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BulgariaBulgaria<!-- begin quick bar --> <div style="float: right; margin: 0 0 1em 1em"> <table cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" style="border: 1px solid #9866FF; background-color: #f3f3ff" width="200"> <tr><td colspan="2" style="text-align: center; border-bottom: 1px solid #C9AFFF; background-color: #ddddff">Flag</td></tr> <tr><td colspan="2" style="text-align: center; padding: 2px" border="1">Image:bu-flag.png</td></tr> <tr><td colspan="2" style="text-align: center; border-bottom: 1px solid #C9AFFF; border-top: 1px solid #C9AFFF; background-color: #ddddff">Quick Facts</td></tr> <tr><td valign="top" style="padding-left: 2px">'''Capital'''</td><td>Sofia</td></tr> <tr><td valign="top" style="padding-left: 2px">'''Government'''</td><td>parliamentary democracy<br/></td></tr> <tr><td valign="top" style="padding-left: 2px">'''Currency'''</td><td>lev (BGN)</td></tr> <tr><td valign="top" style="padding-left: 2px">'''Area'''</td><td>''total:'' 110,910 sq km</td></tr> <tr><td valign="top" style="padding-left: 2px">'''Population'''</td><td>7,621,337 (July 2002 est.)</td></tr> <tr><td valign="top" style="padding-left: 2px">'''Language'''</td><td>Bulgarian, secondary languages closely correspond to ethnic breakdown</td></tr> <tr><td valign="top" style="padding-left: 2px">'''Religion'''</td><td>Bulgarian Orthodox 83.8%, Muslim 12.1%, Roman Catholic 1.7%, Jewish 0.1%, Protestant, Gregorian-Armenian, and other 2.3% (1998)</td></tr> </table> </div> <!-- end quick bar --> '''Bulgaria''' is a country in Eastern Europe|Eastern Europe on the western side of the Black Sea. It is surrounded by Romania to the north, Serbia and Montenegro to the northwest, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to the southwest, Greece to the south, and Turkey to the southeast. Being located close to the Turkish Straits means the key land routes from Europe to Middle East and Asia pass through Bulgaria. Image:bu-map.png|frame|Map of Bulgaria ==Regions== ; '''Administrative divisions''' : 28 provinces (oblasti, singular - oblast); Blagoevgrad, Burgas, Dobrich, Gabrovo, Khaskovo, Kurdzhali, Kyustendil, Lovech, Montana, Bulgaria|Montana, Pazardzhik, Pernik, Pleven, Plovdiv, Razgrad, Ruse, Shumen, Silistra, Sliven, Smolyan, Sofiya, Sofiya-Grad, Stara Zagora, Turgovishte, Varna, Veliko Turnovo, Vidin, Vratsa, Yambol ==Cities== *Sofia (?????) - The capital, is a paradox of old and new, with run-down Communist flats sprouting hundreds of satellite dishes. It features nice parks, a nice town center, and quite some bars, pubs, and discotheques. *Plovdiv (???????)- The nation's second largest city. Boasts a lovely shopping promenade and many parks, an ancient amphitheater, and many "revival" style Bulgaria homes. Be sure also to take a side trip to Bachkovo Monastery about an hour away. *Varna (?????) - The nation's third largest city, is a primary beach resort. '''Ports and harbors''' : Burgas, Lom, Nesebur, Ruse, Varna, Vidin ==Other destinations== * Gabrovo - the Scots of Bulgaria, with a lot of jokes about them. If you are there, be sure to visit [http://www.travel-bulgaria.com/content/etura_museum_town.shtml Etura] - an open air museum that is actually an old-style Bulgarian village, presenting the traditional crafts and food. * Koprivshtitsa - though this town's name might be difficult to pronounce for many foreigners, it is a beautiful old Bulgarian village - certainly a must to visit if you are around * Rila - in the Rila mountains, is home to the most beautiful monasteries. * Veliko Turnivo - a beautiful city along a winding river. the former capital of Bulgaria in the middle ages. Be sure also to visit nearby Arbanassi. * Kazanlak - see the famous Bulgarian rose oil being made - best to visit in May or June * Melnik - sample wonderful red wines from the region, see the sand pyramids, and take the long hike to Rozhen Monastery * Shumen - see the Madara Horseman carved into the cliff wall. One of Bulgaria's many UNESCO world heritage sites. Also a few hours to the north are many Thracian tombs. * Nessebar - beautiful small town on Bulgaria's Black Sea coast a few hours south of Varna. Another one of Bulgaria's many UNESCO world heritage sites. * Bansko - a beautiful old village in the Pirin mountains with refurbished homes, stone wall, and cobblestone streets, but increasingly overtaken by resort hotels. Good place for skiing in winter and hiking in summer. The birthplace of the Bulgarian revival movement. If you want a true mountain village experience, there are a few other villages nearby from which to choose. * Belogradchik - See the remnants of an old Roman outpost in the Bulgarian northwest. Interesting rock formations might make it an interesting place for avid climbers. A bit hard to get to. ==Understand== ===Climate=== Temperate; cold, damp winters; hot, dry summers ===Terrain=== Mostly mountains with lowlands in north and southeast ; ''highest point'' : Musala 2,925 m ===History=== The Bulgars, a Central Asian Turkic tribe, merged with the local Slavic inhabitants in the late 7th century to form the first Bulgarian state. In succeeding centuries, Bulgaria struggled with the Byzantine Empire to assert its place in the Balkans, but by the end of the 14th century the country was overrun by the Ottoman Turks. Bulgaria regained its independence in 1878 largely due to the intervention of the great powers, who clipped the wings of the declining Ottoman Empire and installed a minor German prince as Tsar of the newly independent country. The country's iconic heroes were all freedom fighters to a man: whether Rakovsky, who mixed revolution and literature, Vassil Levsky, know to Bulgarian as the apostle of freedom, or Christo Botev, poet and fighter. After a series of bloody and brutal Balkan wars, Bulgaria had the further misfortune to be occupied by the losing side in both World Wars, and fell within the Soviet sphere of influence and became a People's Republic in 1946. Communist domination was brought to a swift, but for many people illusory end in 1990; though Bulgaria went on to hold its first multiparty election since World War II, essentially socialist policies were pursued until hyperinflation and economic meltdown drove the old guard out of power in 1997. Today, reforms and democratization have brought Bulgaria into the NATO fold, with EU accession planned for 2007. You can read more about Bulgaria's history here: http://www.digsys.bg/books/ ==Get in== Foreigners have to register at the police after 48 hours. If you have booked with a travel agency, this will be taken care of. Otherwise, don't worry too much about it... The only thing you really need is an entry stamp in your passport, otherwise your exit could be quite troublesome. Usually, your hotel will handle the necessary paperwork. The 48 hour requirement has recently been extended to 72 hours. You DO really need to register. Especially for UK and US citizens, Bulgaria is really cracking down on this. It is a 2000 Leva fine (about $1200 US) if you do not register. ===By plane=== There are three international airports: Sofia, Varna and Bourgas. While flights to Sofia are normally priced, there are a lot of charter and last-minute flight offers to the other two cities leaving from Western Europe (especially Germany). You can go from German airports to Varna or Bourgas and back for less than 100 Euro, if you are lucky. ===By train=== The only way to get from Bucharest to Sofia and back is actually by train via Ruse. There are no buses connecting Bulgaria with its neighbour Romania. ===By car=== If you want to reach Bulgaria from Western Europe by car, you either can take a ferry from Italy to Greece, or you will have to pass through either Serbia (where you have to pay a special car insurance just passing through) or Romania (where road conditions are far from perfect). In either case, chances are that you might have to bribe some police officers on the way and also the Serbian or Romanian customs with soft drinks, cigarettes, sweets or a few euros in bills (don't try this on the Bulgarian customs, however, unless you really know what you are doing). It is not advisable to drive your own car to Bulgaria as there is a high possibility of it being stolen. It works like this - when you drive across the border, your car is registered. That list is somehow handed over to car thieves. Some people have had cars stolen within just 30 minutes of arriving at their hotel. If you leave without your car, then you must pay 20% VAT of its value. Your only other alternative is to attempt to contact the thieves and find out how much you must pay to get it back. In either case - not fun. Also, Bulgaria has recently implemented a new law that you must place a special sticker on your car to drive on the highways. I imagine these stickers can be purchased at gas stations - as in other European countries. ===By bus=== Buses to and from Sofia go to most major cities in Europe - while Bulgarian bus companies will be cheaper (and mostly offer less comfort), the tickets are hard to get by if you are travelling ''to'' Bulgaria, so you can always take [http://www.eurolines.com/ Eurolines] buses. Don't be surprised if an extra "border fee" is asked from each traveller by the bus driver - it makes your border passing quicker. Most buses from Western Europe will pass through Serbia, so be sure to check if you need a transit visa beforehand. ===By boat=== ==Get around== ===By bus=== Certainly the cheapest and fastest way to travel around the country is by bus. Buses go from and to every bigger city (you might have to ask or be driven by taxi to the bus station) quite frequently; however, most bus station agents (except at the Black Sea and in Sofia) as well as the drivers will not speak or understand any languages except Bulgarian (and, if you are lucky, Russian) and the destinations will be written exclusively in Cyrillic. You can look up bus schedules for the Sofia New Central Bus Station at their website: http://tis.centralnaavtogara.bg/guide/welcome.jsp There are other bus stations in Sofia and also some private buses depart from their own personal station, but for travelers just looking to get out of town with the least amount of confusion - using the New Central Bus Station may be easiest. Buses and Minibuses go from Varna and Bourgas along the coastline, passing or going to all Bulgarian Black Sea tourist resorts. Not fastest ===By train=== Travelling by train is inexpensive, but also slower than by bus, and you should mostly use it when trying to reach a city along the two major train routes (Sofia - Varna and Sofia - Bourgas; you can travel both routes overnight). You can look up train schedules and prices on the Bulgarian State Railways website: http://www.bdz.bg/eng/index_eng.htm ===By car=== If travelling by car be sure you can reed the Cyrillic alphabet at least a bit. Most signs in Eastern Bulgaria have the direction not shown in Latin letters so it could become difficult for you to travel around. Alternatively, better additionally, you have a map with the town names written in Latin and Cyrillic alphabet. So you can at least compare the forms of the letters. http://www.rentauto-bg.com is a Bulgarian company with reliable cars, Western-style service, and good prices. http://www.avis.bg also offers good rates You can also hire a driver for about 50-75 Euro per day plus accommodation. Driving in Bulgaria can be a bit precarious - as many roads do not have defined lanes, are not well marked, and are in poor condition. Observing speed limits as well as signaling when changing lanes are also practices commonly ignored. ===By Bicycle=== All roads in Bulgaria are paved. The ever present horse-drawn carts help to keep motor traffic calm. As host to the annual http://svs-cycling.s5.com/catalog.html SVS long-distance bicycle ride, Bulgaria is accustomed and well suited to cross-country bicycle travel. Plentiful roadside cafés can provide the cyclists' fuel and numerous roadside springs (pipes driven in to the sides of mountains or hills) provide a ready source of clean, cool water. Learning the Cyrllic alphabet is strongly encouraged, as many road signs and maps do not include the Latin equivalent. Hostels and tent-camping are good options overnight accommodations. ==Talk== Bulgarian phrasebook|Bulgarian is a southern Slavic language, related to Serbian and Russian, with a lot of Turkish vocabulary in evidence, testifying to the long Ottoman occupation. Modern Bulgarian is difficult to Westerners, especially English-speakers, as it has three genders, no infinitive, and articles are appended to the end of either the noun (if no attribute is present) or the first attribute (example: ''kuche'' = dog, ''kucheto'' = the dog, ''dobro kuche'' = good dog, ''dobroto kuche'' = the good dog). However it is simpler than other Slavic tongues, once you get used to the Cyrillic, an alphabet of which the Bulgarians are justifiably proud (it having been invented by two Bulgarian monks, Cyril and Methodius). Be sure to be in Bulgaria for the celebrations of the "Den na Bukvata" ("Day of the Alphabet"). Be also sure to remember the fact that Bulgarians - in opposite to most nationalities - ''shake their head'' for '''"Yes"''' and ''nod'' for '''"No"'''! Secondary languages, including Turkish and Romany, closely correspond to ethnic breakdown. Most young Bulgarians now learn either English or German as a foreign language. Those born before the mid-1980s will likely speak German and/or Russian. ==Buy== Prices in Bulgaria are considerably lower than in Western Europe, and good bargains are to be had on shoes and leather goods as well as other clothing. ==Eat== ===General=== Bulgarian food is similar to Turkish and Greek cuisine, with lots of grilled meats and powerful stews; in addition, they have a large choice of salads available. However, the ultimate Bulgarian dish is ''shopska salata'' - a salad of tomatoes, cucumbers and grated sirene (sheep's cheese). Traditionally it is served at the beginning of a meal together with a glass of rakia (see Drink). The other Bulgarian staple that it's worth mentioning is ''banitsa'', a kind of sheep's cheese pastry which comes in numberless variations. If you are underway, you might also want to try ''kebabche'' (pl. ''kebabcheta''; minced meat rolled as a sausage and grilled) and ''kyufte'' (pl. kyufteta; just like Turkish köfte, a grilled meatball). A "sandwich" in Bulgaria is not necessarily two slices of bread with a filling. It may be one slice of bread topped with a think layer of cheese and spices. In the countryside, chicken soup is a common breakfast. In the city, many seem to get by on coffee and a cigarette. ===Cheese=== There are exactly two kinds of Bulgarian domestic cheese: ''sirene'' (white cheese, quite like Greek Feta; originally made with buffalo milk, but normally it is sheep's or cow's milk) and ''kashkaval'' (yellow cheese). Note that there exists no word in Bulgarian for "cheese" - normally Bulgarians use "sirene" if they want to translate the English word "cheese". ==Drink== A powerful (40%vol), clear grape brandy, '''rakia''' is the Bulgarian national drink and is served neat, usually at the beginning of a meal. Especially in the smaller cities, families still distill their rakia at home; it is then usually much stronger (>50%vol). Perhaps at this point it's worth noting that the Bulgarian way of doing things is, at least in terms of drinks, the opposite of the conventional Western method. Bulgarian start off on the heavy stuff, such as Rakia, move on to wine, and finish off with a beer, should they still be thirsty. Another quite popular drink is Mastika (40%vol), a drink closely related to Greek Ouzo and Turkish Raki. You should normally mix it with water in a 1:4 - 1:5 ratio. Local lagers, Zagorka and Kamenitza are very good, inexpensive and widely available. ==Sleep== There are hostels in Sofia and Plovdiv. Inexpensive hotels can be found in all cities. Luxury hotels are available in large cities. There are many "Mountain Huts" or "Vilas" available for rent. Overnight accommodations can also be acquired at about a dozen of the monasteries. ==Learn== ==Work== ==Stay safe== Bulgaria is generally a safe country, and people are quite friendly. You should how ever behave according to common sense when you are outside of the main tourist areas, i.e. don't show too openly that you have money, don't dress too much like a tourist, watch your things, don't walk around the suburbs (esp those of sofiya) at night, avoid dark streets at night. ==Stay healthy== Most food is quite safe to eat. Of course, try to avoid food that is obviously not too clean... The water in Sofia IS safe to drink from the tap. In the villages, it is probably advisable to drink bottled water. ==Communications== ; '''Telephone system''' : ''general assessment:'' extensive but antiquated, now being modernized <br>''domestic:'' more than two-thirds of the lines are residential; telephone service is available in most villages; a fairly modern digital cable trunk line now connects switching centers in most of the regions, the others are connected by digital microwave radio relay.<br> ''mobile:'' there are now two mobile phone operators - MTel and Globul, and one mobile phone rental provider - Intrafonica Bulgaria, also offering mobile internet delivered via GPRS, and SIM cards for hire so you can avoid inflated roaming rates and paying for being called. A third operator from BTC the national fixed line provider is launching soon and expected to offer much better prices and services ''internet:'' Internet cafés are almost everywhere, with affordable rates. Normally, the bigger internet cafés offer a good service and a fast connection. ==External links== * [http://www.travel-bulgaria.com/ Travel-Bulgaria.com]: General Information site about Bulgaria, holds a lot of information about the country * [http://www.intrafonica.com/ Intrafonica Bulgaria]: Provides affordable short- to mid-term GSM cell phone rentals, local SIM cards and Mobile Internet services delivered via GPRS. Free incoming calls! * http://www.discover-bulgaria.com/Default.aspx * http://www.motoroads.com/ * http://www.odysseia-in.com/ * [http://www.inn26.bg inn26.bg]: Accommodation guide for Bulgaria (bg/en) * http://zigzag.dir.bg/ de:Bulgarien fr:Bulgarie ro:Bulgaria {{stub}} First page | Prev | Next | Last page |
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