Welcome to Bulgaria. Easily accessible from all corners of the world. Especially from within Europe, Bulgaria is just a few hours away at most! There’s the low-cost airlines now, that connect the capital Sofia with many other West-European cities. WizzAir now even has an inland flight to Varna, on the coast. Then there’s Ryanair connecting Sofia and Plovdiv, the second largest city, to other countries. These flights are affordable, for sure outside the high season. Train connections between the Balkan countries are available, just not between Bulgaria and Macedonia directly. There’s good bus transport between all countries and cities so you shouldn’t experience any trouble getting into Bulgaria.

Bulgaria is quite easy to navigate as well. Especially so when you hire a rental car. Even though traffic in the Bulgarian capital might seem daunting at first, once you get behind the wheel you will certainly be fine! Once you’re out of the city, you will find that most roads are quiet and you can drive at a leisurely pace. The roads are pretty much open to go wherever you wish. And, there are endless itineraries! The signs are both in Cyrillic as well as in Latin script. You can easily download an offline area map on your phone. Or take GPS. Still, should you find yourself lost, you can always ask the people! They will go out of their way to help you find your destination. That’s surely a good reason to visit Bulgaria, its people!

Asen's Fortress	Ovech Fortress	Koprivshtitsa

They then, after many generations, came to inhabit the Thracian and Slavic areas of what is now Bulgaria. It is surprising to many but the Cyrillic script is actually from Bulgaria. In the First Bulgarian Empire (681–1018), the ancient Bulgarian capital Pliska had the Preslav Literary School. It was founded in 885. There, the script was developed and named after the brothers Saints Cyril and Methodius. They created the Glagolitic alphabet earlier on, which then formed the basis of the Cyrillic alphabet, together with the Greek Uncial script. Uncial script is written entirely in capital letters and it was used to write in both Greek and Latin. The Cyrillic script spread in the form of literature and became known as Old Church Slavonic, which is now extinct. Regional varieties, especially spoken, resulted in the differences we have in Slavic languages today. Still, many countries in Eastern Europe, as far as into Asia, use the Cyrillic alphabet.
 

The Wonderful Bridges	Stara Planina Mountain	Zheravna

Needless to say, a good reason to visit Bulgaria is the country’s tremendous history. Bulgaria holds an important position in Europe. Bulgaria is truly on the crossroads between West and East, on the border of the European Union. Surrounded by countries with completely different people, cultures and languages. The country was home to so many tribes over the past thousands of years - and was under Ottoman rule for over five hundred years as well. Many left their footsteps on the Bulgarian soil, yet the national identity always remained. It is fascinating to just imagine the fact that Bulgarian culture, folklore and literature survived strong suppression for hundreds of years. The Bulgarian soul has known hardship and yet it still thrives. People realize the historical wealth they have – the golden treasures found in for example Varna and Panagyurishte, as well as many other Thracian remains found all over the country. Most major cities in the country have a historical museum where you can see many findings. In Sofia, the Archaeological Museum in the center as well as on the southern ring road have the most varied displays.
 

Literary geniuses such as Ivan Vazov and national heroes like Vasil Levski and Hristo Botev are still honoured until today, many historical figures even have national holidays devoted to them. Century-old monasteries are dotted all over the country, as well as remains of ancient fortresses that can be visited. For example, the fortress above Lovech city or Ovech fortress in Provadia town. Most importantly, in terms of history, the stories of the people, that tell of battles that have taken place which are largely unheard of in history classes in other countries. Battles that have been responsible for the shaping of Europe as we see today. If you are interested in history, you should not have a dull moment in Bulgaria. And if history is not what you’re exactly interested in, it will still overwhelm you. Bulgaria’s history will drag you along, you feel it in every city and village and in every street.

Lovech	Karlovo	Chavcha Waterfall

You see history in the layers of architecture in central Sofia, where ancient churches are facing socialist structures and modern, glass-faced buildings. The Boyana church on the outskirts of Sofia, or the Rila monastery at just 170 kilometres from the capital. The Roman theatre of Plovdiv, which is one of the best preserved theatres worldwide! It’s from the First Century so two thousands years old, and still leaves spectators in awe. If you’re in Bulgaria in summer, you might just be in luck and attend an open-air show, which will make you feel like you’re part of the setting, in this city that had its first inhabitants in the 6th millennium BC! You’ll find a completely different atmosphere wandering through Zheravna, where the streets are lined with over two hundred wooden houses from the Bulgarian National Revival period (18th and 19th century). All just fascinating!

Bulgaria boasts several types of landscapes on a small territory. Steep mountains, green hills, deep canyons and endless sunflower fields. The beaches and pine forests, the cliffs and many rock formations. Bulgaria truly has a lot to offer. Nature is safe and yet it is wild – you can truly get lost in the endless forests. If you'd cross Bulgaria, the main thing you notice is how much nature the country has. It's everywhere – almost each town is surrounded by forests that you can just walk into. Also, much of the nature remains freely accessible so you won't come across any fences holding you back. The number of marked trails you can follow is increasing quickly. You can truly feel like a free man in Bulgaria – endless possibilities for exploration such as hiking, riding bikes and for thrill-seekers, how about paragliding?

The Roman theatre of Plovdiv	Rila Monastery	Boyana Church

There's large mountain huts, where hikers can spend the night and gaze at the stars. Or, enjoy the hot mineral water sources at for example Banya and Hisarya near Karlovo, in central Bulgaria. Get a luxurious spa treatment – feel completely regenerated after a mud bath or wine-thermal therapy. Or, how does a wellness body therapy with natural rose oil sound? Options are endless and in few places around the world is wellness as accessible as in Bulgaria. Combine your wellness retreat with some nature and history – the Sredna Gora mountains are just southwest of the Karlovo region. Koprivshtitsa town is one of the country’s main sights. It played a major role in the country’s National Uprising against the Ottoman occupation. Still, typical Bulgarian architecture can be admired and some truly good Bulgarian dishes should be tasted! Koprivshtitsa regularly hosts famous folklore festivals, when the town is dressed up in traditional clothing and people dance through the streets.

Then there’s Karlovo itself, the birthplace of national hero Vasil Levski as well as an access point to the Stara Planina mountains and the Rose Valley. The area, cultivated fore many centuries, produces world-famous Bulgarian rose oil and perfumes. Did you know 85% from the world’s rose oil production has roses from this valley? Make sure to visit the Suchurum waterfall right next to Karlovo, or how about tasting a good Bulgarian wine in the old town, which managed to keep the spirit of the Bulgarian National Revival? From Karlovo, you could head south to Plovdiv – one of Europe’s oldest cities – or Asenovgrad with Asen’s fortress and the Chudnite Mostove natural bridges a bit farther into the Rhodope mountains. Then, visit towns at the foot of these mountains, such as Krichim. Or, head for the Rila Mountains - Kostenets with its Chavcha waterfall or the ski resort Borovets are on your way back to Sofia – so make sure to do some hiking as well. Borovets, in the middle of green forests, is popular for hiking but you could always come back to ski as well – you will then again get a completely different view of Bulgaria. In short, Bulgaria has it all. We haven’t even discussed the seaside yet! Either way, we will develop an itinerary with you. Go wherever the road and your senses might take you!

Read more fantastic stories about Bulgaria: https://www.leondeleeuw.net/travel-bulgaria

by Leon de Leeuw Website: https://www.leondeleeuw.net/ Youtube: Visit