Bulgaria may not be the first place
you think of when planning your vacation, but many Europeans have
already discovered that the eastern destination located on the
coast of the Black Sea has a lot to offer 15 years after emerging
from the communist rule.
Known
as the land of roses, Bulgaria is small with landmass, but large
with ancient culture, scenic beauty and friendly people. Nestled
along the Black Sea between Romania and Greece, Bulgaria provides
tourists with a variety of activities and points of interest most
anytime of the year. However, if you are not a skier or a lover
of colder weather, you may want to plan your travel between May
and October. The summers are hot and dry, spring is mild and pleasant
and the ski season begins in December and can continue into April.
Bulgaria has changed swiftly over
the last decade, though in the villages you can still find folk,
who ride a horse and carriage to work, eat homegrown potatoes
and make their own cheese. The difference now is that they wash
it all down in front of a satellite TV. It is also not a surprise
to see a horse and carriage traveling through the streets of Sofia
(Bulgarias capitol), as well.
There is so much to see along the
countryside that it is almost hard to tell about everything. But
the concatenation of Sofia and the Black Sea will give enough
to tempt your palette and even just traveling from the city to
the sea, the countryside will be diverse and beautiful. One well-known
site is the endless fields of sunflowers.
The
mountains play a large part in the countrys landscape, and
Sofia is located near one of the largest, Mt Vitosha. Mt Vitosha
is a popular ski resort in winter and in summer a chairlift operates
giving sightseers a great way to ogle at the mountains amazing
views. Vitosha is accessible by local bus, making it an extremely
popular Sunday outing for the locals; so take the trip on another
day if you can.
One hotel worth a stay or at least
a drink in the bar is Kopitoto. The hotel is a bit pricey, estimated
cost is about 120 Euros for a double, so if you are on a budget,
you may want to just pop in for a drink or dinner. The hotels
restaurant sits on the side of the mountain and hosts a view of
the city below that is breathtaking.
Like any capital city, Sofia is rich
in museums. The National History Museum has a fine collection,
assembled in 1981 to celebrate 1300 years of Bulgarian statehood.
Thracian gold treasures are spaciously displayed, often singly,
so they can be fully appreciated.
Sofia offers a mix of culture in both architecture
and in cuisine. A walk around the city will show you a variety
of churches and other architectural treasures. The Nevski (Alexander
Nevski Memorial Church) is the largest of such sites and sits
in the city center.
The
Nevski was built in honor of the Russian casualties of Bulgaria's
War of Liberation of 1877-78. It took 30 years to complete with
artists and craftsmen from 6 countries. The interior has Italian
marble, Egyptian alabaster, Brazilian onyx, gold, and mosaics
depicting the sprit of the Eastern Orthodox traditions.
The prettiest church in Sofia is the so-called
Russian Church, St. Nicholas. Its bright yellow tiled exterior,
gilded domes and emerald green spire contrast its dark interior.
Sofia has a slue of restaurants with a wide variety
of cuisines to choose from. If you are traveling during the summer
you will find many of the restaurants and cafes have outdoor seating
and since the days are quite long during the summer and the nights
are warm, youll probably fine the outdoor patios to be of
preferred choice.
Be prepared that the head movements for yes and
no of Bulgarians are opposite to that of the US and other parts
of the world. For instances, the motion for yes is a shake from
side to side and the motion for no is a head nod. There is a slightly
more confusing motion, which consist of a sort of mixture between
the two. I call the motion the bobble, which I am still not a
hundred percent sure, but I think it means maybe. So dont
be surprised when you order your first meal and the server shakes
their head in the traditional no motion and walks
away. You will soon learn that they meant yes and will return
with your order shortly.
The
Black Sea is beautiful calm water. A great place for windsurfing
and other water sports. There are a number of places to visit
along the coast that offer complete a contrast in environments.
Sunny Beach is a popular spot and many tourists choose it for
their beach vacation. The beach is filled in the summer creating
a sea of umbrellas along the white sand. There many restaurants,
discos and other attractions to keep the visitors entertained.
Just
a short trip away from Sunny Beach is the amazing Nesebâr.
Even though it is only a ten minute car ride it is completely
different in feel, still popular with tourist but the town, which
sits on a small rocky peninsula connected to the mainland by a
narrow isthmus, still has remnants of the second-century city
walls, and stone and timber houses that line cobbled stone streets.
It was once of great importance to Byzantium as
a trading town, although many of the 40 churches built in Nesebâr
during the 5th and 6th centuries are now in ruin.
If you are looking for places that are less visited
you can drive along the coast and find a variety of small villages
to choose from, all with their own charm.
Youll
most likely find that souvenirs, admission prices, food and drink,
and all forms of transport (including taxis) are fairly inexpensive.
Although, Sunny Beach and Nesebâr consistently have higher
prices, about double the prices of that in sofia or the countryside.
Anything you can get for the same price as a Bulgarian will be
cheaper than the higher tourist price. When taking
a taxi you should be selective on the ones you choose, sometimes
the drivers will want to charge you more, if they think you dont
know your way around. 2 to 3 Lev should be enough to get around
to most parts of the Sofia. Bulgarian money is in the form of
Lev. 1 Lev (Lv) is equivalent to 100 stotinki.
Cash is easily changed at numerous small exchange
offices, usually for no commission. Travelers' checks are more
of a hassle, as many banks do not accept them, and those that
do will charge a commission of around 5%. ATMs are a common sight
in Sofia and at Black Sea resorts, and cash advances on credit
cards are also available in these areas.
Still, it's best to bring plenty of cash to Bulgaria,
because most businesses do not accept credit cards.
The following is a general range of prices for
meals and lodging:
Meals
Budget: Lv2-8
Mid-range: Lv8-10
High: Lv10-20
Deluxe: Lv20+
Lodging
Budget: Lv10-40
Mid-range: Lv40-70
High: Lv70-100
Deluxe: Lv100+
Like the Greeks the Bulgarian language uses the
Cyrillic alphabet (now I understand what the saying it is
Greek to me truly means..). It is hard to get used to, because
what looks like the letter P, for example is pronounced
like the letter R, not to mention all the added letters
that look more like symbols than letters. However, once you start
to grasp the alphabet, youll find speaking the language
to be quite fun and if you are not able to learn much Bulgarian,
there are many Bulgarians that speak English, especially in the
tourist areas, restaurants and hotels.
As summer approaches and you are looking for a
new place for adventure, consider Bulgaria, you may find it is
a place you want to go more than once.
|