Contact About

Bulgaria Travel Guide

Bulgaria is a perfect country to visit if you are interested in culture and art. You can find centuries old churches, ruins from the Byzantine and Greek empires, seaside resorts, mountain villages, fantastic museums, and an overall highly affordable experience.

It is enough to mention Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, since it has great architecture, a ski resort, and basically a little bit of something for every single tourist. In fact, tourists can be seen in Sofia every single month of the year.

Bulgaria At A Glance

  • Capital – Sofia
  • Population – Around 7 million
  • Electricity – Standard European Plug – 220v/50Hz
  • Language – Bulgarian
  • Area – 110,910 square kilometers
  • Religion spread – Orthodox 83.8%, Muslim 12.1%, Roman Catholic 1.7%, Jewish 0.1%

Bulgaria Travel Guides To Consider

When To Visit Bulgaria

The very best time you could visit the country is during summer. The months of July and August are the peak season. During spring (the months of April and May), the average temperature drops to around 23 degrees, and autumn (the months of September and October) show average temperatures of 17 degrees.

Many tourists decide to visit during spring and autumn because this off-season time is still very good when it comes to the weather. You will not have to deal with many tourists. If you decide to visit during Winter, you should do so to enjoy some winter activities, like Skiing.

Some festivals worth noting include:

You might also want to enjoy some of the clubs, night clubs, and seaside resorts between July and September.

Expected Travel Costs

The best option available when looking for long distance travel in the country is given by buses and trains. You can find routes all around Bulgaria and fares are reasonable. But, keep in mind that reliability can be low. It is very common to be faced with delays, especially during peak travel seasons. An alternative would be to rent a car of course.

Some costs you can expect for a medium-level travel budget are:

  • Average daily costs per person – $69
  • Local transportation – $14
  • Accommodations – $38
  • Traveling between cities – $36
  • Food per day – $17
  • Entertainment per day – $11

Obviously, costs can be higher in many cases, based on what you are interested in doing or seeing.

Bulgaria Travel Tips

Bulgaria offers several natural, artistic, religious, and historical sights. You can basically find attractions covering so many eras and epochs, spiritual places, people, societies, cultures, and more. Tourists from all around the world will find something that they like. Tourism in Bulgaria is constantly growing.

Some of the really popular attractions you do want to see include:

  • Monasteries – Great examples include Troyan Monastery, Osenovlag Monastery, and Bachkovo Monastery.
  • UNESCO World Heritage Sites – Examples include Rila Monastery, The Thracian Tomb of Kazanlak, Pirin National Park, and the Srebarna Nature Reserve.
  • The Bulgarian Mountains – With some fantastic natural sites like Ledenika, the Erma River, and the Trigrad Canyons.
  • Middle Age Fortreses – Like Tsarevets, Tsari Mali Grad, and the Asenevtsi Fort
  • Ancient Greece city remains.
  • Roman Empire city remains.
  • Historical Architectural Reserves – This includes towns like Bozhentsi and Koprivshtitsa.
  • Sacred Places – Like Rupite and Perperikon

Main Cities To Consider

There are some great cities to visit in Bulgaria, with the top choices being:

  • Sofia – Bulgaria’s largest city and capital, a very old city in Europe with a beautiful town centre, some fantastic national parks, a great nightlife, and an unexpectedly high number of architectural monuments and historic landmarks, over 250.
  • Plovdiv – The second-largest city in Bulgaria, with so many shopping options and parks you can visit. The ancient city area was influenced by different epochs, including Roman, Greek, and modern Bulgarian. You can visit several cathedrals, churches, mosques, and you will enjoy the nightlife.
  • Burgas – Became famous because it has a large commercial port and there is an oil refinery that brought in a lot of business. The waterfront is picturesque, shopping areas are rich, and the downtown area is very welcoming.
  • Gabrovo – A very popular tourist destination offering access to many other cities of interest, like Kazanlak, Tamovo, and Veliko
  • Rousse – Locally referred to as Small Vienna, featuring Baroque architecture  you will not be able to find in other parts of Bulgaria.
  • Pleven – A very important historical city, renowned for the city centre fountains and the beautiful parks.
  • Varna – The third-largest Bulgarian city, a combo of an urban centre and a beach resort. The coast is what you want to experience.

What To Eat When In Bulgaria

We can describe Bulgaria’s food as being rustic. It is well-balanced and wholesome as a whole. It is quite spicy for the overall European cuisine you would expect. Local people do eat a lot of fish and meat, together with several vegetables. Most foods are grilled or stewed and tend to be served with wines, bread rolls, and cheeses.

Some of the most popular dishes you need to try banitsa, Bangsko-style kapama, moussaka, baklava, and stuffed vine leaves. Also, you do want to have some coffee since Bulgarians do enjoy it a lot.