Etap Bus Bulgaria
Yug bus station ( 845 722), at the southern end of ul Aleksandrovska, is where most travellers will arrive or leave. It's just outside the train station and most destination signs are in English. Buses and minibuses leave every 30 to 40 minutes throughout the day to popular places along the Black Sea coast, including Sozopol (3.50 lv, 40 minutes, every 30 minutes between 6.40am and 9.40pm), Nesebar (2.50 lv, 40 minutes) and Sunny Beach (Slanchev Bryag 4 lv, 45 minutes). Buses also go to...
Boyana Church
The tiny, 13th-century Boyana Church ( 959 0939 www.boyanachurch.org ul Boyansko Ezero 3 admission 10 Iv, with National Museum of History 12 Iv S 9am-5pm Tue-Sun) is around 2km south of the museum. It's on Unesco's World Heritage list and is Bulgaria's most cherished and revered historic monument. The 90 murals, which date from 1259, are rare survivors from that period, and are among the very finest examples of Bulgarian medieval artwork. They include the oldest known portrait of St John of...
The Legend Of Kaliakra
According to a local myth, as the Turks advanced on Kavarna in the 14th century, a group of 40 beautiful young women, fearing a life of slavery, dishonour or worse at the hands of the Ottoman soldiers, tied their long hair together and, holding hands, threw themselves off a cliff along the Kaliakra Cape. Some displays relating to this legend can be seen in Kavarna's History Museum, and a monument at the Kaliakra Cape is dedicated to the women. detail at the Archaeological Museum (admission free...
Around Plovdiv Bachkovo Monastery
About 30km south of Plovdiv is the magnificent Bachkovo Monastery (admission free 6am-10pm), founded in 1083 by Georgian brothers Gregory and Abasius Bakuriani, aristocrats then in Byzantine military service. The monastery flourished during the Second Bulgarian Empire (1185-1396), but was ransacked by the Turks in the 15th and 16th centuries. Major reconstructions began in the mid-17th century. Bachkovo's now Bulgaria's second-largest monastery, after Rila. In the courtyard, the Church of Sveta...
Thanks To The Lake
After a Black Sea holiday in 2003, Englishman Mike Black and his wife Jerry took a liking to Bulgaria - so much so that they decided to move there two years later, to the placid shores of Lake Srebarna. Dedicated bird-watchers and nature lovers, the Blacks opened a small guesthouse, as several new British arrivals have done in recent years. However, unlike most, they took the trouble to study Bulgarian and learn the ways of the locals. While there was much to like about life in the splendidly...
Land
There are several crossings into Romania, but if you're driving, use the toll bridge at Ruse or a land border further east. For public transport, the quickest crossing is again at Ruse, but the crossing at Vidin is a more scenic place to enter Romania. You can also cross at Kardam-Negru Voda (accessible from Dobrich) and at Durankulak-Vama Veche (accessible from Varna), but there's no public transport to these points. The only crossings into Greece are at Kulata-Promahonas and at...
Albena Ajeeha
One of the biggest of the Black Sea coast's purpose-built resorts, Albena has been going since 1969 and is named after the heroine of the eponymous play by Yordan Yovkov. Spread out over a wide area, and with a lovely, 4km-long beach and shallow water ideal for water sports, it's hugely popular with holi-day-makers from across Europe. The downside is the horrendous prices charged for just about everything - Albena rivals Sunny Beach (Slanchev Bryag) as the most expensive place in Bulgaria....
EtAr etlp
This complex of traditional artisans just 8km southeast of Gabrovo is a fun place for shopping, or just wandering and watching the craftsmen at work. It also offers nearby hiking. Cumulatively known as the Et r Ethnographic Village Museum ( 801 831 www.etar.hit.bg admission 7 Iv S 8.30am-6pm), the market complex contains nearly 50 shops and workshops clustered along narrow lanes. It's set all by itself in a 7-hectare, tree-lined spot along the Gabrovo-Shipka road. E tar's 19th-century National...
Haljohajieh Peepbat Poiiotamo
This reserve was established in 1940 to protect fragile landscapes of extensive marshes and the largest sand dunes in Bulgaria, as well as rare flora such as the endemic sand lily. The reserve also protects some 257 species ofbirds, reptiles such as snakes and turtles, and mullet and carp. Fishing is illegal. At several well-signposted places alongthe road between Burgas and Primorsko, visitors can stop and admire some of the reserve, and wander along short walking trails where explanations (in...
Getting There Away
The bus station (ul Zhelezhnicharska) is on Vidin's south side, roughly opposite the train station. As elsewhere in Bulgaria, numerous small offices represent the different bus companies and sell tickets, though often you'll be buying on board. Across from this station is the Alexiev Bus Station ( 606 190 ul Zhelezhnicharska), home of the Alexiev bus line, the major company for the Sofia-Vidin route. From these two stations 14 daily buses go to Sofia (14 lv, four hours) via Vratsa (8 lv). Six...
TOP END
Hotel Menabria ( 46 745 www.hotelmenabria.com ul Ivan Vazov 2 s d apt 100 120 240 Iv (gl g)) On the other side of the isthmus from the old town, the Menabria is a modern hotel built around an old wooden windmill. The location, near the road junction towards Sunny Beach can be a bit busy, traffic-wise, but the views back to town are great. Hotel Bilyana Beach (g 46 645 www.bilyanabeach .com South Beach s d Jul & Aug 170 180 Iv, Sep-Jun from 92 122 Iv (B) )) Shimmering, glassy complex right on...
Info
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Hiking In The Pirin Mountains
A network of marked hiking trails (13 primary and 17 secondary) link 13 huts and shelters throughout the park. The primary trails are described and mapped in the Bulgarian Ministry of Environment's detailed map (1 55,000) in the National Park Pirin leaflet printed in English get it at the National Park office ( fax 07443-2428 ul Bulgaria 4), or from souvenir shops. Kartografia's widely available Pirin map (1 55,000) is the only accurate and detailed hiking map of the whole mountain range. The...
Rila Village Phja
The jumping-off point for Bulgaria's most sacred Orthodox shrine, this village 22km east of Rila Monastery is a sleepy place that just keeps up a pulse with its small faculty of tourism. Most monastery-bound buses connect here, however, and Rila does offer more inexpensive accommodation options than the monastery, as well as several foreign exchange offices and ATMs. Along with a BulBank ATM machine near the bus station, there's an OBB Bank ATM between the village supermarket and Kafe Djoana, a...
Gabrovo taepobo
A long and somewhat dusty town on the north-south road that crosses the Stara Planina, Gabrovo is not particularly remarkable in itself, but it is close to intriguing places, such as the artisans' village of Etar, and has several local hiking opportunities. Its natives have an amusing old reputation for miserliness that makes them the butt of numerous jokes (they invented the one stotinka coin, says one). Despite the dig, Gabrovo's good-natured citizens have taken the initiative by creating a...
The Master The Ballerina
Born in Istanbul in 1935 to a sculptor father, the gifted Dimitar Kirov was painting by the age of seven. Still working and living today in Plovdiv's old town, with Rosalia, his wife of 44 years -and one of modern Bulgaria's greatest ballerinas - Dimitar may well be the spirit of old Plovdiv personified. This living master of Bulgarian painting and mosaic art considers himself'the last of an era', after the passing a few years ago of his best friend and fellow painter, Giorgi Bozhilov,...
Hiking In The Stara Planina
With an average height of little more than 700m, the Stara Planina (Old Mountain) range is not high, particularly compared with the Rila and Pirin Mountains. Nonetheless it is vast, covering 11,500 sq km (about 10 of Bulgaria) and, at close to 550km long, it extends almost the entire length of the country. Nearly 30 peaks are over 2000m high and the mountains feed one-third of Bulgaria's major rivers. The highest point is Mt Botev (2376m), north of Karlovo. The Mountains of Bulgaria by Julian...
Sinemorets Chhemopelj
Sinemorets (Si-ne-mor-ets) is the Black Sea's last largely undiscovered hideaway, although it seems that the relentiess pace of development along the coastline has set it firmly in the developers' sights. Despite the presence of an enormous hotel on the village's best beach, the atmosphere of remote village life and a generally slow-paced existence remains, and it's a superb base for visiting the nearby Strandzha Nature Park and hiking and bird-watching in the surrounding countryside. The two...
Sarafkina Kashta
Built in 1861 by a rich Turkish merchant and moneylender, this fine five-storey National Revival-period style house-museum ( 635 802 ul Gurko 88 adult student 4 2 Iv S Sam-noon & 1-6pm Mon-Fri) displays antique ceramics, metalwork, woodcarvings and jewellery, and has some fascinating exhibits about traditional costumes and breadmaking. Revival-period furniture fills the upper floor, along with vintage family photos on the walls. MUSEUM OF NATIONAL REVIVAL & CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY This...
MONEY
The local currency is the lev (plural leva), comprised of 100 stotinki. It is almost always abbreviated to lv. The lev is a stable currency see inside the front cover for the conversion rates of several major currencies at the time of research. For major purchases such as organised tours, airfares, car rental and midrange and top-end hotels, prices are almost always quoted by staff in euros, although payment is possible in leva too. (Bulgaria has no immediate plans to adopt the Euro as its...
Woodcarving
During the Bulgarian National Revival period, Tryavna became renowned for the quality and quantity of its woodcarvings, often intricately chiselled from local walnut, birch, poplar and oak trees. Many carvings from Tryavna were used to decorate monasteries in Gabrovo, Veliko Tarnovo, Arbanasi and Rila, and carvers were sought after by builders and house owners as far away as Serbia, Turkey and modern-day Iran. By the early 19th century, over 40 workshops in Tryavna were churning out wooden...
Shipka Monastery
Even before arriving in Shipka, you'll see the splendid, onion-shaped golden domes of the Nativity Memorial Church (admission 2 Iv, photography permit5 Iv S 8.30am-7pm) glittering from amidst thick woods above the village, framed against the mountain. Part of the Shipka Monastery, and also known as the Church of St Nikolai, the magnificent structure was built in 1902 as a dedication to soldiers who died at the Shipka Pass during the Russo-Turkish War (1877-78). The design is heavily influenced...
Hiking In The Rodopi Mountains
Exploring the idyllic, forested region around Chepelare, Smolyan, Shiroka Luka and Devin is the high point for nature lovers in the Rodopi region. First, get the English-language West Rhodopean Region or Western Rhodope Mountains maps (1 100,000) from the tourist offices in Pamporovo, Chepelare or Smolyan. They detail hiking trails of three to five hours, plus five mountain biking routes. Kartografia also has an excellent Rodopi map (1 100,000). Julian Perry's The Mountains of Bulgaria...
Sleeping
Hotel Dunav ( fax600 177 ul Edelvals 3 s d 30 50 Iv, with shared bathroom 18 36 Iv) The Dunav is centrally located and offers Vidin's cheapest rates. Some rooms have a lived-in, musty feel, while others have slightiy upgraded furnishings. Hotel Bononia ( 606 031 molra_bg200 yahoo .com ul Bdin 2 s d 43 65 Iv (El) Wedged between the main square, river and park, the Bononia has a very central location and friendly staff, offering modern rooms with nice, if small bathrooms, air conditioning and TV....
Sleeping Eating
The two former state-run hotels - the Hotel Belogradchiski Skali, on the square, and the Hotel Belogradchik, one street below - have been neglected and closed, though at the time of writing the former was being transformed into a four-star hotel. New guesthouses have also opened over the past couple of years, but there are not enough restaurants to keep up with demand. Nightlife is relegated to a few caf -bars on the main street and a weekend disco blaring chalga (Bulgarian folk-pop music)....
Kyustendil KioctehflHJl
Kyustendil, 90km southwest of Sofia, has been famous for its curative mineral springs since Thracian times, although it was the Romans who built up the site into a major city, which they called Pautalia, in the 2nd century AD. Under the Byzantines it was renamed Velbazhd, growing into an important religious and military centre, and in the late 14th century it briefly became the seat of an independent principality, ruled over by the brothers John and Constantine Dragash. The town's present name...
Cbeth Kohctahthh
Sveti Konstantin is a small, fairly sedate beach resort about 9km northeast of Varna, with hotels attractively spaced out amongst parkland. Established in 1946 under the name of Druzhba (Friendship), it was later renamed Sveti Konstantin and Sveti Elena, but is now more commonly known simply as Sveti Konstantin. It's less commercial than other resorts and has long been popular with older holidaymakers it still has a number of 'rest homes' for retired civil servants and trade union members, and...
Vasil Levski
The most revered person in modern Bulgarian history may well be Vasil Levski, whose name graces myriad streets and squares, and who is immortalised in statues and museums throughout the country as 'the apostle of freedom' for his contributions to organising the national resistance to Ottoman rule. Vasil Ivanov Kunchev was born on 18 July 1837 in Karlovo, and given the nom de guerre 'Levski' (from the Bulgarian word for lion) by his peers. He studied and worked as a monk in Stara Zagora, but in...
Wineries
Chateau Euxinograde ( 052-393 165 www.euxinograde.com Varna) Housed in the former royal palace north of Varna on the Black Sea, this winery was established in 1891 by Prince Battenberg snatched later by the communists, from 1944 to 1989 it catered to high officials of the party. The 90-hectare Euxinograde complex offers no ordinary wine tour the stately palace features elaborate period furnishings, botanical gardens with rare plants, and the impressive old wine collections of Prince Ferdinand...
Tsarevo Ljapebo
Spread lazily over two small peninsulas jutting out into the Black Sea,Tsarevo is a quiet, elegant little town, once a popular holiday spot for the Bulgarian royal family. Called Vasiliko until 1934, it was renamed Tsarevo ('royal place') in honour of Tsar Boris III the communists then renamed it Michurin (after a Soviet botanist) in 1950, and it reverted once again in 1991. The centre, on the northern peninsula, has a calm, affluent atmosphere and feels more like a real town than some of...
Endangered Species
Included in the official list of the endangered animals of Bulgaria are seals and dolphins, both of which were hunted ruthlessly in the past (dolphin hunting was banned in Bulgaria in 1966) but can still be seen in sadly decreasing numbers off the northern part of the Black Sea coast. Bulgaria has one of the largest brown bear populations in Europe (the last estimate was around 1000 individuals), and numbers are increasing, thanks to a ban on hunting, although farmers are still allowed to apply...
HISAR xhcap
Therapeutic mineral springs have been Hisar's (also known as Hisarya) main claim to fame ever since Roman times, when it was named Diokletianopolis, after the Emperor Diocletian. Altogether, there are 22 mineral-water springs here, said to cure many ailments the popularity of these springs even today has ensured this sleepy mountain town's livelihood. Since it's mostly visited in summer, visiting in winter means you will have the place to yourself. The main street has some unique ruins from the...
Skiing
At 1800m above sea level, Mt Vitosha is Bulgaria's highest ski resort and its six slopes are only 22km from the centre of Sofia. There is rarely enough snow here before mid-December, but the season can often last into April. The 29km of alpine ski runs (the longest is about 5km) range from easy to very difficult, and start as high as Mt Cherni Vrah. Crosscountry skiing is ideal along the 15km of trails, and snowboarding is also possible. As well as the Simeonovo gondola and Dragalevtsi...
Eat Your Words
If you want to know the difference between kebabche and kyufte, or are looking for a meal without meat, you'll first need to learn the Cyrillic alphabet. For language guidelines, see p309. Bulgarians are by and large a laid-back lot when it comes to behaviour at the table, although the usual Western rules of 'good manners' still apply when dining out. Obviously, these standards will vary according to where you are eating street-bar patrons won't be shocked if you use your fingers to eat, for...
Troyan Tpqh
Troyan, associated mostly with its famous nearby monastery, is a laid-back, slightly faded town with crisp, clean mountain air. The grand, Soviet-era main square has a relaxed atmosphere and several well-frequented caf s. There's also a notable Pomak Muslim population. Although there's not much else to the place, it makes a good base for seeing the Troyan Monastery, Oreshak, Lovech and Karlovo. Troyan's also close to some excellent Stara Planina hiking paths. Millennia ago, the Thracians first...
Smolyans Mysterious Caves
In ancient times, the road to hell was paved with water so, too, in today's Bulgaria. Although not exactly replicating the voyage to Hades along the River Styx, the journey into the recently discovered Golubovitsa Cave is a thrilling and similarly aquatic one. Located 3km south of Uhlovitsa Cave (see below), off the road between Smolyan and Mogilitsa, the cave is accessible by boat, as the first 25m or so is completely underwater. After that, you walk, accompanied by lantern and a guide, and...
Environmental Issues
Like most postcommunist countries, the lure of fast cash has often outweighed ecologically sustainable development. Logging, poaching and insensitive development continue in protected areas and excessive and harmful air and water pollution is infrequently controlled. Finite fossil fuels, such as coal, are still used for generating electricity, and farmers continually (and illegally) clear land by burning, which causes many devastating fires each summer. The big money to be made in Bulgaria's...
Central Coast
Like neighbouring Nesebar, Pomorie sits on a narrow peninsula, and until it was ravaged by fire in 1906 was almost as picturesque. There, however, the similarities end. The modern town centre has a lazy charm, but while the beach is serviceable, the water is choked with odorous seaweed. Pomorie is very much a Bulgarian resort, almost entirely bypassed by foreign tourists, but it's a relatively cheap base from which to visit Nesebar and Burgas. The town is also famous for its salt lakes,...
Aladzha Monastery
A major local attraction is the Aladzha Monastery ( 355 460 admission 3 lv S 9am-6pm Apr-Oct, to 4pm Tue-Sat Nov-Mar). Very little is known about this bizarre rock monastery the cave was probably inhabited as far back as the 5th century BC, but what remains today was created during the 13th and 14th centuries. The monastery was used by monks from the Hesychast order until the 18th century, but was not discovered again until 1928. Stairs and walkways lead to and around these astonishing caves,...
BUDGET
The Tourist Information Centre (p 171) finds private rooms (25 lv to 35 lv for a single double). For atmosphere, stay near the Samovodska Charshiya Complex (pi 78) in the Varosha district, along the lower (southeastern) end of ul Gurko, or near Tsarevets Fortress. Hikers Hostel ( 0889691661, 0887098279 www .hlkershostel.org ul Rezervoarska 91 tent dm d incl breakfast 12 20 50 Iv (B)) Tarnovo's most laid-back hostel, Hikers is run by the energetic Toshe Hristov, who is constantly transferring...
Unusual Souvenirs
If you're looking for a souvenir of your time among the Bulgars and garish trinket boxes and amateur daubs of twee, timber-framed houses just won't do, there are plenty of more tasteful mementos for you to pick up. Hand-painted icons make a particularly evocative reminder of your stay though often expensive, they do involve a huge amount of skill and time. How about a patterned chergal These traditional, hand-woven rugs make a colourful addition to any room and, again, involve a great deal of...
Sights Activities
Silistra's prime position on the Danube has attracted a bewildering amount of invaders and occupants, from Thracians, Romans, Greeks, Bulgars, Russians, Romanians and Turks, all of whom built citadels and fortresses in or near the town. The ruins of the ancient Roman city of Durostorum, one of Silistra's previous incarnations, lie along the street between the mall and river. The Turkish Medzhitabiya Fortress built in 1848 is closed but the forested park surrounding it offers relaxed hiking. The...
Open Market
Kazanlak's pazar or open market see the boxed text, opposite is a very entertaining, dusty, all-purpose place that offers a truly characteristic Balkan shopping experience -if you happen to be around on a Tuesday or Friday, the market's busiest days, make sure to stop by. Hadzhi Eminova Kashta 62 595 bul Nikola Petkov 22 s d apt 20 25 40 Iv This established guesthouse offers big, traditionally furnished rooms featuring woollen quilts, and overlooking an authentic 19th-century walled compound....
Around Rila Monastery St Lukes Hermitage St Ivans Cave
About 3.7km northeast of Rila Monastery, on the road to Kiril Meadow, a left-hand trail leads to St Luke's Hermitage look for Sveti Ivan's picture by the steps. Built in 1798, the hermitage features a large courtyard and the Church of Sveti Luka. Take the trail for about 15 minutes to St Ivan's Cave, where Ivan Rilski lived and is buried. Legend states that anyone able to pass through the aperture in the cave's roof has not sinned the generous size of the hole would seem to indicate that...
Wine Routes
This tour takes you through Bulgaria's most famous wine-producing regions, and to wineries where you can sample some of the country's best vino. Start in Varna, at the sumptuous Chateau Euxinograde p66 . Here, at the former Bulgarian royal palace, you can marvel at its century-old wine cellar while sampling a delicate white from the Black Sea coastal plain. From here, head west along the Danube to atmospheric Ruse p267 , where you can try a glass or two of northern Bulgaria's signature red,...
The Enchanted Pipe Of Bai Mihail
Near the end of WWI, a young man from Chepelare named Mihail was dispatched to the front, along with six fellow Rodopean friends. Bulgaria had been at war almost continuously for six years, and the exhausted, dismayed young men resolved to desert. However, they were caught by the military police, and condemned to death for treason. When told to make his final request before being executed, Mihail said 'Just bring me my gayda so I can play one last song.' The goatskin bagpipe was duly brought,...
Pripoden Park
Also known as Kyoshkovete Park, this large, 3930-hectare park on Shumen's western edge has some modest, shaded hiking trails. You'll see and hear the humming of the city's most famous product being made at the nearby Shumensko Pivo Brewery. Days of Shumen Cultural Festival Mid-May Watermelon Festival Last Sunday in August Hotel Pazara 0887292756 ul Maritsa 15 d 30-40 Iv JJ The plain Pazara, just north of bul Simeon Veliki, is simply a set of clean but characterless rooms some with shared...
Wonders Of Nature Unexplored Treasures Of The Kotel Area
With its magnificent setting amidst gorgeous mountains and forests, Kotel is an ideal base for hiking, caving, bird-watching and other outdoor activities. Several villages around it, such as Zheravna, Katunishte and Medven, though smaller and less developed than Kotel, are increasingly becoming popular for their proximity to various unique and captivating natural attractions. First of all, if coming to Kotel from Sliven, make sure to drive or take a bus that follows the mountain road, and not...
Festivals Events
International Plovdiv Fair mid-May amp late September Week-long festival held in the massive fairgrounds Map pi40 553 146 bul Tsar Boris III Obedinitel 37 , located north of the river. Cultural Month Festival late May-mid-July Performances and exhibits of opera, literature, painting and events celebrating the greatness of Bulgarian history. Verdi Festival earlyJune Two-weekfestivalof opera concerts in the Roman amphitheatre, featuring Bulgarian and international singers. International Festival...
Glossary
For food and drink terms see the Food amp Drink chapter p55 . For general terms see the Language chapter p309 . aleya - alley, lane apteka - chemist or pharmacy avtogara - bus station Balkantourist - the former government-run tourism organisation balneology - therapeutic bath of mineral waters, often enjoyed in a balneocentre banya - bath often signifies mineral baths in general BDZh - abbreviation forthe Bulgarian State Railways besplaten - free of charge bul - abbreviation of bulevard main...
Hiking In The Sredna Gora
The Sredna Gora Central Range mountains are spread over 6000 sq km from Iskar Gorge near Sofia to the Tundzha Valley south of Yambol . The highest peak is Mt Bogdan 1603m near Koprivshtitsa. The Mountains of Bulgaria by Julian Perry provides a detailed description of the popular two-or three-day hike from Hisar Hisarya to Koprivshtitsa or vice versa . No dedicated map of the Sredna Gora is available, but most of the mountains and hiking routes are included in the map of Stara Planina that is...
Varna Bapha
Bulgaria's third city and maritime capital, Varna is by far the most interesting and cosmopolitan town on the Black Sea coast, and a definite highlight of the region. A strange yet harmonious combination of port city, naval base and seaside resort, it's an appealing place to while away a few days, packed with history yet thoroughly modern, with an enormous park to amble round and a lengthy beach to lounge on. One of the most dynamic and fast-growing Bulgarian cities, it has experienced a...
Kavarna Kabapha
Kavarna, 17km east of Balchik, is a sleepy administrative town of little interest itself, although today it's famous in Bulgaria as the venue for the Kaliakra Rock Fest www.kaliakrarock fest.com , which attracts international acts every June, and its small beach is pleasant enough. It's also the most practical base for anyone wishing to explore the Kaliakra Cape opposite . The pedestrianised ul Dobrotitsa, running south from the bus station, is where you'll find the post office, banks and caf...
Other Sights
The Church of Uspenie Bogorodichno Church of the Dormition of the Virgin on ul Dimcho Debelyanov, built in 1817, is usually closed, but visitors can peer through the window and wander around the gardens. The church grounds contain Kableshkov'sgrave, and, in the upper section, Debelyanov's grave. A poignant statue features Debelyanov's mother anxiously awaiting his return, and reads 'I die and am yet born again in light.' Beside the park along ul Hadzhi Nencho Palaveev is the Sveta Kiril amp...
ToFrom Romania
The Ruse-based company Ovonesovi 821 964 runs two minibuses to Bucharest daily, leaving the Yug bus station at 6.30am and 2pm. Tickets are 20 lv one-way or 30 lv return. Buy them either at the station or at Ovonesovi's office on pi Borisova, in front of city hall on the corner of ul Panov. These buses return from Romania at 10.30am and 4.15pm from the Hotel Horoskop on Bucharest's Piazza Uniri. A Romanian company also runs two daily buses from Ruse to Bucharest, at 11.30am and 4.30pm for...
Art Galleries
Plovdiv's large and thriving artistic community continues creating and sustaining the city's many galleries - already bursting with the fruits of 200 years of Bulgarian painting. On 28 September each year, the magical Night of the Galleries sees every Plovdiv gallery open, for free, from 8pm to 3am. Encho Pironkov City Gallery of Fine Arts Map p142 ul Vasil Konchev 1 admission 1 lv S9am-12.30pm amp 1 -5.30pmMon-Fri, 10am-5.30pmSat displays Bulgarian modern art. It's down a small laneway...
Sights
The Madara National Historical amp Archaeological Reserve 2095 adult student4 1 Iv S 8.30am-7,30pm surrounds the so-called Madara Horseman Madarski Konnik . Carved into a cliff 23m above the ground, the bas-relief features a mounted figure spearing a lion and followed by a dog. It was an early-8th-century creation, made to commemorate the victorious Khan Tervel, and, more profoundly, the creation of the First Bulgarian Empire 681-1018 . As Bulgaria's only known medieval rock carving, it's...
Buying Property In Bulgaria
The Bulgarian property market is booming as never before prices rose by as much as 27 in the second quarter of 2007 - the second-highest recorded rise anywhere in the world - and they show no sign of dipping. Prices are being pushed up by foreign investors Brits especially have been flocking to the country in search of holiday homes, lured by low prices and the promise of long, hot summers by the sea, snowy winters in the expanding ski resorts and rustic country idylls. By Western standards,...
Celebrations
Festivals throughout Bulgaria invariably involve eating and drinking, and there are often particular meals prepared for each holiday. One age-old custom is the baking of special loaves of bread, for example for saints' days, each marked with a distinctive design and used in some elaborate ritual you'll see these displayed in ethnographic museums. On 28 February Horse Easter , for example, women in rural communities traditionally bake bread in the shape of horseshoes, which are then fed to...
Hostels
Hostel Turisticheska Spalnya Map p88 s 983 6181 www.ts-hostel.com ul TsarSimeon 63 dm dfrom 9 14 This bright, clean hostel is in a great central location and offers pleasant, high-ceilinged dorms of between three and five beds, as well as a double room and modern bathrooms. Sofia Backpackers' Inn Map p88 S 9831672 www .sofiabackpackersinn.dir.bg ul Struma 6 dm d ind breakfast from 9 25 S Small, friendly hostel, with English-speaking staff, on a quiet side street off bul Maria Luisa. There are a...
Sveti Vlas Cbeth Bjac
Just 5km north of Sunny Beach Slanchev Bryag , Sveti Vlas is one of the latest holiday resort developments on the Black Sea coast. Originally settled by the Thracians, who called it Larisa, it was renamed in honour of the patron saint of cattle farmers in the 14th century, but there are few obvious signs of its history today. Instead, everywhere you look, a new multistorey hotel or apartment complex is shooting up, and in 2007 Bulgaria's first private marina, with space for 300 yachts, was...
