Why you need to visit Bulgaria

[pelikarski]

It’s so cheap

It’s one of the cheapest countries I’ve ever been to, and since the country has abandoned its plan to adopt the euro it’s likely things will stay that way. Average salaries are around $600/month and things in the country are priced accordingly. That means $2 for a cab ride, $4 for a restaurant meal and $5 for a movie ticket.

My hostel in Plovdiv was beautiful; we had real beds instead of bunks, ultra-fast wifi, and a daily breakfast of salami, ham, tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, cheese, fruit, toast, jam, muesli, tea and coffee (most hostels just give you bread and jam). All up it cost me around 45 euro for five nights. Gin and tonics at the bars rarely cost more than $3. Getting connected with a sim card with internet cost me around $5. I managed to get great Airbnbs, bang in the city centre in both Plovdiv and Sofia, for around $20-$30 a night. If you’re looking for an affordable place to travel in Europe, it doesn’t get much better than Bulgaria.

The internet is lightning quick
According to Bloomberg, Bulgaria has the 8th fastest internet in the world – faster than the US, and definitely faster than New Zealand. For someone who works online this certainly had me smiling every morning. If you’re travelling in Bulgaria and decide to take a lazy day of Youtubing, take comfort in knowing you won’t be punching your phone waiting for videos to load (in HD, too!).

Bulgarians are awesome
On my first night in Plovdiv I met up with a Couchsurfer and we headed out for some traditional Bulgarian food before hitting up Fabric – a grungy little bar in Plovdiv’s centre. A few of her friends were there and invited us to sit with them, and we spent the night sipping cheap black russians and chatting the night away. They all spoke great English, welcomed me enthusiastically to their country and were super laid-back and friendly – exactly my kind of people.

As it turned out, this hospitality would continue for the remainder of my visit. Making friends was effortless in Plovdiv, and while I planned to only stay a couple of days I ended up staying in town for two weeks. During my stay I was invited out every single night – to a dinner, a jazz bar, a club, a party – everyone doing their best to ensure Plovdiv left a smile on my face (it did). On my final night in Plovdiv I decided to do it easy, so I headed to one of my favourite bars for one last drink, alone. Yet during the walk home I bumped into two friends who refused to let me head home early for the night. Until the final hour, I was in good company in Plovdiv.

After Plovdiv I only had three short days in Sofia, the capital, but even there it was more of the same. Just friendly, awesome people, everywhere I went. I love Bulgaria.

It’s a little off the grid
Other than Sunny Beach and Varna on the east coast, not many people seem to visit Bulgaria. I probably wouldn’t have either, had I not been trying to run away from Turkey just next door. But as I’ve learned, places like this are always the most fun to explore – few hustlers, low prices, and a genuine look into the country without a sparkling tourist façade. The free walking tours in Sofia and Plovdiv only collected around 6-8 people per day (in bigger cities, you can get up to 30 or 40+) and even the free Sofia food tour, where we ate for free in some of Sofia’s hippest joints, only had about 12. The foreigners you do meet will generally be Erasmus students or people just passing through. If you’re looking for somewhere in Europe that isn’t crawling with tourists a la Paris and London, Bulgaria could be the perfect choice.

It’s safe
Like all places Bulgaria has its shady areas but I wandered around alone during early mornings and late nights and never felt in danger once. Walking home alone past midnight in Plovdiv and Sofia felt safer than most big cities, especially as the streets were generally calm and well lit. Even around 2am I regularly saw girls walking home alone – usually a good sign that the streets are considered safe. Of course you should take your usual precautions and avoid the rough parts of town, but for the most part you can rest easy in Bulgaria.

Everyone speaks English!
Well perhaps not everyone, and perhaps not perfectly, but most will speak enough to understand you and indulge in small conversation. I also met many Bulgarians who spoke near perfect English which was a quite a surprise to me, especially after coming from Turkey where English is almost non-existent. I had been prepared for a big language barrier on my arrival, so it was nice to find I was understood by almost everyone I came into contact with, whether it be in a hostel, a store, a restaurant or coffee shop. Of course, you should still make an effort to learn a little Bulgarian, too. Nazdrave!

Eat!
While not known for their food, Bulgaria makes some pretty delicious stuff. You can start off your day with a few pieces of banitsa, a greasy, delicious, crispy baked pastry filled with something awesome (usually egg, onion or potato). Follow up with a few gallons of ayran – a traditional Bulgarian yoghurt drink (best yoghurt in the world!) Next you might want to indulge a few gulps of tarator, a cucumber, garlic and yoghurt soup. Then get serious and prime yourself with a classic shopska salad – Bulgaria’s trademark cucumber, tomato, onion, cheese and parsley mix, enjoy their very chunky oversized skewers of traditional barbecued meat, eat a few loaves of bread with spreads of Bulgarian lyutenitsa, a tomato and capsicum spread, indulge in a couple of famous Bulgarian kyufte, or stuffed meatballs, and of course, don’t forget a few rounds of rakia, their trademark drink to end the night. Need pics? Here you go.

It’s developed
It’s not Tokyo, but it’s not Phnom Penh, either. Most of your Western comforts will be available if you want them, from McDonalds to H&M to a nice steak dinner at a fancy pants restaurant. I was surprised that it only took me a couple of days before I found an actual juice bar; one that juices real vegetables with a real juicer (more than I can say for France). Bulgaria tends to have a reputation as rather poor and backward in this department, and it is not a rich country by any means, but I found it to be refreshingly modern, at least in the major cities. If I were forced to live here for a year, I’d have no problems at all.

It’s beautiful
Most importantly, Bulgaria is just a beautiful country. After being part of several empires, there is so much history here and you will notice this instantly in the architecture and layout of the cities. Plovdiv is considered the most ancient city in Europe, and the free walking tours in both Plovdiv and Sofia will open your eyes to how many layers of history are hidden here. There is a calm and laid-back energy in Bulgaria, one that makes it easy to visit and easy to like. The people are humble and polite, the streets are calm and it is easy to simply wander and enjoy the country for what it is. I had only planned on staying a few days before moving on, but ended up staying for almost three weeks and still wasn’t quite ready to leave.

I’ll end this post with a massive thank you to all the Bulgarians who showed me love and made my visit something to share and remember. I only hope if you ever visit New Zealand, we manage to do the same for you.

In the meantime, if you’re currently planning a Eurotrip and looking for recommendations, Bulgaria officially has the Bren on the Road stamp of approval.

Enjoy!
http://www.brenontheroad.com/travel-...plovdiv-sofia/

[Katil Georgi]

It’s safe
It's not lethal area (except gypsy quaters like : Stolipinovo or the russian market ).
Anyway , anytime you could be very easy pickpocket .


Everyone speaks English!
This didn't include the peasant areas .

Eat!
My recomendation's
Tripe soup (Shkembe Chorba)

Meatballs , Meatsticks and little steaks (Kiufteta , Kebapcheta , Parzoli) (In lower and medium class restaurants and pubs they called it promotzia or meshena skara (edition) they are served like this with little french fries and the plate weights from 1 kilogram to a kilo and a half (for around 14 levas or 8 euros ) .

For the alcohol i prefer to go directly to the hard one ( all of the beer are already piss )
order yourself Burgas 63 raki



http://www.brenontheroad.com/travel-...plovdiv-sofia/

[pelikarski]

I can only speak to the capital city, Sofia, which my wife and I visited four months ago. We are Americans and have traveled in North America and Europe. We were so happy to have visited Bulgaria, even though it meant having to answer the question "Why would you go to Bulgaria???" over and over again once we got back.

Bulgaria is a place of beauty. There is tremendous history and natural beauty throughout the country. But for Sofia, let me give you a few reasons.

1. Bulgarian history goes w--a--y back. Sofia has churches and ruins that date back to the Roman era. And if you want to go back further than the Romans, you can see artifacts (but not much architecture) from the Thracian period (Iron Age). Bulgaria was part of the Roman empire and then actually had its own empires twice (First Bulgarian Empire 681-1018 and Second Bulgarian Empire 1185-1393). Bulgaria was under Ottoman rule for hundreds of years, and of course was repressed under the Nazis and Soviets for most of the twentieth century. You will see architecture from each of these eras, sometimes side-by-side. You should book a 3-4 hour walking tour with one of the local tour guides. We used V-Travel and highly recommend them.

2. The beautiful, friendly people. When you think of Bulgaria, you might not think of friendly people with helpful attitudes. But you should. We experienced a number of people willing to help us whenever we got lost walking around. And so beautiful! Women in Bulgaria, in particular, are stunning. One walk down the pedestrian street Vitosha Boulevard will convince you of this. The combination of jet black hair, blue eyes and light features is quite amazing. Finding someone who speaks English (at least in Sofia) is not a problem. Look for someone under the age of forty and you can be almost certain they will speak excellent English. The Cyrillic street signs are a bit intimidating, but you can learn the Cyrillic alphabet using online flash card tools in a few days of practice before you start your vacation.

3. It's cheap. Bulgaria is the poorest nation in the European Union. This means that prices for everything are very low. In our experience (coming from the U.S.), most things were half the price we would pay back home. You can use the Numbeo Website to see exactly what prices are (we found it to be pretty accurate). Plus, there is something about spending tourist dollars in a place where you are positively making a difference. Why not spend your money in a poor country rather than France or Italy? We did not find the poverty to be overwhelming; there were certainly beggars in the streets and near the subway stations, but we were never accosted nor were there scores of homeless people that we observed.

4. Sofia's infrastructure is solid. The city of Sofia has an excellent metro system, but you might not even need it because the downtown area is easily walkable for most people. We used the metro after a long day's walk or when we were feeling lazy. Taxis are extremely cheap but you have to be careful to choose a legitimate taxi service. The best way to make sure is to ask your hotel or restaurant to call a taxi for you, rather than hailing one on the street. Sidewalks are usually okay for walking, but when it rains you'll notice the eavespouts empty directly onto the sidewalk, so you have to dodge the torrents of water. The bars and restaurants are modern and convenient. Comfortable chairs, English-speaking wait staff, tasty food and a variety of drink options are the norm, especially in the city center. We were often surprised at how easy it was to get into even the most popular restaurants and bars (we visited in September). It seems like Sofia is ready for the tourist swarms but they haven't quite arrived yet.

5. The Square of Religious Tolerance. It isn't really a "square" at all, but for me it was fascinating that Sofia has an Orthodox church, Catholic church, a mosque and a synagogue all within a few blocks of one another. Bulgarians are very proud of their tolerance of any religions and this square shows their pride. Could America possibly learn from this (I hope)?

6. The modern architecture. Yes, you read that right. Sofia has a number of buildings that are really beautiful examples of artwork as architecture. The Bellisimo Center on Bulgaria Boulevard, the Red Apple Apartment building and others are worth seeking out.

Finally, there are some aspects of Bulgaria that are not that impressive. The food we ate at restaurants was consistently good quality, but there is not a particular Bulgarian cuisine that draws people from around the world like you have in Italy or Hungary. Bulgarian food is a mixture of Turkish and Greek, but nothing special.

Also, we did not find the museums in Sofia to be very compelling. You should certainly visit the National Art Gallery for sure, but several of the other museums were just okay.



I forgot to mention: try the rakia! It is a fruit brandy, but not sweet, like a very smooth combination of vodka and tequila. We've been buying it online ever since we came back to the U.S.
https://www.quora.com/Why-should-I-g...el-destination

[Nurzat]

been with family (waifu and two kids) last year and this year in Bulgaria (Golden Sands last year, Varna this year). we absolutely loved Varna. Golden Sands I suppose is ok but resorts just aren't our thing, we like cities, we like to interact with the locals and blend in, not feel tourist and be closed away in some location where you can only do one thing, like stay on the beach and in the hotel - it's way better in the city, to enjoy the parks, the streets, the city centre, the bars, the architecture. and Varna was awesome, stayed over a week and hope to come back. we'd love to see Plovdiv, Veliko Tarnovo and other places in the area as well, but let's see, it's a long drive to Varna already, over 600km. I've heard Plovdiv is great. we definitely recommend Bulgaria. places like Balchik, Varna, Nesebar, Sozopol, Plovdiv, Etar, Bozhentsi, Veliko Tarnovo are on our to see list already I saw that Musk posted about Belogradchik recently