WHAT TO SEE IN BULGARIA

The Rose Valley

Situated among the mountain range of the Balkans and the Anti-Balkans there is the Rose Valley, a place where people have been harvesting damascene roses for centuries, producing precious rose oil. Kazanlak is one of the main centers for this floral oil’s production. Here, the flowers grow in open spaces, producing a colorful show from May until June. If you wish to witness the harvesting of the precious petals, you have to go to the city as soon as the sun rises, because petals retain their fragrance longer when they’re coated in dew. Since 1903 there is the Rose Festival with numerous and folkloristic events. You can read more about it in this article.

Thracian tomb of Kazanlak

The Thracian Tomb of Kazanlak is a mausoleum built with bricks containing murals that are among the best preserved from the Hellenistic era. It is a true masterpiece from the Hellenistic period, in the vicinity of the city of Kazanlak, and it is dated IV BCE. The tomb was in the vicinity of the ancient Thracian capital of Seutopolis. Since 1979 it is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

NATURE

Throughout Bulgaria, there are 10 natural parks, three national parks, 90 natural reserves, 175 protected sites and 457 natural interests places. About 35% of the territory in Bulgaria is forest, and some of them host the most ancient trees in the world, like the Granit Oak and Baikushev’s pine.
Within the European Union, Bulgaria is the second country – after Spain – with the vast majority of natural reserves included in the UNESCO’s selected biospheres.

GEOGRAPHY

Bulgaria is located in the eastern half of the Balkan Peninsula, and it borders on Greece and Turkey at South, on Romania at North – the river Danube divides the two – and on Serbia and Macedonia at West. At East, it borders on the Black Sea.
Sofia, the capital, is in the Western part of the country, at the feet of mount Vitoša. The majority of commercial and cultural activities are here in the city.
Landscapes vary in Bulgaria, and go from flat lands to hills, with occasional mountains like the Balkans chain. The vast Plain of Sofia is in the Center-West, and it is an ancient, strategic path that connected Belgrade to Constantinople. The main river in Bulgaria is the Danube, which flows into the Dead Sea.

WEATHER

The weather in Bulgaria is humid continental, with hot summers and quite cold winters, especially in the Danube Plain. Balkans act as a barrier between thenorth and south, the latter influenced in climate by the Aegean Sea. The coast that lies along the Black Sea has a more temperate climate compared to the rest of the country.
Visit Bulgaria between April and September, when the temperate weather and the lack of large tourist groups make it the perfect occasion to explore the country. Discover our spring offers to Bulgaria and explore its multiple attractions. Summer is the perfect time for a vacation on the Black Sea, although expect crowded beaches.

CURRENCY

The currency is the Bulgarian Lev since 1881. The change with Euro is 1.95583 Lev = 1 EUR. On January 1st 2007 Bulgaria joined the European Union; the Euro was supposed to replace the Lev on January 1st 2013, but in April 2010 Sofia decided to postpone the date.