BULGARIA

Bulgaria

Visit Bulgaria and see a beautiful country rich in history and culture. Emerging as a great tourist destination in Europe, you are bound to love it!

What you need to know about Bulgaria

Language: Bulgarian is the national language. It would be wise to learn some basic Bulgarian phrases to help you get by when you travel.

Currency: Bulgarian Lev.

Banking: ATMs are found all over the country and all major cards are accepted.

Weather: In summer is expect to find temperatures over 30 degrees and in winter it is really rather cold!

The Rila Monastery is the biggest Eastern Orthadox monastery in Bulgaria and is also a UNESCO world heritage site.

Visiting Bulgaria will throw up a lot of contradictions and contrasts. It is a country with a tech-friendly, modern and progressive future ahead of it but still has the typical historic remnants of it status as a former Soviet state.

Take the capital city of Sofia. On one hand it is a hub for a growing culture of coffee shops and street art driven by the youth of the city who have grown up in an autonomous country that enjoys EU member status. You can visit some really cool places in Sofia but the biggest draws for tourists remain Alexander Nevsky Cathedral and various teutonic monuments that can be found in the city’s parks for example.

The country has so much more to offer for anyone willing to explore further than a few kilometres from Sofia airport.

Find excellent snow, slopes and ski resorts in Bulgaria

Bansko is a world class skiing venue that has hosted international competitions and skiing holidays for years. The snow is excellent and it is definitely worth checking out if you like to ‘shoop shoop’ down the slopes.

Fun in the Bulgaria sun

Check out Sunny Beach and the nearby town of Nessebar if warmth and sand is more your thing. The town is seriously old and cute while the sands of the beaches stretch for as long as the eye can see with the waters of the Black Sea lapping in inviting you to go for a quick dip.

Cold War gems that will blow your mind

Cold War history fans 100% must visit the abandoned Buzludzha Monument that is a staggering size and presents an amazing view on Soviet architecture and scale. When they meant to build something imposing they certainly achieved it! It is also the site where the Bulgarian Revolution developed from. Although it has fallen into disrepair compared to its heyday it is a fascinating and unique attraction to see with graffiti of a political nature now adorning its walls and imagery of icons like Lenin and Marx featured on its walls.

The Buzludzha Monument in Bulgaria will blow your mind if you have an interest in Soviet-era iconography and history.

Ancient Roman history you can still see

Venturing even further back into history means a trip to Plovdiv with its brilliant outdoor Roman theatres and columns. The structure is one of the finest examples of its kind still standing anywhere in the world and can now still be used as the venue for performances. The town of Plovdiv itself is lovely and has cute cobbled streets and a real old village feel that contrasts hugely to the capital city’s developments.

Explore the great outdoors

Hikers and outdoor fans should hit up the excellent Pirin National Park that comprises glacial lakes, 3,000m mountain peaks and more hiking trails than you can shake a stick at. It is also home to many species of indigenous wildlife that can be seen (mainly not in winter) which even include brown bears so if you go down to the woods park today be a little vigilant so that you can be sure you don’t get a big bear-shaped surprise. In all seriousness though the hiking trails are brilliant, the air is fresh and you can book a stay for the evening in one of the huts in the park land to really get close to nature. There is even a pine tree to be found - the Baykuchevata Macedonian - that is rumoured to be over 1,300 years old so happy hunting for that!