A sensational road to Beklemeto Pass in the Balkan Mountains

Beklemeto Pass is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 1.525m (5,003ft) above the sea level, located on the boundary of Lovech and Plovdiv provinces of Bulgaria.

Can you drive through Beklemeto Pass?

Set high in the Balkan Mountains, the road to the summit, also known as Troyan Pass, is totally paved. It’s called Road 35 and follows the old Roman Via Trayana (Trajan road). It’s one of the main roads connecting northern and southern Bulgaria.

How long is the road to Beklemeto Pass?

Tucked away in the northern-central part of the country, the pass is 48.4 km (30.07 miles) long, running south-north from Karnare to Troyan. The drive is pretty defiant, with steep parts, hitting an 11.2% of maximum gradient and more than 30 hairpin turns. The name of the region has Turkish origin and means guard. A guarding tower was probably situated there in the past. The pass features a ski resort. To the east of the pass there is a 35m high concrete monument dedicated to the liberation struggle of the Bulgarians. It’s named Arch of Freedom. It’s accessible with a narrow unpaved road.

 

 

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