Two Weeks in Bulgaria
Fortresses, monasteries, street cats, smoking. These five words pretty accurately describe our time in Bulgaria. (We weren't smoking, but it seems like everyone else in the country does) . We flew into Varna which sits on the East coast of Bulgaria and the West coast of the Black sea. Unfortunately, we were about two months early to enjoy the beach scene, but we enjoyed the diverse scenery and towns as we made our way West. The major cities are easy to get to by public transportation, but a few of the attractions proved to be difficult to navigate, without taking an insane amount of time. If you can hire a car to explore the country we'd recommend it, as it would make things much easier.
Google Translate came in handy a few times, mostly because the signs and menus are written in Cyrillic script, so even trying to guess what the words say in English is impossible. Even if you know the name you are looking for (e.g. the name of town on a bus stop sign), it will not be written in recognizable letters. Big city buses usually have “conductors” (ticket sellers) on the bus that you buy your ticket from and you can at least try communicating with them. A couple of websites we found useful when planning our travel routes were:
Here are our top 10 picks for Bulgaria:
Google Translate came in handy a few times, mostly because the signs and menus are written in Cyrillic script, so even trying to guess what the words say in English is impossible. Even if you know the name you are looking for (e.g. the name of town on a bus stop sign), it will not be written in recognizable letters. Big city buses usually have “conductors” (ticket sellers) on the bus that you buy your ticket from and you can at least try communicating with them. A couple of websites we found useful when planning our travel routes were:
Here are our top 10 picks for Bulgaria:
#10- Aladzha Monastery
Located 16km outside of Varna, the Aladzha Monastery is an Orthodox Christian cave monastery carved into the side of a 25m limestone cliff face. There are several rooms and some of the brightly coloured frescos remain intact. The monastery was first inhabited by 11th century Christian hermits but the monastery that remains today was created in the 13th-14th centuries.
Have a look in the small museum on site but also be sure to continue down the forest path to the group of caves known as the "catacombs". The walk is lovely and the catacombs are slightly overgrown. There is evidence that these caves were inhabited as early as the 5th century. Travelling to the monastery by bus was rather complicated and time consuming. During the summer months there is supposedly a direct bus but driving or taking a taxi would be the easiest way to visit. |
#9- Sofia
Sofia is the capital of Bulgaria and also the country's largest city. It is a great departure point for onward travel to Serbia and North Macedonia. It is also a lovely city to explore and it is easy to do so on foot. The Saint Aleksandar Nevski Cathedral is the landmark of the city and sits on the east side of the city centre near the National Art Gallery, Sveti Nikolay Mirlikiiski Church and City Garden. The St. Nicholas of Sofia Church, Church of St. George, Central Market and Banya Bashi Mosque are also within walking distance. |
#8- Bachkovo
Founded in 1083, the Bachkovo Monastery is located 30km south of Plovdiv. The idyllic location, surrounded by the hills of the Rhodope Mountains, make it easy to see why Bachkovo is the second most visited monastery in Bulgaria. Some people visit for the supposed healing powers of a Virgin Mary icon, but the grounds and churches can be enjoyed by all. You can also include our #6 pick, Asen's fortress, in your visit as it is only 10 minutes down the road and offers an incredible view down the valley. We were lucky enough to hitchhike between the two with a couple of friendly water delivery guys.....cheers fellas! |
#7- Provadia
Provadia isn't on the normal tourist trail, but is located only 55km west of Varna. There isn't much happening in the small town, but the Ovech Fortress makes the trip worthwhile. Built high in the surrounding rock hills, the fortress was constructed by the Byzantines in the 4th century and was used until the beginning of 7th century.
After climbing the stairs to one of the three entrances, you can walk along the old stone road and wooden bridge built into the rocky edge. Keep your eyes out for the area of stone road that has been worn away by centuries of foot and cart traffic. It was a bit overcast when we visited, but there wasn't a single other person in the fortress. Be cautious around the cliff edges, as there aren't many barriers to keep you from the sheer drop. |
#6- Asen's Fortress
Located 5km south of Asenovgrad, Asen's Fortress is a medieval fortress 279m up in the Rhodope Mountains. The Church of the Holy Mother of God is the most notable construction in the fortress, dating back to the 12th century, and is also the best preserved. The view from the fortress is fantastic and walk to the fortress from Asenovgrad offers several incredible views. |
#5- Nesebar
Also called "The Pearl of the Black Sea", Nesebar is an ancient seaside town that became a colony at the beginning of the 6th century BC. Today, the small town claims to have the highest number of churches per capita with 40 surviving churches and only 13,000 residents. We were told it gets incredibly busy during the warmer months but we had the small peninsula nearly to ourselves and even in the cold it was awe inspiring. |
#4- Rila
The Monastery of Saint Ivan of Rila is one of the most iconic and most visited places in Bulgaria. It is also the largest Eastern Orthodox monastery in the country. The monastery was built by the students of St. Ivan of Rila, a hermit who lived for 7 years in a cave in the nearby forest. St. Ivan of Rila was revered as a saint and the monastery was built in his honour. While visiting the monastery, be sure to venture into the forest to visit St. Ivan's cave and the small church nearby. It is said that if you pass through the cave and out the small hole at the end your sins will be forgotten. Shane went through a few times.....just to be sure. |
#3- Plovdiv
Plovdiv was named the 2019 Cultural Capital of Europe and the city was busy with activity and preparation for the summer when we visited. The history of the city is apparent- from the architecture of the houses in the old town to the Roman Stadium that is now buried beneath the main shopping street. One of the best views of the city is from the rocky ruins of Nebet Tepe in the old town. This hill is one of the sites where the ancient town was founded and the settlements date back to 4000 BC. This ancient site is not only full of history but its also the best spot in town enjoy the sunset with a local brew or rakia. |
#2- Sozopol
South of Burgas, on the coast of the Black Sea, sits the small, ancient town of Sozopol. Founded by Greek colonists in the 7th century BC, Sozopol is once of the oldest towns on the Bulgarian coast. Walking through the old town, ancient remains and the 18th century style of wooden houses mix together to create a unique atmosphere. The old fortress wall surrounds the old city and large sand beaches dot the coast line. It was quiet when we visited but in summer that is surely not the case. |
#1- Veliko Tărnovo
Veliko Tarnovo won our hearts and the title of our favourite place in Bulgaria. Located on the Yantra River, the old part of the city is situated on three hills. This creates an almost fairytale-like setting, with castles set upon hilltops, the river running in u-bends around, and the houses and forest filling the valleys below.
Tsaravets fortress sits high upon one of the three hills and provides amazing views of all directions. Further west, the Monument to the Asen Dynasty sits down in a bend of the Yantra River. Be sure to walk through the Samovodska Charshia market to get a good feel of the town's architecture and history. Also nearby, about 6km into the hills, the Transfiguration Monastery is a beautiful place to visit. The paintings on the main church, both inside and out, are incredible. We took a taxi there and then walked back to the city via a forest trail. Keep your eyes peeled- we did spot a snake. |
Questions about travelling in Bulgaria? Email us and we will be happy to help!