Bulgaria (България) is a country in the Balkans on the western side of the Black Sea. It is surrounded by Romania to the north, Serbia to the northwest, the Republic of Macedonia to the southwest, Greece to the south, and Turkey to the southeast. Being located close to the Turkish Straits means the key land routes from Europe to Middle East and Asia pass through Bulgaria.
Understand
Bulgaria is one of the few exotic nations of Europe, due to the fact that it boasts sublime beaches, lovely churches, winter sport opportunities and great hiking, to name a few. Although it has traditionally not been regularly visited by Westerners compared to other European nations, this is beginning to change. It is a beautiful place, with a wide range of activities for a traveller to do.
Climate
Continental in the interior; cold, damp winters with snow in the higher elevations; hot and humid
summers.
summers.
Temperate on the coast; mild autumns, cool winters, mild springs and warm and breezy summers.
Terrain
Mostly mountains with lowlands in north and southeast; highest point : Musala 2,925 m
History
Bulgaria's territory was inhabited by the Thracians (famed for their gold-making, fierce warriors, and the gladiator Spartacus) for thousands of years before being conquered by the Macedonian Empire. Thrace was subsequently incorporated into the Roman Empire and later the Byzantine (East Roman) Empire. The first official data of Bulgaria is in the late 7th century (681 A.D.), when Slavic and Bulgar tribes entered the Byzantine provinces of Thrace, Moesia, and Macedonia and together formed the Bulgarian Empire.
Language
The Bulgarian language is related to Serbian, Russian and other Slavic languages, but contains many international words. Bulgarians consider the Macedonian language to be a dialect of Bulgarian. This is politically controversial, but it is true that Bulgarian and Macedonian are very close to each other and a speaker of one language can mostly understand the other. Bulgarians use the Cyrillic alphabet. This can make the task of getting around the country somewhat difficult if you aren't familiar with this alphabet, as most signs are written in it. However, getting acquainted with the alphabet isn't very difficult and may save you a lot of trouble, especially as many common words are homophones of English or French words.
Get in
Bulgaria is a member of the Schengen Agreement but has not yet fully implemented it. For EU and EFTA (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway) citizens, together with those of Switzerland, an officially approved ID card (or a passport) is sufficient for entry. In no case will they need a visa for a stay of any length. Others will generally need a passport for entry.
See
The 100 tourist sites of Bulgaria, a Bulgarian national movement established to promote national tourism covers some of the more popular sites. A reward scheme is available based on collecting stamps from the sites which encourages tourists to travel and sightsee throughout the country.
The Aladzha monastery (Aladza monastir) near Varna: an old cave monastery built within chalk cliffs surrounded by a forest. Dated around 5th century.
Do
Hiking
It is a popular activity in Bulgaria, where a big choice of regions for a day or multyday walking trips is available. The best time for hiking in the highest parts of the mountains is in summer, between late June and September as the snow is already melted and the weather is dry generally. In winter, snowshoeing and ski trips are possible between December and March, depending on the current snow and weather conditions.The main hiking areas are:
- Balkan Mountains - this mountain chain gives the name of the Balkan Peninsula. It stretches all along the country and is popular among the fans of the long distance hiking trips. One of the famous European Long Distance Routes (E3) follows its main ridge all the way from the west border of the country to the seaside. One of the three national parks in Bulgaria - Central Balkan National Park - is situated here.
- Rila Mountains - The highest point of the Balkans - Mount Musala (2925 m.) is situated in Rila. Beside it, the northwestern parts of the mountain are a popular hiking destination, rich to nature and cultural sights as the Seven Lakes Cirque, Skakavitsa Waterfall (the highest in Rila), Rila Monastery and the area of Malyovitsa. Rila National Park, the biggest in Bulgaria, is situated here.
- Pirin Mountains - Located south from Rila and close to Greece and the Mediterranean Sea, these mountains are famous with the biggest number of sunny days per year among the mountain ranges in Bulgaria. The most popular hiking area is Northern Pirin. Its highest peak - Mount Vihren (2914 m.) is on a third place on the Balkans, after Musala in Rila and Mount Mitikas in Greece. Another popular route follows the main ridge of the mountains, crossing a landmark, called "The Foal" - a very tiny part of the ridge, which is secured and accessible for hikers. Pirin National Park is established to protect the nature in these mountains. Pirin is also famous with a number of blue high mountain glacier lakes.
- Rhodope Mountains - This is the largest mountain range in the country, located near the south border of Bulgaria. The landscapes here are quite different than in Rila and Pirin - there is no such a jagged peaks, but endless "sea" of green hills and a number of small villages between them. Rhodopes offer a lot of opportunities for easy hiking in combination with getting to know the local culture and traditions. The area is inhabited from an old time and nowadays both Christians and Muslims live here and contribute to the unique local culture.
Sleep
Finding an accommodation in Bulgaria is very easy, for any price. You can find everything - from hostels in Sofia and Plovdiv, very cheap boarding houses along the coast to inexpensive hotels in all cities and luxury hotels in large cities. There are many "mountain huts" or villas available for rent all around the mountains in the country. Overnight accommodations can also be acquired at about a dozen of the monasteries. There are also plenty of guest houses and villas. Bulgaria is famous for offering quality budget accommodation for rural and ecological tourism in charming small towns in its mountains as well as at the seaside. In some of the coastal villages, elderly ladies often approach tourists disembarking from coaches and trains, offering accomodation in boarding houses. These can often be excellent value for money (from as little as $5 a night) and can offer an authentic experience, however its recommended you check these out before you agree on a stay.
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