Travel
Exploring Bulgarian History
12 May 2019
Driving in, around, over and through the striking landscape of steep cliffs and the very green Balkan Mountains, I am surrounded by the lush flora and fauna of the Bulgarka Nature Park. The mountain range forms the watershed between the Black and Aegean seas. Shipka Pass, at 3820 ft., marks the border between Stara Zagora and Gabrovo province. During the Russo-Turkish War in 1877-1878, the pass was the locale for a series of historic battles fought between the Russians, aided by Bulgarian volunteers, and the Ottoman Empire. With Russian assistance, these battles led to the independence of Bulgaria, an event Bulgarians have never forgotten. Today, my cousins will share this part of their history with me. (more…)