BULGARIA

BULGARIA / БЪЛГАРИЯ.

Landscapes.
Vrattsata (Вратцата) or Vratsa Pass.
First stamp in a set of 6, issued on 26.10.1964.
Face value: 1 Bulgarian stotinka.
Printing: Photogravure.
Print: 10,000,000 copies.
Size: 22 x 33 mm.

Catalogs
- Michel No. 1470.
- Scott No. 1372.
- StampWorld No. 1482.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 1481.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 1285.

The Vrattsata Pass is a narrow passage amidst the tall cliffs formed by the Leva River, in the Vrachanski Balkan, which is part of the Balkan Mountains. It is located between the towns of Vratsa (393 m, or 1,289 ft, above sea level) and Zgorigrad (465 m, or 1,525 ft), in northwestern Bulgaria. In the Middle Ages, it was called Vratitsa and remains of the fortress of the same name (10th - 12th centuries) are preserved in it. The sheer cliffs of Vrattsata are the highest on the Balkan Peninsula (over 400 m, or 1,312 ft) and are the most popular climbing spot in Bulgaria. The third category road III-1002 runs through the pass. It was declared a natural monument in 1964, with an area of 2 hectares, and is part of the Vrachanski Balkan Nature Park.