The main road heading south out of Troyan takes the high-mountain route over the Troyan Pass, but just after the end of town, two turn-offs give access to a couple of attractive side valleys. The northern turning heads up the Râzhdavets valley, at the top of which sits the village of SHIPKOVO , sandwiched between steep wooded slopes with a small spa resort at its western end. Served by five buses a day from Troyan, it's an unassuming, family-oriented destination where people flock to use the open-air swimming pool in summer. There's a cluster of trade-union rest homes and hotels, all of which can be booked through the Troyan tourist office: your first choice should be the Zhiti Hotel (tel 06966/661, fax 262; US$18-36), a three-star place with ensuite rooms and satellite TV. A notch lower in terms of comfort, the Villa Borovets (tel 06966/251 or 625; US$9-18), is a cosy family-run place, but with shared facilities. Beyond Shipkovo, the road winds its picturesque way over the hills towards Ribaritsa and Teteven.

The middle turning follows the Beli Osâm River towards the village of Beli Osâm , an unspectacular place with a small number of private rooms , such as at the Haik house (tel 06965/734; US$9-18). The village stretches lazily along the roadside for several kilometres before fading imperceptibly into the attractive settlement of CHIFLIK (five daily buses from Troyan), squeezed between narrowing valley walls. There are some very comfortable private rooms (US$9-18) here; look out for roadside signs advertising the Radoslava (tel 06961/208) or Ilian houses, or contact the Troyan tourist office for other addresses and advance bookings. At the far end of Chiflik the road peters out beside a small complex of spa-related rest homes and another, much grander, open-air swimming pool, fed by mineral water which arrives ready-warmed from local springs. From the road end, a steadily worsening asphalt track continues for 4km towards the Haidushka Pesen   hut (you can drive part of the way but you'll have to walk the last bit), which is the starting point for the two-hour hike to the Kozya Stena ridge and, a little way beyond, the Kozya Stena   chalet .

Continuing south along the main road, you'll begin to climb slowly through dense forests towards the Troyan Pass , past the fledgling ski-centre of Beklemeto just below the summit. A wonderful panorama appears as the road crosses the 1450m-high pass, with the Stryama valley receding towards the Sredna Gora, and its highest peak Mt Bogdan (1714m), and the Plain of Thrace beyond leading to the bluish silhouette of the distant Rhodopes. At the foot of the mountains lies Kârnare , a nondescript town where you can catch regular buses or trains into the neighbouring Valley of the Roses . The pass is accessible via a daily Troyan-Plovdiv bus that currently leaves Troyan at 7am, returning from Plovdiv at 1.30pm (mid-April to mid-October only).