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For more than a thousand years, the Balkan Range (in Bulgarian, the Stara planina or "Old Mountains") has been the cradle of the Bulgarian nation and the cockpit of its destiny. Sloping gently towards the Danubian Plain, the Balkan's fertile valleys supported the medieval capitals of Pliska and Preslav (mere ruins today) and Veliko Tarnovo (still a thriving city), while steep ranges with defensible passes shielded them to the south. Much was destroyed during the Ottoman conquest, but the thread of culture was preserved by monasteries and the crafts centres that re-established themselves under the Turkish yoke. The range's gentler slopes lie just east of Sofia , where small towns like Etropole and Teteven provide a measure of rural tranquillity lacking in the more touristed Balkan centres further east. First of these is Lovech , a well-preserved nineteenth-century town which lies within striking distance of Troyan Monastery , and, to the north, at the foot of the mountains, Pleven , site of a crucial battle in the Russo-Turkish War. However, the best touring base in the central part of the range is Veliko Tarnovo . A beautiful city in its own right, with a medieval citadel and several historic churches, Tarnovo has good transport links with such villages rich in vernacular architecture as Arbanasi, Elena, Tryavna and Etara . It also makes a good base for a whole cluster of monasteries: Preobrazhenski, Dryanovo and Kilifarevo are the big three, but numerous smaller foundations await further exploration. The main urban centre in the east is Shumen , site of a fine medieval fortress and close to Bulgaria's first two capitals at Pliska and Preslav , and the enigmatic rock sculpture of the Madara Horseman . From here routes towards the Danube and the Dobrudzha pass through the Ludogorie hills, where the Thracian tomb and Dervish Tekke at Sveshtari provide the chief attractions. Towns in the western part of the central Balkan Range can be easily  © 2003 by Rough Guides Ltd. as trustee for its Authors. Published by Rough Guides. All rights reserved. Rough Guides name is a trademark of Rough Guides Ltd. Buy the book here!
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reached by bus from Sofia. The Sofia-Varna rail line , skirting the mountains to the north, is the fastest way of accessing places further afield. It passes through Pleven, from whence buses depart to Lovech and Troyan; Gornya Orahovitsa, with regular train and bus connections to Veliko Tarnovo, Tryavna and Gabrovo; and Shumen, before forging onwards to the coast. Once established in any of the above places, you can explore neighbouring attractions using local buses .
Your Tips For Central Balkan Range
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