Shipka Monument Monument

Address: Shipka Peak, Shipka, Stara Zagora Province, Bulgaria

The Shipka Monument, often called the Monument of Freedom, is a national memorial in central Bulgaria commemorating those who fell in the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-78. The stone tower was completed and opened in 1934 and stands at about 31.5 metres in height.

The memorial is a multi-level stone tower topped with sculptural work and a lion motif and contains an interior ossuary with remains of Russian and Bulgarian soldiers. Visitors can ascend internal stairways to reach a viewing platform with panoramic views across the surrounding Stara Planina (Balkan Mountains).

Built between the early 1920s and 1934, the monument was erected to mark the defence of Shipka Pass and to honour the soldiers who died in the battles at the pass during the 1877-78 conflict. It incorporates commemorative sculpture, inscriptions and an ossuary as part of its funerary and memorial program.

Sited at Shipka Peak in the central Stara Planina range, the monument overlooks the historic Shipka Pass near the village of Shipka and the valley around Kazanlak in Stara Zagora Province.

• Date and dimensions: Completed and officially opened in 1934, the monument stands roughly 31.5 metres high and commemorates the battles fought at Shipka Pass during the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-78.

What to See#

• Memorial tower: The main stone memorial tower rises from a rocky mound and contains internal stairs leading to a viewing platform that overlooks the surrounding Balkan Mountains.
• Ossuary chamber: An ossuary chamber at the base of the monument holds the remains of fallen soldiers and is incorporated into the memorial’s interior design and commemorative function.

Shipka Peak is reached from the village of Shipka. From Kazanlak it’s roughly a 20-30 minute drive west (about 18 km); from Gabrovo it’s about 25-35 km east. Travel by car on regional roads; there are local signposts for the Shipka Memorial. Coach tours from Kazanlak and Plovdiv are common during summer months.

• Arrive early (before mid-morning) to avoid the coach groups that roll in from Kazanlak and Plovdiv.
• Wear a light jacket: the memorial perches on a windy ridge and afternoons can be surprisingly cool, even in summer.
• Take the road from Shipka village rather than the main highway entrance - it's a shorter walk to the tower and passes several small wartime monuments people miss.