Varbitsa Pass

{{Short description|Mountain pass in Bulgaria}}

{{Infobox mountain pass

| name = Varbitsa Pass

| photo = Varbishki prohod 2.jpg

| photo_caption =

| elevation_m = 900

| elevation_ref =

| traversed = Road

| location = Bulgaria

| range = Balkan Mountains

| coordinates = {{coord|42|55|39|N|26|40|6|E|type:pass_region:BG}}

| topo =

}}

Varbitsa Pass ({{langx|bg|Върбишки проход}} {{IPA|bg|vɐrˈbiʃki ˈprɔxot|}}) is a mountain pass in the Balkan Mountains (Stara Planina) in Bulgaria. It connects Shumen and Petolachka crossroads.

The famous Battle of Pliska was fought in the pass on July 26, 811 between the armies of Bulgarian Empire led by Khan Krum and the Byzantine Empire under Nicephorus I which ended with a decisive Bulgarian victory and the death of the Byzantine Emperor.{{Cite book | last = Zlatarski | first = Vasil N. | authorlink = Vasil Zlatarski | title = Medieval History of the Bulgarian State, Vol I: History of the First Bulgarian Empire, Part I: Age of Hun-Bulgar Domination (679-852) | publisher = Science and Arts Publishers, 2nd Edition (Petar Petrov, Ed.), Zahari Stoyanov Publishers, 4th Edition, 2006 | year = 1918 | location = Sofia | language = Bulgarian | url = http://www.kroraina.com/knigi/vz1a/index.html | isbn = 954-739-928-4}}{{Cite book | last = Runciman | first = Steven | authorlink = Steven Runciman | title = A History of the First Bulgarian Empire | publisher = G. Bell & Sons, London | year = 1930 | url = https://www.questia.com/library/book/a-history-of-the-first-bulgarian-empire-by-steven-runciman.jsp}}