Beklemeto and Monument Arch of Freedom - part of the incredible beauty of Bulgaria!

The length of the pass is 40,8 km, the altitude of the Beklemeto saddle is 1525,5 m. The Troyan Pass is the highest pass in the Balkan Mountains.

In the 6th century, the passage through the Balkan at Troyan was called "Trail of Trajan" (Greek: τρίβος Τραιανοῦ) In some places in the section are still preserved remains of the ancient Roman road Via Traiana. Here, during the reign of the Roman Emperor Trajan, the construction of the road link began with fortifications around it. North of the passage was the roadside stop Ad Radice, south - Sub Radice. In the section of the Troyan Pass there was also the former roadside stop of Montemno (Monte Aemo), the foundations of which have been preserved. Combining several settlement trails, the road passed through 9 Thracian settlements and fortifications in the lands of the Troyan municipality, the Troyan Pass resort, the Vulcha Fortress peak to the southeast and descended into the section of the village of Hristo Danovo. The route was part of the Escus - Philippopolis road, which was among the most direct connections from the Danube Limes to the province of Thrace. It connected the Danube with the Middle Way, crossing the Hemus via today's Troyan Pass.

Close to the Troyan Pass is the Arch of Freedom monument on Goraltepe Peak (1595 m), located 15 minutes walk east of the highest point of the pass. It is reached by a narrow and paved road, on the south side of the ridge, passing through the locality of Kostov Polugar.

The monument is dedicated to the Russian liberators and Soviet troops - to the Troyan detachment's crossing of the Balkan Mountains and the fighting in early January 1878 during the Russo-Turkish Liberation War, and to the Red Army that entered Bulgaria in September 1944. It is a massive concrete structure with a height of 35 meters. The arch depicts Bulgarian Kaiduts and partisans as well as Russian and Soviet soldiers through bas-reliefs. They were greeted symbolically with bread and salt by women in Bulgarian folk costumes in 1878 and 1944 respectively, which are clearly visible from the north side of the arch.

The monument is on a platform from which the valleys of Beli Osam and Troyan can be seen to the north, while to the south there are views of Sredna Gora, the Rhodope Mountains and Rila, and to the east and west the most famous peaks of the Balkan Mountains, including the highest peak, Mount Botev. The author's collective includes arch. Georgi Stoilov and sculptor Velichko Minekov.