Tourist hike and excursion

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Advance registration is mandatory

List of participants by buses

Route and schedule - Sofia - Etara - Uzana area (overnight) - hike from Uzana to Shipka Pass and Shipka Peak - Shipka Monastery - Sofia.
Please follow the next announcements with additional information, as well as the bus number for each participant.
 
Saturday – July 11: 07:45 - check-in at the buses behind Block II of TUS, departure at 08:00! Arrival in Etara – around 11:30. Tour and lunch at Etara. Departure at 13:30 by bus to the "Uzana" area on the ridge of the Balkan Mountains. Check-in at the mountain hut and hotel. At 15:30, departure on an excursion to Ispolin Peak – about 2 hours round trip. In the evening – around the campfire.
Sunday – July 12: 08:15 - departure towards the Shipka Pass along the ridge of the Balkan Mountains. The hike takes about 3 hours. After a slight climb, there is a descent – about 1 hour in total. Then there is a climb, initially steeper – about 1 hour. You reach Maluša Peak. Then a slight descent to the pass. There you can have lunch and explore the surroundings, including the Shipka Peak monument. Departure from the pass by bus at 15:00. Stop at Shipka Monastery for 30 minutes. Return to Sofia – around 19:00.
 
The route and pace are of medium difficulty for experienced hikers and will not be suitable for children under 5 years old. There is no doctor, mountain guide, or rescuer in the group – everyone moves at their own responsibility. Those who rush, deviate, or lag behind may receive help only from the mountain rescue service for a fee (if they do not have insurance), but not from the group! Therefore – movement with the groups!
 
Equipment: Bring food, water, raincoats, jackets, and a charged mobile phone! A significant part of the hiking trail has sharp stones, and thick-soled shoes are absolutely necessary! Against the sun and mosquitoes: creams, hats with wide brims, shirts with collars and long sleeves, long pants, and protective glasses. Don't forget a camera, knife, and spare socks. At least one flashlight (headlamp) per group of friends. Medications – at least adhesive bandages, aspirin, valocordin, and wound cream. There is no need to carry large and heavy backpacks – luggage can remain on the buses.
In bad weather - those who wish can travel to the Shipka Pass by bus.
 
Get mountain insurance. Pets are not allowed on the buses!
 
For overnight stay there is an unlimited number of places at the mountain hut and the hotel next to it – at these two places the conditions are tourist – common sanitary facilities on the floor and rooms with 4-10 beds. The price is 10 BGN per bed. The beds are new with good mattresses.
For those wishing for better conditions the hotel "Impuls" is provided in rooms with a TV with 2, 3 and 4 beds with a price of 20 BGN per bed including breakfast. There is a free fitness room, Wi-Fi, children's corner and a paid sauna. The number of places is not limited. Only the reservation period is limited - places in the mountain hut and hotel are prepaid until June 18 and the money is sent immediately. Without prepayment, they do not accept reservations, because during the season, overnight places on Saturday evening usually do not suffice.
The place is convenient for overnight stay of tents(which you do not need to carry on your back) – the altitude is low, and the place is a large grassy meadow.
Breakfast and dinner are available at the mountain hut and hotel for an additional fee, preferably when registering.
 
Registration: from June 2 (Tuesday) this year in room 1151-3, tel. 20-20 – Social Department, with payment. The deadline for registration for overnight stays is – June 18 (Thursday) this year at 12:00. Payment covers overnight stay and meals (optional), as well as part of the transportation costs and souvenirs in the amount of 10 BGN – the remaining part is covered by TUS. If you cancel after June 18 at 12:00, the paid amounts for overnight stays cannot be refunded, as they have already been sent, and the mountain hut and hotel will offer accommodation to other tourists. From June 18 to June 26 registration continues without overnight stays – participants will need to make their own reservations if there are places available in the mountain hut and hotel.  
 
For more information, see below and:  Assoc. Prof. Altimirski, office 3313 and tel. 2230 in the afternoon or 0887-22-69-65.

 

Additional information

Risks and dangers:

Deviation from the route
During the excursion to Mount Ispolin on the return, there is a risk of deviation at the gazebo. The trail is not well-defined and has no markings. You must pass a few meters from the gazebo downwards towards the forest. If you take the wrong path and go right before the gazebo (as happens with many tourists), you will also end up down in the meadow, but much further to the right, and significantly extend your journey.
On the path from Uzana to Shipka Pass – at the beginning and end, you mostly walk on mountain roads with branches. The marking was not done by professionals and is confusing in some places. We will place marking tapes. Pay attention to the signs. They are not always clearly visible. The greatest danger of going in the wrong direction is at the lowest part of the route – after about 1 hour of walking – at the lower end of the clear-cut area, you should follow the sign to the left and then, upon reaching the road below, cross the road and follow the trail to the right! Move with the group.
Dangerous trails – The trails are wide and safe.
Diseases – The drinking water is cold. Be careful if you are prone to angina. In case of rain, put on your raincoat immediately, not after you get wet. There are cases where it starts pouring with maximum force in just a few seconds. The raincoat should be within reach. Sunglasses, a thick garment, and a hat will likely be needed. It is not excluded that it gets cold at night in the sleeping bags and tents. Without thick soles, your feet will hurt from the sharp stones.
In case of an incident and getting lost –Mountain Rescue Service - tel. 112 or 088-14-70 for Mtel subscribers.
To miss the bus
When departing from Sofia – please arrive on time!
When departing from Etara – take a taxi to Uzana or public transport to Sofia.
When departing from Uzana – walk or take a taxi to Shipka Pass, or take a taxi and then public transport to Sofia.
From Shipka Pass – take public transport to Sofia.
 
Declaration for consent to the tour conditions, you can download here.

From the Internet:

Architectural-Ethnographic Complex "Etara"

The Architectural-Ethnographic Complex "Etara" is located on the outskirts of Gabrovo. It is an open-air museum whose purpose is to show what the architecture and way of life of Gabrovo and the region were like during the second half of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th century.

The Architectural-Ethnographic Complex "Etara" was established in 1964, and was declared an architectural-ethnographic cultural monument of national significance by No. 101 of the State Gazette in 1971.

The complex is located 9 km from Gabrovo. To facilitate visitors, there are regular bus lines from the city.

The museum has a total of 50 objects - houses with craft workshops, water facilities, and other buildings. It also houses the only collection of water-powered technical facilities in Bulgaria - rollers, watermills, fulling mills, grindstones, etc.

On the craft bazaar (the central commercial street) in Etara, 16 houses can be seen, which are exact copies of buildings that existed in the past in Gabrovo and the region. On the craft street, visitors can observe the work of the masters in real time. Numerous crafts are presented - carding (making forged wool combs - bells for animals), pottery, sugar-making (making sugar confections), furrier work, copper-smithing (making copper vessels), etc. In addition to observing the authentic technology used by the masters, visitors can purchase the products created before their eyes. Upon prior inquiry, the complex also organizes training courses in traditional crafts.

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Uzana Hut

 Uzana Hut (1240 meters) is located in the Uzana area, which is at the foot of Isplin Peak (1524 m), in the heart of the Central Balkan. It is the widest ridge meadow and is surrounded by forest on all sides. Its altitude varies from 1220 to 1350 meters, with the highest point being Markov Stol Peak (1352 m). The nearest starting point is the city of Gabrovo, which is located 22 kilometers away via a very good asphalt road. There is the geographical center of Bulgaria.
The hut is a massive two-story building with a capacity of 12 rooms and 92 beds, featuring indoor sinks, bathrooms, and toilets on the ground floor and the first sleeping floor, with hot water always available. The building is supplied with water and electricity, and heating is provided by electric stoves and solid fuel stoves. It has a dining room and a bench. The hut has two dining rooms - one with a washroom, a panoramic terrace with a barbecue, and a kitchen equipped with a freezer, refrigerator, electric grill, ovens, and gas burners, which can be used by tourists.
The Uzana Eco Trail is one of the newly built eco-trails and is located on the large ridge meadow at 1300 m above sea level in the Uzana resort area. The trail begins between the Impuls Hotel and the Three Bears restaurant. The route takes about 1 hour, and along the trail, many rest areas have been built, including a "classroom," an "Indian corner," numerous stairs on the rocks, terraces with beautiful views, and it passes by the entrance to the Lednishka Cave. The trail offers beautiful views of the peaks Shipka, Buzludzha, Ispolin (the highest peak in the Shipka section of the Balkan Mountains), Triglav, and Botev (the highest peak of the Balkan Mountains).

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Impuls Hotel

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Altitude: 1523m
During the Russo-Turkish War (1877-1878), one of the most decisive battles took place in Shipka, which determined the victorious outcome of the war and brought Bulgarian freedom after five centuries of Ottoman rule. If the attacking Turks had succeeded, along with their large garrisons in Plovdiv, Vidin, and Silistra, they could have caused a serious reversal in the war! Around 6,000 Bulgarians participated in the battles. The Monument to Freedom stands on the peak itself. It was built with voluntary donations from the Bulgarian people. It was solemnly opened in 1934. The monument is 31.5 meters high, and 894 steps lead to it. A bronze lion proudly stands above the central entrance. On the other three sides, the names of Shipka, Sheynovo, and Stara Zagora – the battlefields – are inscribed. On the ground floor of the monument, under a marble sarcophagus, the bones of the heroes who died in the battle are preserved. In the remaining four floors, an exhibition tells the story of the heroism of the Russian soldiers and Bulgarian volunteers during the five-month defense of Shipka. It includes a rich collection of orders and medals, photographs, documentary material, and weapons. A copy of the Samara Flag is also located there. From the last platform, a panoramic view opens up.
The First Battle of Shipka is on 17–19 July 1877, at the beginning of the Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878), during which Russian troops established control over the Shipka Pass, important for connections between Northern and Southern Bulgaria.
After crossing the Danube at the end of June, the Russian command sent a forward detachment into the interior of the country, under the command of General Joseph Gurko, which was to establish control over the passes in the Balkan Mountains. After capturing Haïn Boaz and several neighboring passes, he headed for the Shipka Pass, where there was a more serious concentration of Ottoman troops - about 5,000 men under the command of Suleiman Pasha.
On 17 July Gurko attacked from the north with four divisions. The two flank divisions managed to capture the designated positions, but the two in the center were repelled. On 18 July he attacked from the south, but the main attack on the pass was again repelled, although the Russians captured some trenches. For 19 July, Gurko planned a simultaneous attack from the north and south, but on this day the Ottomans themselves withdrew from the pass and Russian forces established control over it.
Although Gurko managed to seize the roads through the Balkan Mountains, the main Russian forces were blocked in the prolonged siege of Plevna. The Ottomans made several attempts to regain the Shipka Pass to send reinforcements to Plevna, but without success. In early 1878 they were finally repelled from the pass in the Battle of Sheynovo.
The Second Battle of Shipka is on August 21–26, 1877, which turns out to be one of the most important in the course of the Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878). At it, the Russian troops, including a large number of Bulgarian volunteers, held the Shipka Pass against an Ottoman army several times superior in strength, attempting to open the way to the besieged Plevna.In August 1877 Suleiman Pasha, who retreated to Thrace after the First Battle of Shipka, received significant reinforcements transferred from Albania. He managed to capture Stara Zagora after burning it, advanced with about 30,000 men and 48 guns towards the Shipka Pass, determined to take it rather than bypass it via a less guarded route. Suleiman Pasha's idea was to deliver a main blow from the east, cut through the defenses, and destroy parts of the defending troops. After the capture of the pass in July 1877, Russian troops established defensive positions there. General Drazhinsky had about 5,000 men deployed in three positions - St. Nicholas Peak, the Central Hill, and reserves between these two points.On August 21 (August 9, Old Style) the Ottomans subjected the Russian positions to shelling and attacked St. Nikola Peak. Redzhep Pasha operated against the forward position from the east, and Shakir Pasha from the south. The attack was repelled, and they entrenched at a distance of about 100 m. During the day, the Bryansk Regiment arrived on the battlefield from Gabrovo.On August 22 (August 10, Old Style) the Ottomans move their artillery to a higher point and shell the pass, while the infantry flanks the Russian position.On August 23 (August 11, Old Style) the Ottomans attack all Russian positions, with the main thrust again directed at St. Nicholas. A Russian unit on the Central Hill begins to retreat, but reinforcements are transferred and the attack is repelled.On August 24 (August 12, Old Style) reinforcements arrive from the north: the 53rd Volhynian Infantry Regiment, the 55th Podolsk Infantry Regiment, and the 56th Zhytomyr Infantry Regiment.On August 26 (August 14, Old Style) the Ottoman attack on St. Nicholas manages to reach the Russian trenches, but is again repelled. On this day, further Russian reinforcements arrive and an attempt is made to counterattack the Ottoman positions, but without success. With this, the battle ends, with both sides remaining in their positions. A few weeks later, Suleiman Pasha makes another unsuccessful attempt to capture the pass.
The Third Battle of Shipka is on 13–17 September 1877, during which Süleyman Pasha makes his last unsuccessful attempt to capture the Shipka Pass and open the way to the besieged Plevna. After the battles in August, the Russians continuously strengthen their positions, but receive limited reinforcements due to the ongoing siege of Plevna. On 13 September, Süleyman Pasha begins artillery bombardment of the Russian positions. It continues until 17 September, when he launches a frontal attack against St. Nicholas Peak. The Ottomans capture the first line of trenches and advance towards the summit. General Fyodor Radetsky, commanding the defense, transfers reinforcements to St. Nicholas, and the Russian counterattack repels the Ottomans from all captured positions. The subsequent Ottoman attacks are also repelled.

 

When recording, please take the numbers of GSM of the participants.