Interesting Places in Bulgaria
SOFIA
The highest lying capital city in Europe, located in the Sofia Valley, at the foot of the Vitosha Mountains. From the economic as well as from the communicational point of view Sofia is the biggest city in Bulgaria. The most important train and road communication lines meet here and the biggest airport in Bulgaria is located here. The capital city of Bulgaria is a real paradise for culture, art and historical monuments’ fans.
The history of Bulgaria dates back to the Neolithic period. The archaeological excavations prove that one of the first human settlements existed here 3000 years BC. A lot of remnants after Byzantine and Ottoman Empire’s reign are still in the city. Thus, apart from Turkish baths, Muslim mosques with soaring turrets and golden domes, we can find here orthodox churches which look very interesting among modern office blocks and shopping malls. Sofia is also known for its health resorts and mineral waters. Modern culture and art fans won’t be disappointed in Sofia. There are a lot of theatres, cinemas, art galleries and concert facilities, cosy cafes and bustling discos in Sofia.
Among the best-known and most worth attention historical monuments in the capital city of Bulgaria is beyond doubt the Church of St Sofia. It is one of the most important temples in Sofia which was built on the area of the religious worship. According to the legend, St Sofia prayed and died here. In the underground of the Church there is an exhibition where the most interesting remnants of previous temples are displayed. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral is a very size-impressing cathedral in a Neo-Byzantine style which is shaped like a cross. Among these wealthy interior decorations inside there are three altars, frescoes and extremely valuable icons. The gold-plated dome outside, which caps the bell tower, attracts tourists´ attention. In the underground of the Church there is an exhibition of liturgical items and the works of the sacral art. The St George Rotunda is the oldest temple is Sofia. In the IV century a church was built here, but after the short period of the Christian dominance it was transformed into an orthodox church. During the 500 years of Turkish reign it was a mosque. Inside the building the paintings from different periods may be admired. The Banya Bashi Mosque is the sole Muslim temple preserved in Sofia. It was built in the place where the Roman baths were once located. Nowadays, mineral waters of different temperatures flow in the nearly located modern bath.
The St Nedelia Church is located by the square which has the same name. The Church was built in the XVIII century, in the place of the former temple, as it is the case of the majority of sacral buildings in Bulgaria. The interior is decorated with the works of the best artists of the Bulgarian sacral painting.
The Boyana Church is one of the most important orthodox churches in the country. It was built in the place of a fortress which played a very important role in the war against Byzantium. Inside the temple there are frescos from the XIII century. This renovated church is listed in the UNESCO List of World Heritage.
VARNA
It is one of the biggest and best-known cities in Bulgaria. Its rich history and the reigns of the great ancient civilisations, like Rome, Greece, Byzantium and the medieval Ottoman Empire resulted in the fact that Varna is not only a well-developed centre of Bulgarian tourism but also a city of many valuable monuments. Varna is also a very good place to start the journey to the smaller tourist towns on the Black Sea cost. Due to its beautiful and well-maintained beaches, parks, health resorts and numerous monuments, it will for sure meet the expectations of the most demanding tourists. The city is also well-known for its good cuisine and a wide choice of meals. We will find here cosy cafes, posh restaurants and pubs with a regional climate and regular snack bars where we can enjoy a fast meal.
BURGAS
It is one of the biggest cities in Bulgaria. It is located in the middle and southern part of the Black Sea, not far away from other well-developed tourist resorts. Burgas is mainly a well-developed tourist centre. Shopping malls, funfairs and well-maintained sandy and sunny beaches wait for tourists here. The city is also popular among tourists due to its rich night life and various forms of entertainment it offers visitors. Pubs, discos and night clubs here offer good music, the best company and are open till the morning. The city is not only well-known for the variety of tourist attractions it offers, e.g. sports fields, swimming pools, tennis courts and the possibility of trying water sports, but also for its wealth of historical monuments. It is worth going for a walk near to the historical harbour, where some buildings date back to the beginning of the 20th century, and admire the well-lightened beach and lively cafes situated next to the promenade. One of the biggest attractions of the resort is the Seaside Park with a theatre in the open air where theatre plays and festivals are organized during the season.
NESSEBAR
A relatively small town located on the rocky peninsula in the neighbourhood of the seaside resorts. The city was established more than 2500 years ago by Thracian settlers and named Menabryia. In the town there are still some remnants of fortifications, turrets and arcades from this period which once made this peninsula inaccessible. Nessebar is listed in the UNESCO List of World Heritage. Nowadays, the new part of the city offers tourists numerous hotels, guest houses, restaurants, taverns and sandy beaches with a view of the picturesque, ancient and rocky peninsula.
RESORTS
ALBENA
It is a modern resort where the unique atmosphere is created due to its interesting location between woody hills and golden and wide beaches. Albena was awarded the Blue Flag International Prize which is awarded for ecologically clean regions. An easy descent to the sea, shallow shore, sandy sea bottom and the groups of hotel swimming pools, playgrounds make this resort an ideal place to come with children. An additional attraction is an annual auto-rally, a folk festival for young singers, numerous beach volleyball, tennis, boxing tournaments and sea regatta.
BALCHIK
A relatively small town located in the vicinity of Varna. The only shortcoming of the resort may be its rocky beaches. On the other hand, due to this fact it is not very popular among tourists which makes it a calmer and a more private-like resort than other sea resorts in Bulgaria. There are many charming restaurants and cafes in the resort where we can order tasty Bulgarian meals at lower prices (sometimes prices are lower than in Poland). The biggest attraction of the resort is the botanical garden with a palace of the Rumanian Queen Maria and the cactus garden. To feel the atmosphere of this town and learn how the inhabitants of the resort live, it is worth going to the local bazaar. We can find here colourful stalls where we can get home-made delicacies and beautiful souvenirs.
GOLDEN SANDS
It is the most popular resort in Bulgaria with the most beautiful, wide and clean beach and the most popular destination among tourists. The city offers tourists a well-functioning and well-developed infrastructure like the network of a luxury hotels, numerous restaurants, discos and sports facilities. Local bays are a perfect place for diving. There is also a diving school which offers courses for the beginners or more advanced learners. For those looking for more excitement, sea regattas are organized. A lot of cultural events take place in the city, e.g. folk group concerts or other concerts in the open air, music festivals, beer festival or a parade of retro-style cars.
ST CONSTANTIN AND ELENA
It is the first tourist and health resort that was established in Bulgaria. It is known for its special microclimate and precious therapeutic mineral springs which made Bulgaria so famous outside its boundaries. The unique atmosphere of this resort results from the picturesque location of its hotels, restaurants, network of health resorts surrounded by the old lime-tree park, cypresses and colourful flower-beds. St Constantin and Elena has a very beautiful, sandy beach, as well as small romantic bays and rocks scattered along the cost which are a paradise for fishermen and amateurs of diving. The resort offers unlimited possibilities of trying water sports. Restaurants, taverns, pubs, casino and discos- it all guarantees a good rest and much fun till the very morning.
SUNNY BEACH
It is a big sea resort with a well-developed tourist infrastructure. One of the advantages of this resort is a wide and sandy beach. Due to the gently descending coast, water pipes and numerous playgrounds and restaurants, which offer meals for children, it is a popular place among families with children. The fans of active recreation and sport will find here a lot of possibilities and a wide offer of water sports. There are also many night-life attractions, like bars, pubs and discos. This all is accompanied by sun during the day and great atmosphere during the night.
POMORIE
Pomorie is the Black Sea resort which is very popular among tourists. Pomorie is also a big curative and rehabilitation resort. So called “Pomorie mud” is helpful in the treatment of rheumatism and skin diseases. Among the most popular historical monuments in Pomorie are: the church ''Virgin Mary'' picturesquely located in the centre of the town, the mediaeval St George Monastery with a great collection of icons, Islamic mosques, orthodox churches and the famous Thracian tumulus.