Balkan Mountains

Geographically the Balkan mountain range stretches from the area of the border between Serbia and Bulgaria on the west to the very coast of the Black Sea on the east. Because it runs like a horizontal axis through Bulgaria, the mountain chain naturally divides the country in northern and southern parts.

The mountain can be split into three parts: west, central and east. West Stara Planina is average in height compared to the other Bulgarian mountains. Because of the proximity of its southern ridges to the other mountains of the Bulgarian Shopluk cultural region the west portion of the Balkan is a part of that region. Standing relatively alone, the high Central Balkan and the low Eastern Balkan have formed another ethnological area the Balkan cultural region.

The Balkan cultural region includes more than just the central and the eastern parts of the mountain itself. The region also includes the smaller mountain range of Sredna gora that runs parallel on the south side of the Central Balkan.

The region has a special meaning in Bulgarian folklore and culture. The Balkan region is a symbol for the Bulgarian people. For centuries the high, difficultly-accessible mountain served as a natural fortress guarding from enemies. But during the times of the Ottoman rule the towns situated in the foot of the Balkan were the birthplaces of many of the Bulgarian revolutionaries, freedom-fighters, enlighteners and keepers of the Bulgarian spirit as a whole. Indeed, the Balkan was also the scene of some of the most glorious battles, heroic deaths and memorable events in the new history of Bulgaria. Naturally, the influence of the region is not constrained and the West Balkan same as the areas of Thrace and the Danube plain close to the mountain are culturally affected by the Balkan. In those regions, however, other factors of folklore formation are dominant.

Since the region includes different types of terrain that define various types of tourist sites it can be divided into four areas:

Stara planina - The area includes the heights of the mountain itself. They were hardly suitable for permanent settlement in the past, so the sites in that part of the region are primarily the natural beauties of the mountain that create perfect conditions for hiking in the summer and snow sports in the winter. Other places of interest include the solitary monasteries and stranded places where crucial historical events related to Bulgarian independence and unification took place.

Predbalkan - The northern foothills of the mountain, the name of the area literally means front-of-the-Balkan. The area includes towns such as Gabrovo, Elena, Troyan, Tryavna. Those towns are central to Bulgarian Revival as focal points for the development of art, crafts, architecture, education and the culture of the period as a whole. This Balkan area is also heavily influenced by the cultural processes in North Bulgaria (both Moesia and Dobruja). Thus, the area includes cultural landmarks of the typical Bulgarian Revival style but with Renaissance and Baroque nuances for some of them. As for natural landmarks, the area is the home of some of the most beautiful waterfalls in Bulgaria.

Podbalkan - The southern foothills of the Balkan forming a valley between the mighty mountain and Sredna gora; the name of the area can be literally translated as under-the-Balkan. It includes the towns of Sliven, Karlovo, Sopot which are home towns of some of the most prominent freedom-fighters during the Ottoman rule. The area is also called the Rose Valley because of the specialisation in the growing of roses and the production of rose oil. Podbalkana is also notably influenced by the Thracian heritage.

Sredna gora - The mountain is the home of Panagyurishte, Koprivshtitsa, Banya. Despite its architectural trasures, the area is attractive because of its mineral waters and beautiful flora.