Neolithic dwellings, Roman Augusta Traiana and a planned modern grid reveal repeated lives of the city.
Read the guide
Kmrakmra · CC BY-SA 3.0KazanlakKazanlak Thracian Tomb
Казанлъшка тракийска гробница
A UNESCO tomb is known for extraordinary painted scenes; visitors usually enter a precise nearby replica.
Read the guide
Annboeva · CC BY-SA 4.0Buzludzha PeakBuzludzha Monument
Паметник Бузлуджа
A vast late-socialist monument dominates a windswept peak and is viewed primarily from its exterior.
Read the guide