MAP AND LOCATION

Centrally located in Eastern Europe, with a beautiful coastline along the Black Sea rising to spectacular mountains ranges, Bulgaria is a varied country. Eating and drinking is exceptionally cheap with a pint of lager costing about 40p and a three-course meal, with wine, often costing no more than 5 a head. "Bulgaria is truly Europe's best kept secret."

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Regions in Bulgaria

Since 1999 Bulgaria consists of 27 regions (oblasti, singular - oblast), after having been subdivided into 9 provinces since 1987. All are named after the regional capital, with the national capital itself forming a separate region:

Blagoevgrad   Kustendil    Razgrad    Yambol         Vidin
Bourgas          Varna          Rousse      Vratsa
Dobrich           Lovech       Silistra       Veliko Turnovo
Gabrovo          Montana     Sliven        Pazardjik
Haskovo          Pleven        Smolian     Shoumen
Kurdjali           Plovdiv       Sofia          Stara Zagora

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History

History has allotted Bulgaria a difficult and dramatic face. Much has perished, but even more has remained - a rich spiritual world which will show you with the colours, rhythms and melodious songs of living Bulgarian folklore, the unfading beauty of Bulgarian arts and crafts, the gaiety and vivacity of Bulgarian festivals and customs, the piquant taste of Bulgarian cuisine and the delicate fragrance of Bulgarian wines.

The Bulgarian lands are ancient crossroads. It remembers many ancient civilizations and great peoples which wrote the pages of its turbulent history: bronze and iron spears and arrows, ruins of palaces and cities, wise words carved on rocks and stone columns, written on parchment and leather.

The Thracians bequeathed us the famous tombs near Kazanluk and Sveshtari, the unique gold treasures from Panagyurishte and Rogozen. The Hellenes built the beautiful coastal towns of Apollonia, Anhialo and Messambria, and Romans - ancient Aescus, Nikopolis ad Istrum and Nove. Huns, Gothes and Averas later passes through our lands. Around the mid-7th century the Slavs came from the north across the Danube and reached as far as the Black Sea and the Adriatic. They were followed by the Bulgarians of Khan Asparouh...

In fact, there were only three states in Europe in 681: The Western Roman Empire, BULGARIA, and The Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantium)...

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Traditions

You will hear them in the unique rhythm, melody and harmony of the Bulgarian folk songs and chants; your heart will sense them in the merry and healthy joye-de-vivre atmosphere of the rites and celebrations.
You will discern them in the everlasting beauty of the handicrafts, finely woven in the ceramic vignettes and wood carvings, colorful rugs and hammered copper-ware.
You will find them in the exquisite taste of Bulgarian cuisine and in the fine aroma of Bulgarian wines.

Nobody who loves travelling will be able to cover all earth's roads and come to know all worlds...

But anybody could make a journey to knowledge - without forgetting where he started from and without losing the way back...

History has allotted Bulgaria a difficult and dramatic face. Much has perished, but even more has remained - a rich spiritual world which will show you with the colours, rhythms and melodious songs of living Bulgarian folklore, the unfading beauty of Bulgarian arts and crafts, the gaiety and vivacity of Bulgarian festivals and customs, the piquant taste of Bulgarian cuisine and the delicate fragrance of Bulgarian wines

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Culture

It will be omnipresent in your days with unique finds in the museums, including the world's oldest gold; with beautiful collections of works from self-taught old masters to modern painters in the art galleries; with classical concerts and folklore song-and-dance festivals.

One has to see the magnificent Thracian treasures, the monumental but beautiful work of the Greek and Roman cities in order to understand why Bulgaria became the cradle of Slav culture.

For thirteen centuries the Bulgarian has been creating literature, art and music. Bulgarian culture has given the world men of great achievements, unparalleled in history.

In the 9th centurie the brothers Cyril and Methodius, recognised as the patrons of Europe, upset the trilingual dogma and created the alphabet of the Slav peoples.

During the 14th centurie John Koukouzel - The Angel-voiced carried out a reform in Eastern Orthodox church music. Unknown painters created masterpieces which have become part of the UNESCO list of World Heritage.

Born from the power of tradition, modern Bulgarian culture, too, triumphs in the world. A quatrain of the great Bulgarian poet Hristo Botev has found a place in the Sorbonne, Boris Christoff and a whole host of Bulgarian singers have conquered the world's opera stages, the "Mystery of Bulgarian Voices" has astounded melomaniacs, the paintings of Vladimir Dimitrov-The Master can be seen in the world's finest galleries.

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Nature

It will fascinate you with its fantastic creativity, squeezing so much beauty onto such a tiny land - curious rock formations and mysterious caves; sunny seashores with golden sands, quiet coves and romantic capes; majestic mountains with fiery peaks, mirror lakes and shady woods full of scent.

Bulgaria occupies a relatively small area - 111 000 sq. km, but is nevertheless distinguished by generous and varied nature - a sea with a 380 km. long coastal strip and golden beaches, 16 mountains with their own characteristic features, shelters valleys and high plateaus, over 550 curative mineral springs, dozen of unique natural phenomena and 2000 thrilling caves, a healthy climate and diverse flora and fauna.

As a whole Bulgaria's vegetation can be ranked among the Central European forest region, but the influence of the South Russian and Asia Minor regions is also felt. The higher part of Bulgarian mountains are covered by sub -Arctic vegetation, among which juniper forests predominate. In fact, Bulgaria boasts 3000 higher plant varieties - almost twice as many as in England.

More then one quarter of the country's territory is covered with forests. The edelweiss which grows in places difficult of access in the Pirin Mountains and the Balkan Range, is one of the rare plants growing in the country.

Bulgaria is famous for its oleaginous rose which bloom in the Valley of Roses. The Bulgarian tobacco brands are world - famous.

The Bulgarian fauna is no less interesting, with almost 13 000 animal species and subspecies, or about 14 percent of all European species.

Fishing is possible in lakes, dams, mountain brooks and sea, hunting - in special hunting grounds.

The Black Sea coastal stretch faces east and extends over 378 km, its seawater clean and not tidal and its vast eaches covered with fine golden sand. The majority of Bulgaria beaches have been awarded the EU Blue Flag for their environmental excellence. Air temperatures in the summer vary between 23° C and 27°C and sea temperatures vary between 17° C and 25° C, warmer than the Mediterranean. There are more than 240 hours of sunshine in May and September, and more than 300 in July and August. The largest city on Bulgarian Black Sea Coast is Varna (also the third largest city in Bulgaria), located on the northern part of the coast. Another big city is Bourgas, located on the southern coast.

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Cuisine

Gourmets have long since esteemed the merits of Bulgarian cuisine with the verdict that it is tasty, spicy and varied, appealing to one and all. Indeed, who would not like the abundance of fresh vegetables and fruits, juicy meat, grilled or served with piquant sauces, mouth-watering vegetarian dishes, simmered slowly on low heat, the banitsa ( cheese pie) which simply melts in your mouth, and famous Bulgarian yogurt?
The Bulgarian "culinary" geography abounds in delicious specialties and exotic dishes: Bansko-style kapama (meat and vegetables stewed in an earthenware dish), Rhodope cheverme ( lamb roasted on a spit over an open fire), Thracian katmi ( a special type of pancake) and Dobroudjanska banitsa, Danube fish soup and Sozopol-style mussels. The cosy, typically Bulgarian folk-style restaurants will tempt you with Shopska salad and chilled grape brandy, stuffed vine leaves or peppers, kavarma the Miller's Way, monastery-style hotchpotch, moussaka and kebab. The smell of oven-fresh bread rolls is mixed with the fragrance of savoury. Thinly sliced loukanka (flat dry sausage) from Smyadovo, pastarma, feta and yellow cheese are temptingly arranged on ceramic plates. The delicate white wines Dimyat, Misket and Riesling are followed by full reds such as Merlot, Cabernet and Gamza. Cups of steaming coffee are served with sweet jam, pancakes with honey and walnuts or baklava.