Regular readers will know that Bulgaria features at the top of nearly every survey into the cheapest destinations in Europe. But there’s more to the eastern European country than its price tag. Allow us to introduce you to the reasons Bulgaria really should be your next holiday. It’s cheap as chipsFirst things first, let’s address the cost. Sunny Beach, one of the country’s most popular beach resorts on the Black Sea, has been named. Using a basket of holiday essentials, including a three-course meal for two with a bottle of wine (just £19.53 here), as a barometer, Sunny Beach was way out in front of second place, the Algarve.
This came as no surprise to us. Pirin attracts plenty of hikers on guided and self-guided walks Credit:Credit: robertharding / Alamy Stock Photo/robertharding / Alamy Stock Photo7. There are more than 120 monasteriesOne of the most popular is the Rila Monastery, which resides in the Rila mountains. Founded in the 10th century, the Unesco-protected site was destroyed by fire at the beginning of the 19th century, after which it was rebuilt and now represents “a masterpeice of the creative genius of the Bulgarian people”, according to Unesco. The decaying interior of the Buzludzha monument Credit:Credit: Horizon Images/Motion / Alamy Stock Photo/Horizon Images/Motion / Alamy Stock Photo10.
Rural tourism of Bulgaria is characterized as a sojourn in rural environment (house, camping or other accommodation situated close to the villages), contact with the locals, and access to the farm. Rural tourism might be a part of a round-trip, a weekend holiday or longer stay. Tourism Poll: Tourists Talk About Bulgaria Sofia News Agency. Alternative tourism is the only way to make Bulgaria a year-round tourist destination and attract visitors outside the active summer and winter season, expert Stoyan Mihaylov, says.
It also boasts stunning cathedralsBeyond the brutalism of the Communist-era, how about the serenely imposing domes of the St Aleksander Nevsky Cathedral in Sofia? The building is one of the largest Eastern Orthodox cathedrals in the world, the second largest on the Balkan Peninsula and it can hold 10,000 people. A rib of St Aleksander is displayed in a case to the left of the altar. On Apr 16, 2017 at 6:18am PDT 11. Bulgaria goes way backAs evidenced by its two prominent Roman amphitheatres, Bulgaria has a Roman past (post-Thracian and Persian). The theatre at Plovdiv, built in the second century AD is one of the world’s best preserved and is still today used for shows, accommodating up to 3,500 spectators.
You need to try its fully wholesome dishesWith so much to see you’re going to need some Bulgarian fuel. Behold kyufte, Bulgarian meatballs. Residents are also fond of fresh fish, especially along the Black Sea coast, gyuvech, a spicy vegetable stew, and ritual breads such as pogacha or kravai. On Apr 3, 2017 at 5:15am PDT 13. And drink its firewaterThe country’s national drink is raika, a fruit brandy made most commonly from fermented grapes or plums. Though shop-bought offerings are likely to be around 40 per cent ABV, watch out for home-made bathtub brews that could stretch to 80 per cent ABV and knock you on your proverbial. There is skiing to be doneBulgaria is also home to some of eastern Europe’s finest - and cheapest - ski resorts.
Bansko is most popular (and often features at the top of surveys considering the continent’s cheapest ski breaks). “Bansko is an old town, set on a flat valley floor in the scenic Pirin National Park, that has been catapulted into the 21st century by installation of modern lifts on its slopes and construction of a lot of new lodgings, many near the base of the new access gondola to the slopes,” says Chris Gill and Dave Watts for Telegraph Ski and Snowboard. On Apr 7, 2017 at 10:16pm PDT 16. You might see actual bearsThis should really be at the top of the list, but there bears in Bulgaria. You might see bears.
There are said to be around between 400 and 700 brown bears in the wild, according to the Balkani Wildlife Society, split between the Rilo-Rhodopean and Central Balkan regions. There are tour operators that specialise in bear-spotting trips. Very few castles are this ruggedThis remarkable fortress, Belogradchik Fortress to be precise, is found on the north slopes of the Balkan Mountains and dates back to Roman times. It was last used in warfare during the Sebo-Bulgarian War of 1885. Visit from the nearby town of Belogradchik. Good luck penetrating that, invading armies Credit:Credit: Vasil Stefanov / Alamy Stock Photo/Vasil Stefanov / Alamy Stock Photo18.
And even fewer caves this cavernousDon’t let the 30,000 resident bats put you off a visit to Devetashka cave on the banks of the river Osam. The natural chamber has been continuously occupied for tens of thousands of years but was only discovered in 1921. At times it is 100 metres high and is home to a wealth of stalagmites, stalactites and speleothems, whatever they are.