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Balkanets is located 5 km from Troyan in the Central Balkan National Park. It is situated in the valley of the River Knezha, a tributary of the Beli Osam River. Here is the beginning of the Troyan Pass, from the north slopes of the Balkan Mountains, leading to the resort of Beklemeto. Many archaeological excavations have been made in the region, proving that these lands were settled at the end of the Late Paleolithic - 40 000 to 10 000 BC. Large black and red pottery (made by hand or with a potter's wheel) was found from the period when the place was inhabited by the Thracians. The pottery includes vessels of bronze and silver, iron weapons and many tumuli, which proves that the local Thracian population was relatively advanced economically and socially, and had developed a strong cult to its ancestors. One of the oldest Thracian sanctuaries in Hemus (the Balkan Mountains), dated 11-8 century BC, was found in the nearby area of Tulata. Later, these lands became a part of the Roman province of Moesia, and there are still many traces of the Romans from that time. Even today, one may see the remains of the Via Traiana close to the village, named after the Roman emperor Marcus Ulpius Traianus, known for its construction endeavors. This is the best preserved Roman stone road in Bulgaria and the Troyan Pass winds in most of its parts namely through the remains of the Via Traiana. The area is rich in natural attractions, some of which are the reserves of Kozya Stena and Steneto, the saddles of Kashka and Markova Livada, the rock phenomenon of Ushite, Rogachevi Kamani and Sadranata Stena. A small part of the cultural and historical attractions that can be visited in the vicinity of the village of Balkanets are the Troyan Monastery in Oreshak, preserving the wonder making icon of the three-handed Theotokos , the Museum ofFolk Crafts and Applied Arts at Troyan, St. Paraskeva Church in Troyan built in 1835, and later burned and rebuilt after the liberation, the Zelenikovski Monastery of John the Baptist and the Natural History Museum in Cherni Osam, the Ascension Church in Shipkovo built of stone without a dome and a cross on the roof, the Arch of Freedom at the Goraltepe Peak, located within a 15-minute walk from the highest point of the pass of Beklemeto and many others. There are several guest houses and family hotels in Balkanets for the ones willing to enjoy the beautiful scenery, fresh air and tranquility of this village. They offer comfort and hospitality and at the same time they are a convenient starting point for tourism in the Central Balkan National Park.