BEKLEMETO BEKLEMETO А р к а н а с в о б о д а т а А р к а н а с в о б о д а т а T he A r c h of F ree d om on the T roy a n Pa ss , r a ise d to B ulg a ri a ' s li b er a tion T he A r c h of F ree d om on the T roy a n Pa ss , r a ise d to B ulg a ri a ' s li b er a tion R oun d trip B ulg a ri a r o u n d t r i p b u l g a r i a c o m I THE ARCH A c on c rete g a tew a y on the highest p a ss in the Ba lk a n r a nge R oun d trip B ulg a ri a B ek l em et o 0 2 / 1 8 A GATEWAY ON A GATEWAY ON THE MOUNTAIN THE MOUNTAIN O n the highest p a ss in the Ba lk a n r a nge st a n d s a 35 metre c on c rete a r c h , r a ise d O n the highest p a ss in the Ba lk a n r a nge st a n d s a 35 metre c on c rete a r c h , r a ise d to the winter c rossing th a t helpe d free B ulg a ri a in 1878. to the winter c rossing th a t helpe d free B ulg a ri a in 1878. R oun d trip B ulg a ri a B ek l em et o 0 3 / 1 8 THE ARCH IN BRIEF NA M E A r c h of F ree d om ( А рка на свободата) L O CAT I O N G or a ltepe pe a k , ab ove the T roy a n ( B eklemeto ) Pa ss E L E VAT I O N 1,595 m ; the p a ss itself pe a ks ne a r 1,525 m HE I GHT Ab out 35 m , reinfor c e d c on c rete M A KE R S A r c hite c t G eorgi S toilov , s c ulptor V eli c hko M inekov CO M PL E T E D 1978, for the c enten a ry of the L i b er a tion M A R KS 1878 on one f ac e , 1944 on the other R oun d trip B ulg a ri a B ek l em et o 0 4 / 1 8 WHERE IT STANDS T he a r c h sits on G or a ltepe pe a k a t 1,595 m , a short c lim b e a st of the highest point of the T roy a n Pa ss K nown lo ca lly a s B eklemeto , this is the highest c rossing in the whole Ba lk a n r a nge , linking T roy a n in the north with Ka rlovo in the south F rom the pe a k the l a n d f a lls a w a y tow a r d b oth h a lves of the c ountry R oun d trip B ulg a ri a B ek l em et o 0 5 / 1 8 II THE PASS AND THE WAR A winter c rossing in 1878, a n d the free d om it opene d R oun d trip B ulg a ri a B ek l em et o 0 6 / 1 8 THE HIGHEST CROSSING THE HIGHEST CROSSING IN THE BALKANS IN THE BALKANS L ong b efore the monument , this s add le ca rrie d R om a n ro ad s , O ttom a n ca r a v a ns L ong b efore the monument , this s add le ca rrie d R om a n ro ad s , O ttom a n ca r a v a ns a n d the revolution a ries of 1876. W hoever hel d the p a ss hel d the w a y ac ross the a n d the revolution a ries of 1876. W hoever hel d the p a ss hel d the w a y ac ross the mount a ins mount a ins R oun d trip B ulg a ri a B ek l em et o 0 7 / 1 8 JANUARY 1878 I n the winter of 1877 to 1878, d uring the R usso - T urkish Wa r , the T roy a n D et ac hment of the R ussi a n a rmy for c e d its w a y over this p a ss through d eep snow T he c rossing helpe d b re a k the O ttom a n lines a n d le d to the li b er a tion of B ulg a ri a a fter ne a rly five c enturies of O ttom a n rule T he ye a r 1878 is c ut into the north f ac e of the a r c h R oun d trip B ulg a ri a B ek l em et o 0 8 / 1 8 TWO DATES, ONE ARCH T he a r c h ca rries two ye a rs : 1878 on one f ac e , 1944 on the other C omplete d in 1978 un d er the so c i a list government , it w a s b uilt to link the L i b er a tion of 1878 with the entry of the R e d A rmy in 1944, the two events the regime n a me d a s B ulg a ri a ' s li b er a tions T he reliefs re ad the s a me w a y , p a iring nineteenth c entury R ussi a n sol d iers with S e c on d W orl d Wa r p a rtis a ns a n d R e d A rmy troops R oun d trip B ulg a ri a B ek l em et o 0 9 / 1 8 STOILOV'S GATEWAY T he A r c h of F ree d om w a s d esigne d b y G eorgi S toilov , the a r c hite c t who woul d a lso sh a pe B uzlu d zh a , with s c ulptor V eli c hko M inekov I t w a s c omplete d in 1978 for the c enten a ry of the L i b er a tion R oughly 35 m of reinfor c e d c on c rete , it hol d s st a ir ca ses insi d e b oth legs , c onne c te d sp ac es ac ross the top , a n d a l add er to the roof R oun d trip B ulg a ri a B ek l em et o 1 0 / 1 8 WELCOMED WITH BREAD AND SALT WELCOMED WITH BREAD AND SALT A t the foot of e ac h pill a r st a n d V eli c hko M inekov ' s s c ulptur a l groups : R ussi a n sol d iers a n d A t the foot of e ac h pill a r st a n d V eli c hko M inekov ' s s c ulptur a l groups : R ussi a n sol d iers a n d B ulg a ri a n volunteers , p a rtis a ns a n d R e d A rmy troops , a n d women offering b re ad a n d s a lt to the B ulg a ri a n volunteers , p a rtis a ns a n d R e d A rmy troops , a n d women offering b re ad a n d s a lt to the li b er a tors li b er a tors R oun d trip B ulg a ri a B ek l em et o 1 1 / 1 8 A VIEW OF TWO BULGARIAS F rom G or a ltepe the p a nor a m a opens in every d ire c tion : the B eli O s a m a n d T roy a n v a lleys to the north , the Ka rlovo ba sin to the south , a n d b eyon d them S re d n a G or a , the R ho d opes a n d R il a O n a c le a r da y the highest pe a ks of the Ba lk a n r a nge , B otev a mong them , line the horizon R oun d trip B ulg a ri a B ek l em et o 1 2 / 1 8 III SEEING IT TODAY T he ro ad up , the view from the top , a n d how to visit R oun d trip B ulg a ri a B ek l em et o 1 3 / 1 8 THE CLIMB TO THE PASS THE CLIMB TO THE PASS A n a rrow , looping mount a in ro ad ca rries you to the s add le T he a r c h st a n d s on the E 3, one of A n a rrow , looping mount a in ro ad ca rries you to the s add le T he a r c h st a n d s on the E 3, one of E urope ' s long d ist a n c e w a lking routes , a n d the l a st stret c h is a short w a lk on foot E urope ' s long d ist a n c e w a lking routes , a n d the l a st stret c h is a short w a lk on foot R oun d trip B ulg a ri a B ek l em et o 1 4 / 1 8 GETTING THERE F R O M T roy a n in the north , or Ka rlovo in the south , on the p a ss ro ad AT T HE PA SS Pa rk in the d esign a te d spot ; the a r c h is a 10 to 15 minute w a lk e a st E L E VAT I O N 1,595 m ; win d a n d we a ther turn f a st , so b ring a l a yer A CCE SS F reely open ye a r roun d ; the c lim b insi d e is unoffi c i a l a n d ungu a r d e d NE A R BY T he B eklemeto ski slopes a n d mount a in huts a long the ri d ge R oun d trip B ulg a ri a B ek l em et o 1 5 / 1 8 ONE STOP ON THE PASS T he p a ss sits in a d ense ba n d of B ulg a ri a n history T roy a n M on a stery , a reviv a l er a c entre where Va sil L evski b uilt a se c ret c ommittee in 1872, lies on the northern a ppro ac h B uzlu d zh a , S toilov ' s other mount a in monument , st a n d s to the e a st a long the s a me r a nge I n winter the B eklemeto slopes b ring skiers to the p a ss R oun d trip B ulg a ri a c overs the whole c h a in R oun d trip B ulg a ri a B ek l em et o 1 6 / 1 8 A PASS THROUGH TIME Antiquity A R om a n ro ad c rosses the s add le 1876 R evolution a ries use the p a ss d uring the A pril U prising Jan 1878 T he T roy a n D et ac hment c rosses ; the p a ss is t a ken 1878 B ulg a ri a is li b er a te d a fter O ttom a n rule 1944 T he R e d A rmy enters B ulg a ri a 1978 T he A r c h of F ree d om is c omplete d for the c enten a ry Today A freely acc essi b le l a n d m a rk a n d viewpoint R oun d trip B ulg a ri a B ek l em et o 1 7 / 1 8 SEE THE ARCH SEE THE ARCH ON THE PASS ON THE PASS Б е к л е м е т о · A r c h o f F r e e d o m Б е к л е м е т о · A r c h o f F r e e d o m R oun d trip B ulg a ri a runs priv a te , t a ilor m ad e journeys to B eklemeto a n d the c ountry ' s other R oun d trip B ulg a ri a runs priv a te , t a ilor m ad e journeys to B eklemeto a n d the c ountry ' s other mount a in l a n d m a rks mount a in l a n d m a rks R oun d trip B ulg a ri a P h o t o g r a p h y : R o u n d t r i p B u l g a r i a r o u n d t r i p b u l g a r i a c o m