Balkan Mountains

The Balkan mountain range (Bulgarian and Serbian: Стара планина, Stara planina, "Old Mountain") is an extension of the Carpathian mountain range, separated from it by the Danube River. The People who lived in the Balkan Mountains are called Balkandjii.

The Balkan range runs 560 km from eastern Serbia eastward through central Bulgaria to Cape Emine on the Black Sea.

The highest peak on the Balkan peninsula is Musala in the Rila mountains near Sofia (Rila range), with 2,925 m, closely followed by Mount Olympus in Greece and Vihren (Pirin range).

The highest peaks of the Stara planina itself are in central Bulgaria. The highest peak is Botev (2,376 m), in the Central Balkan National Park (established 1991).

 Passes 
There are paved roads crossing Stara Planina at the following passes (listed from west to east):
 Petrohan Pass: Sofia–Montana
 Iskar Gorge (Iskarski prolom ): Sofia–Vratsa (also railroad)
 Vitinya Pass: Hemus motorway (A2), Sofia–Botevgrad
Beklemeto Pass: Troyan–Karnare
 Shipka Pass: Gabrovo–Kazanlak (also railroad)
 Pass of the Republic (Prohod na republikata): Veliko Tarnovo – Gurkovo
 Vratnik Pass: Elena–Sliven
 Kotel Pass (Kotlenski prohod): Kotel–Petolachka (Pentagram) crossroads
 Varbitsa Pass (Varbishki prohod): Shumen–Petolachka crossroads
 Rish Pass (Rishki prohod): Shumen–Karnobat
 Luda Kamchiya Gorge (Ludokamchiyski prolom): Dalgopol–Karnobat (also railroad)
 Dyulino Pass (Dyulinski prohod): Varna–Aitos
 Obzor Pass (Obzorski prohod): Varna–Burgas, future Cherno More motorway (A3)

 Peaks 
 Midžor 2,169 m is the highest peak in Central Serbia
 Botev Peak 2,376 m (named after Hristo Botev)
 Vezhen
 Kom
 Buzludzha
 Levski (named after Vasil Levski)

Related pages
 Balkans

 References 

 Other websites 

 Regional tourist association 
 Stara Planina