DIRECTIONS
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We are based in the town of Shipka (Шипка) which is NW of Kazanlak (Казанлък) along the E85 road. This road continues towards the Shipka Pass (Шипченски проход), Shipka Memorial (паметник „Шипка“) and further to Gabrovo (Габрово) and Veliko Tarnovo (Велико Търново).
Foreigners asking for "Shipka" are often directed to the Shipka Memorial on top of the mountain, not the town, so when asking locals or bus/cab drivers , say "Grad Shipka" (град Шипка - "grad" means town) to avoid confusion. From Sofia Airport To transfer to the central railway or bus station, from terminal 2 you can catch the metro changing once at Serdika station. It costs around 3 BGN and takes around 40 minutes. If you land at terminal 1, there is a free shuttle bus to terminal 2 that leaves every 30 mins until 19.00 hours. See this link for more details on transferring from Sofia airport There are numerous taxis available but be aware they are currently charging around 25 BGN for a transfer to the central bus/train station and often ask for more. It is possible to arrange a private taxi to collect you from Sofia airport to transfer directly to Shipka. This will cost 160 BGN (80 Euro) - please contact us via email to make the booking. By Bus The nearest big town to Shipka is Kazanlak (Казанлъ̀к) around 13 km from Shipka. From the Central Bus Station in Sofia, look out for services to Kazanlak. The usual departure times are: 10:30, 12:00, 15:00, 17:30 for approx. 17 BGN. The 12.00 service does not always run, but when operating it leaves from bus station Serdika, which is just to the left of the central bus station. Direct buses run from from Plovdiv North "Автогара Север" (7:00, 13:30, 15:15 and 16:00), Ruse (9:30) to Kazanlak; for other cities, visit http://avtogari.info and use Google translate for the town names. You may also take a bus to Stara Zagora (more frequent services), and then take a minibus from there to Kazanlak (approx. 4 BGN). By Train The nearest big town to Shipka is Kazanlak (Казанлъ̀к) around 13 km from Shipka, with direct trains from Sofia (3 times a day at time of writing, one very early, one around 13.00 hrs and one very late), Burgas, Varna and some smaller places. From Kazanlak, there are Buses and good hitchhiking possibilities to Shipka. The closest train station to Shipka is Dunavtsi (Дунавци, ca. 6.7 km), however, only local trains stop there and there is no bus to Shipka. (Bulgarian train information system, for international queries try Czech or German site.). You may also take a train to Stara Zagora (more frequent trains), and then take a minibus to Kazanlak (approx. 4 BGN). From Kazanlak Opposite the train station of Kazanlak is the bus station, where the bus no. 6 can take you to Shipka (every half hour on :00 and :30 on a week day and every full hour during the weekend). You can also catch the number 6 bus from the central bus stop (opposite the Grand Hotel). This bus takes around 30 minutes and runs every half an hour until 20.40. Please note there is no 20.00 hr service on any day. The next and last bus of the day is 20:40.The bus fare is around 2BGN. In the centre of town opposite and near the Grand Hotel Kazanlak, there are taxi stands. The taxis are yellow and clearly marked. From the centre of Kazanlak to Shipka the fare should be 10 BGN, certainly no more than 12 BGN. From Istanbul https://turkeytravelplanner.com/go/Istanbul/Transport/bus_ist_sofia.html Huntur buses used to operate from Istanbul bus station to Kazanlak every other day, but it seems the company may have changed hands. Please inquire at Istanbul bus station http://www.otogar-istanbul.com/ By bike or foot (the hiking trail from the Shipka pass to Shipka can be found on OpenStreetMap) With Paraglide from Sopot :) Within Shipka Please click on the map opposite for the location of your arrival destination. For Paul and Sophie's, from the centre (which is the large open asphalt area with various shops and a resturant), face west and go along the main street (Stefan Obreshkov st, Улица Стефан Обрешков). The mountain should be on your right and ahead of you as you follow that road, the golden globes of the monastary on your front right. Dobri Kartalov st. (Улица "Добри Карталов") Take the second intersection on your left Dobri Kartalov st. (Улица Добри Карталов). We are the house on the left corner. You can always ask at the shop in the center for Paul and Sophie if you are unsure or phone +359988342649 |
View Balkan Ecology Project in a larger map Map of Shipka. Click on the map for an enlarged version
If you wish to visit our site please contact us first to arrange a visit at [email protected] 15 Dobri Kartalov St. Shipka 6150Bulgaria 42°42'44.6"N 25°19'46.4"E |