Bulgaria - Traveling to interesting places on our planet

Bulgaria is a country of soft feta cheese, wine and sweet peppers. It is known as an inexpensive Black Sea resort.

There is no oriental pomp and ostentation here, like in Turkey, for example. Everything is more modest and not on display. But there are quite a lot of sunny days here, the sea is warm, the holiday is calm, and the road is short. Good service and not very expensive. And Europe.

The main thing about the country

An 8-night holiday will cost from 70,000 roubles for two, in high season – from 100,000 roubles.
The trip from Moscow and back will cost from 20 thousand rubles.
The time difference with Moscow is minus 1 hour. Summer/winter time is in effect.
The official name is the Republic of Bulgaria, the capital is Sofia.
The official language is Bulgarian. The hotel staff speaks English. The older generation knows Russian quite well. If desired, even with an absolute lack of knowledge of Bulgarian, you can understand your interlocutor. Turkish and Gypsy are also spoken here.
Geographically, Bulgaria is located in South-Eastern Europe, in the Eastern part of the Balkan Peninsula. It borders Greece, Turkey, Serbia, Macedonia, Romania. The eastern part is washed by the Black Sea.
The climate is determined by the location of a particular zone. On the Black Sea coast and in the southern regions of the country, the climate is closer to subtropical, in the rest of the territory it is moderately continental.
The attitude towards tourists is friendly.

Customs

Customs control is carried out in accordance with the rules of the European Union. Imported/exported cash in the amount of 10,000 euros must be declared.

When to go

The high season is from late June to late August. The beach season begins in late May and ends in late September. Ski resorts open in December, and the ski season ends in March or April, depending on the resort.

Holidays and non-working days

January 1st – New Year in Bulgaria, St. Basil’s Day, a national holiday;
January 6 – Epiphany in Bulgaria (Jordan’s Day);
February 2 (February 14, old style) – Tryphon Zarezan (wine growers’ holiday);
March 1 – Grandmother Marta – Martenitsy (arrival of spring);
March 3 – Day of Liberation of Bulgaria from the Ottoman Yoke, a national holiday;
May 1 is Labor Day, a national holiday;
May 6 – Day of Bravery, Day of the Bulgarian Army, St. George’s Day (national holiday);
May 11 – Day of Saints Cyril and Methodius;
May 24 – Holiday of Bulgarian Culture and Slavic Literature;
June 2 – Day of Botev and those who died for the freedom of Bulgaria;
September 6 – Bulgarian Unification Day;
September 22 – Bulgarian Independence Day;
November 1 – Day of People’s Awakeners;
December 8 – Students’ Day;
December 24 – Christmas Eve, a national holiday;
December 25 is Christmas, a national holiday.

Currency

The national currency is the lev, equal to 100 stotinki. Banknotes in denominations of 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 leva, as well as coins of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 stotinki and 1 lev are in circulation.

Large stores and institutions have ATMs. Bank cards are accepted for payment in most large hotels, stores and shopping centers.

Prices

A room in a middle-class hotel will cost 100 leva, lunch in a middle-class restaurant per person will cost 15-20 leva.

The cost of travel on public transport is 1 lev.

Renting a compact car will cost between 30 and 55 euros per day.

Beaches

Beaches in Bulgaria occupy about half of the coastline, the best of them are marked with the Blue Flag. Clean, sandy or with shell rock, well-groomed. Most of them are free.

Sunny Beach. The beach is 10 km long. The sand is golden, the entrance to the sea is gentle. Ideal for relaxing with people. The beach is free.Water temperature+7 Jan+6 Feb+6 Mar+9 Apr+16 May+21 June+24 July+25 Aug+23 Sen+18 Oct+13 Nov+9 Dec

Mojito, Riviera, Central. Beaches of “Golden Sands”. With a gentle entrance to the water. The most crowded of them is Central. The beaches are free, you will have to pay for sun loungers. The coastline stretches for 3.5 km.
Central, Harmanite, Kavatsite in Sozopol. The quietest of them is Kavatsite, located a little further from the city center.
Northern beach in Burgas. Situated next to the mud lakes. Vacationers have the opportunity to wash off the healing mud in the sea.
Beaches in Pomorie. With a gentle entrance to the sea and sand of gray-brown color. This shade is explained by the high content of magnetite. The sand warms up well and promotes quick tanning.

Resorts

Bulgaria has always been famous for its abundance of sun, golden sands and clean sea. All this is true. Add to this a friendly attitude towards tourists, a high level of service and relatively low prices for vacations.

Sunny Beach. The most famous and largest resort in Bulgaria on the Black Sea coast. Operates under the Blue Flag.
Review. Developing, not yet the most famous resort. In the future, it may become an alternative to Sunny Beach. Good for a holiday with children.
Golden Sands. A crowded and noisy resort, loved by young people. Lots of entertainment, night clubs, casinos. There is a nudist beach. The resort has been awarded the Blue Flag.
Sozopol. An ancient resort town. Calm, unhurried, surrounded by peaceful landscapes.
St. Constantine and Elena. One of the oldest resorts in Bulgaria. Famous for its terminal springs. Situated in a unique natural location – on the seashore surrounded by forests. Vacationers are offered a huge selection of health treatments.
Elenite. Modern tourist complex with well-developed infrastructure. The main mass of hotels are 4 and 5, as well as villas 3.
Sveti Vlas. The air of this resort is considered to be healing, helping to cure lung diseases. The distinctive feature is ideal cleanliness everywhere and well-organized public order protection.
Burgas. A major tourist center, located in the southeast of the country. Hotel rooms for the high season are booked in advance.
Pomorie. It is located near Burgas. This resort is characterized by a calm, measured rest. People come here with children, even with infants.
Sinemorets. Situated near the Turkish border, in close proximity to the Sandzha Nature Park. A small seaside village, famous for its beautiful and clean beaches with small shells. There are also two wild stone beaches.
Albena. The resort has been known since socialist times. The level of service is high, there is all the necessary infrastructure. There are bars and casinos. Vacationers are offered a variety of entertainment.

In winter, Bulgaria is of interest to lovers of alpine skiing. The season lasts from November to April, and at this time you can also visit balneological resorts (the conditions are the same as in summer, but the prices are significantly lower).

The main ski resorts of the country:

Bansko. It is rightfully considered the best ski resort in Bulgaria. Several tracks of varying difficulty are open, including cross-country tracks. The total length of the ski track is 56 km.
Borovets. The oldest and largest ski resort in the country. The trails are downhill, cross-country, there are jump ramps. You can book excursions to the mountain peaks, but only with guides.
Vitosha. The highest mountain resort. The length of the slopes is 4,500 meters, the longest descent is 3 km long. Small. The infrastructure includes several small hotels and rental housing from local residents.
Pamporovo. We are loved by tourists for its mild climate and large number of sunny days during the season. There are several trails of varying difficulty. The total length of the trails is 25 km plus 30 km of cross-country skiing.
Dobrinishte. It is both a ski resort and a spa resort. Its assets include four main trails, mineral springs and the Bezbog National Park. There are restaurants serving local cuisine, bars and entertainment venues.
Chepelare. The youngest ski resort. The main attraction is 300 sunny days a year. 7 trails are open, a ski school operates. There is no entertainment here at all.

Attractions

There are many attractions and iconic places in Bulgaria. Wherever you are in the country, there is always an old church, an amphitheater or strange stones in the immediate vicinity.

Among the most visited places:

Nesebar. One of the oldest cities in Europe. Free concerts are held in the amphitheater in the evenings.
The old town in Sozopol. It is quite small, only three cobbled streets with old houses, but charismatic.
Plovdiv. A cozy, unhurried old town. Many buildings have been preserved from ancient times.
Stone forest. A unique geological natural monument. Tourists note the unusualness and even mystery of these places. They say that to feel the atmosphere, you need to touch the stones.
Aladzha Monastery. Small, only a few rooms. Situated in a picturesque place. To get there, you have to climb up 200 meters from the road.
Tsarevets Fortress. A huge territory with a beautiful view of the city.
Rila Monastery. Considered the main shrine of Bulgaria. Situated near Sofia. Under UNESCO protection.
Queen Maria’s Palace. Summer residence with a minaret and a botanical garden. Quite modest, built in 2 floors. Tourists have the opportunity to sit on a stone throne, it is not forbidden.
Alexander Nevsky Cathedral. Located in Sofia. Majestic, it can accommodate up to 5,000 people.
Wine Museum in Pleven. There are two tasting rooms and a museum exhibition. The museum collection includes 12 thousand wine brands.

Entertainment

It is difficult to name anything extraordinary in terms of entertainment. Tourists are offered swimming, water skiing, yachting, parachute flights, banana boat rides and many other seaside attractions.

Bulgaria is traditionally perceived as a place for family holidays, but in recent years more and more young people have been coming to the resorts. Foam parties are held in hotels, bars are open. In the evening and at night there is another expanse – discos, dance floors. Night clubs are open until 5 am. The advantages are not too cocky prices, a sea of music and pleasure from communication.

For children there are other entertainments. Zoos, water parks, playgrounds and towns, amusement park, various attractions.

Kitchen

The national cuisine of Bulgaria is similar to Turkish and Greek – it has a lot of salads, stewed and fresh vegetables, meat, soups, cheeses, natural yogurt. Main courses are prepared mainly from pork and poultry. The cuisine is moderately spicy, simple, but filling.

What to try in Bulgaria:

Banitsa. Layered pie made from thin yeast-free dough with a filling of feta cheese, meat or fruit.
Tarator. A cold soup reminiscent of okroshka. Prepared with sour milk, chopped herbs and garlic.
Shopska salad. Reminds me of Greek, good for a hot day.
Shepherd’s salad (ovcharska). Prepared on the basis of shopska with the addition of mushrooms, ham, cheese. Without mayonnaise.
Pile s bilki. Chicken with herbs. It is chicken pieces stewed with butter, oregano, basil and a mixture of “sharena salt”.
Agnieszko pecheno s drob sarma. Traditional pilaf with young lamb giblets. This is not the classic pilaf as we understand it. The cooked meat and rice are poured with a mixture of eggs and sour milk, then simmered in the oven for several hours.
Shkembe chorba. Hot soup made from sheep offal with spicy garlic sauce and hot pepper.
Shish. Shashlik. Please note, the portions here are large.
Moussaka. This Greek dish is prepared here “everyone in their own way”, adding or excluding certain ingredients.
Kavarma. Meat baked with onions and spices. Served in every restaurant.
Sarmi. Very similar to our cabbage rolls. The filling is wrapped in cabbage or grape leaves.
Kyufte and kebapche. Grilled cutlets. You can order them in a restaurant, or you can buy them on the street.
Apple pie. Apple pie made from shortcrust pastry. Served with tea or wine.
Of course, they cook fish, seafood, and all kinds of roasts here. By the way, they also have Olivier salad here.

Souvenirs

Gifts and souvenirs can be bought in shops, shopping centers, street stalls. Prices for clothes are almost the same as in Moscow. It makes sense to pay attention to it during traditional European sales.

In Bulgaria the most popular destinations among tourists are:

Shoes. In Bulgaria they sell a lot of Turkish and Italian shoes of good quality.
Cosmetics based on rose oil. We recommend buying in brand stores. Local residents and tourists are in demand for brands Refan, Biofresh series Rose of Bulgaria, Bulgarian Rose.
Perfumed lozenges with rose oil. After using them, the skin smells of rose oil. The aroma lasts up to 6 hours.
Silver jewelry. They are very diverse. You can buy bracelets, rings, earrings.
Ceramics. Local products are easily recognizable thanks to their original painting and characteristic bright colors – red, white, blue, yellow, green.
Textiles. They sell bed linen, towels, blankets of excellent quality. We recommend paying attention to products with national embroidery.
Shaggy carpets. They are made from sheep wool or woolen threads. As a rule, they are handmade.
Copper utensils. In Bulgaria, a great variety of kitchen utensils and dishes are made from copper, the second most popular metal in the country after silver.
Leather goods. Good quality, solid. Belts, bags, wallets, gloves and world-famous leather vests are brought from Bulgaria.
Kukerskie (carnival) masks. They are worn to see off Maslenitsa. An authentic souvenir.
Medicines. There is quite a large selection of medicines in Bulgaria, and they are cheaper than in Russia. For help in choosing, we recommend contacting a pharmacist, they all have higher pharmaceutical education.
Lyutenitsa. Vegetable paste made from boiled eggplants, sweet peppers, zucchini, tomatoes, with the addition of garlic and hot peppers. The degree of spiciness varies.
Rose petal jam. The country’s calling card. An acquired taste.
Honey. Acacia, sunflower, lavender, black Manov honey. One of the most popular products is cream honey, that is, whipped. We recommend buying it at honey fairs.
Turkish delight, spices, herbal teas – these can also be brought from here.

Transport

The best way to travel around the country is by bus, the cost of travel depends on the distance.

The cities have a developed network of ground public transport – trolleybuses, buses, and minibuses. In Sofia, trams are the most common. Single tickets for travel can be bought at kiosks or from tram drivers.

Taxi cars are painted yellow, which means that the car has a telephone connection. Day and night rates differ. The average cost of a trip is 0.3 – 0.5 euros per kilometer.

Car rental is possible. The renter must have at least 2 years of driving experience and be at least 23 years old.

There is rail transport, the total length of the country’s routes is 4,300 km. For comparison, the length of motorways is 36,720 km.

Safety

Due to the influx of refugees from the Middle East, cases of theft and robbery have become more frequent. We recommend that you observe traditional safety measures – avoid walking in deserted places, do not visit gypsy quarters or walk in their immediate vicinity, do not leave valuables and money in the car. It is advisable to park expensive cars in guarded parking lots.

We also do not recommend driving cars to military bases (the Novo Selo training ground near Sliven, the Bezmer airbase near Yambol, and the Graf Ignatievo airbase near Plovdiv) and taking photos or videos there.

Medicine

The epidemiological situation in the country is calm.

The country’s healthcare system is well developed, the level of medical care is quite high. There are pharmacies on duty, working around the clock.

Tourists must have medical insurance that guarantees emergency medical care (limit up to 12,000 leva – amount of compulsory insurance, and 15,000–20,000 leva – amount of voluntary insurance), as well as emergency dental care (limit 500 leva for all levels).

Traditions

The norms of conduct in the Republic of Bulgaria correspond to the established norms of conduct of a European state.

Internet

Mobile communications are widespread. Internet coverage in major cities is available in the 3G channel. The connection is good and stable.

There are three major operators in the country – VivacomBG, M-tel and Telenor (previously the company was called GlobulBG). The most expensive of them is M-tel, the other two have approximately the same cost. Most tariffs include mobile Internet services.

SIM cards are sold in communication stores; you will need a passport when purchasing.

Useful facts

The network voltage is 220V.
To drive on motorways, you must stick a vignette with the names of populated areas on your windshield.
Parking fees in the centres of major cities in Bulgaria are charged based on the zone – blue or green. If payment is not made on time, cars are towed to a penalty parking lot.
Public toilets operate in places with large crowds of people, in large stores and shopping centers.

Local laws

It is not recommended to take photographs near military facilities.