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Bulgaria

Name: Ultimate European
Brand: Contiki
Price: 6860 USD
Availability: InStock
Rating: 4.8 (219 reviews)

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Travel in Bulgaria

Bulgaria is one of Europe's oldest countries, home to a fascinating culture and cities that go back further than Rome. In terms of attractions it's hard to beat: you can sunbathe on the many beaches of the Black Sea coast, hit the slopes at ski resorts like Pamporovo or Vitosha Mountain and marvel at natural landmarks like the Belogradchik Rocks.

FAST FACTS
Language: Bulgarian
Currency: Lev
Electricity: 230V
Visas: Click here to see if you need a visa to enter Bulgaria.
Dialing Code: +359
Time Zone: (GMT+02:00)

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Things to do in Bulgaria

With magnificent mountains, beautiful beaches and captivating cathedrals, Bulgaria has plenty on the locker. Here's our guide to the top Bulgarian attractions.

Top up your Tan at Sunny Beach

Located on the Black Sea coast around 100km south of Varna, Sunny Beach is the largest and most popular of Bulgaria’s seaside resorts. Here you'll find over 5 miles of soft, sand dune fringed beaches with reliable sunshine, wonderfully warm waters and famously lively nightlife.

Visit the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Sofia

Famed for its stunning gilt domes and beautiful murals, this vast Bulgarian Orthodox cathedral is the most distinctive and most visited of Sofia attractions. It was completed in 1912 and can hold several thousand people, making it comfortably the largest church in the country, and seeing it is a Bulgaria travel 2015 essential.

See the Rila Monastery

Bulgaria's most famous monastery was founded in the 10th century, by a Bulgarian hermit monk named Ivan of Rila. Located in a valley in the Rila Mountains in stunning Rila National Park, it's a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is famed for its beautiful architecture and fabulous frescoes, as well as its appearance on the back of the Bulgarian 1 lev note!

Take a Bulgaria Ski or Snowboard Trip

Skiing in Bulgaria is alive and kicking, with a selection of excellent, low-cost resorts where you can get your winter fix. Located in the Pirin Mountains in the southwest of the country, Bansko is the largest and most popular of the lot, offering the longest runs and the most exuberant nightlife.

Stroll through Plovdiv Old Town

Bulgaria's second city was inhabited as far back as Neolithic times, making it one of the oldest in the world. Situated on the banks of the Maritsa River and spreading picturesquely over seven hills, it's famed for its many Ottoman mosques and fascinating archaeological sites, with highlights including the Plovdiv Roman Theatre, one of the best preserved of its kind in the world.

Top 5 Festivals in Bulgaria

There's a great range of festivals in Bulgaria, the bulk of which take place throughout the warm summer months. Read on for our pick of the top 5.

Bansko Jazz Festival

Dance

Bansko Jazz is one of the biggest music events on the Bulgarian calendar. It takes place annually in August, with a variety of European and international artists bringing the noise.

Meadows In The Mountains

Rhodopes

This festival of art and music takes place over a long weekend in June, in the beautiful setting of the Rhodope Mountains. Expect offbeat entertainment, camping, bonfires and magical vibes aplenty.

Water Tower Art Fest

Sofia

Sofia's biggest festival of contemporary visual art takes place each June, with a series of exhibitions held at various spaces throughout the city. It features works by Bulgarian and international artists.

Varna Summer International Music Festival

Held annually in June and July, this festival of classical music is the longest running in the country. It features a host of performances by leading soloists, ensembles, orchestras and choirs from around the world.

Night Of Museums & Galleries

Plovdiv

Each year on 30th September, the Plovdiv’s museums and galleries throw open their doors to visitors, meaning you can roam free and get your cultural fill until the early hours of the morning. Various pop-up spaces and a citywide program of entertainment ensure a festival atmosphere.

Top 5 Museums & Galleries in Bulgaria

Lovers of culture are well catered for in Bulgaria, with an excellent crop of museums and galleries offering plenty of thoughtful hand-on-chin opportunities. Read on for our top 5 pick.

National Historical Museum

Sofia

Bulgaria's largest museum is home to a whopping 650,000 exhibits, covering everything from archaeological artifacts to fine art. A cool 65,000 are on show at any one time.

National Museum of Military History

Sofia

This excellent museum features extensive exhibits covering Bulgaria's military history, but it's the outdoor displays of artillery and military vehicles that will really dazzle. These include tanks, jet fighters and even missiles!

Earth And Man National Museum

Sofia

Located in central Sofia, this museum of mineralogy is one of the largest of its kind in the world. It exhibits a truly colossal array of minerals, with highlights including giant gems and glittering geodes.

National Archaeological Museum

Sofia

This museum is housed in a former Ottoman mosque dating from the late 15th century. Its excellent collection of archaeological exhibits more than lives up to the setting.

National Gallery For Foreign Art

Sofia

Bulgaria's premier gallery is home to a varied and extensive collection of European, Asian and African art, with highlights including celebrated works by Rodin, Picasso and Dalí.

Food in Bulgaria

Bulgaria's fantastic climate means fruits and vegetables grow here in abundance, and some say you haven't even tried a tomato until you've had one here. Meat figures highly in the typical Bulgarian diet, as do dairy products like the ubiquitous sirene cheese and Bulgarian yoghurt, whose unique taste and renowned health benefits make it a Bulgaria travel must-try!

Banista

The banitsa is an indispensible Bulgarian breakfast item found in bakeries all over the country. A concoction of eggs, cheese and milk layered in filo pastry then baked, comes in sweet and savoury versions.

_{Best eaten at
Marquissa Patisserie, 12 Solunska Street, Sofia}

Shkembe Chorba

This spicy tripe soup is a prized hangover remedy in Bulgaria. It's usually served with mashed garlic and chilli pepper, and whether you eat it that night or the morning after, it's best washed down with an ice cold beer.

_{Best eaten at
Borimechkata, ulitsa "Akademik Boris Stefanov" 6, 1700 Sofia}

Kavarma

This rich, slow-cooked stew of pork, leeks and other vegetables is traditionally prepared in a clay pot. Hearty and delicious, many people consider it to be the quintessential Bulgarian national dish.

_{Best eaten at
The Authentic Bulgarian Restaurant Chevermeto, NDK- Pronoto, 1 Bulgaria Blvd, Sofia}

Shopska Salad

This classic Bulgarian salad contains chopped onions, peppers, tomatoes and cucumber, topped with parsley and grated sirene cheese. Deceptively simple and utterly delicious, it's a Bulgaria travel 2016 must-try!

_{Best eaten at
Di Wine Restaurant & Wine Cellar, 2 Bratya Shkorpil Street, Varna}

Meshana Skara

This mixed grill platter consists of some of the country's finest grilled meats, including kebapche (sausage-like mix of chopped pork and beef with spices), kyufte (flattened meatballs with onions) and parjola (pork chop). It's normally served with French fries, salad and a spicy vegetable relish called lyutenitsa.

_{Best eaten at
Skara Bar, 12 Ulitsa Gergi Benkovski, Sofia}