Vacation Rentals in Bulgaria
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Travel destination Bulgaria.
You can choose from 114 vacation rentals and holiday rentals.
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Destination
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(1)
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Overview of Bulgaria
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| Size |
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110,910 sq km (42,822 sq mi) |
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| Population |
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7,358,000 |
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| Language |
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The official language is Bulgarian. |
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| Time Zone |
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2 hours ahead of Greenich Mean Time (GMT +2). |
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| Electricity |
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230 volts AC, 50Hz. |
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| Clothing |
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Lightweight cottons and linens are worn between March and September, although warmer clothes
may occasionally be necessary in spring and autumn and on cooler evenings. A light raincoat is
advisable for winter. |
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| Religion |
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Bulgarian Orthodox 85%, Muslim 13%, Jewish 0.8%, Roman Catholic 0.5%, Uniate Catholic 0.2%,
Protestant, Gregorian-Armenian and other 0.5%. |
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| Currency |
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Bulgarian Leva (BGN) Currency Converter |
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Location of Bulgaria
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Bulgaria sits at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, right in the belly of the Balkans. Any journey of length
showcases the country's amazing variety of landforms. From the banks of the Danube, a windswept plain slopes
up to the rounded summits of the Stara Planina. This east-west range runs right across the northern half of
the country from the Black Sea to Serbia. Southern Bulgaria is even more mountainous. Musala Peak (2925m/9596ft)
in the Rila Mountains south of Sofia is the highest mountain between the Alps and Transcaucasia, and is almost
equalled by Vihren Peak (2915m/9563ft) in the Pirin Massif farther south. The Rodopi Mountains stretch east along
the Greek border from Rila and Pirin, midway between the Aegean Sea and the Thracian Plain of central Bulgaria.
This plain opens onto the Black Sea coast with great bays and coastal lakes at Burgas and Varna.
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Climate in Bulgaria
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Bulgaria's climate is a distinct case of Mediterranean-meets-eastern-Europe. Summers have a few
more wet days than the start of the year and are pleasantly hot and sunny, mostly sitting in the
low 30°Cs (high 80°Fs) and slightly fresher at higher altitudes. Winters are your typical European
affair, little sunshine and days averaging between -4°C and 6°C (25-42°F).
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Best Time to Travel to Bulgaria
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Bulgaria has a temperate climate, with cold damp winters and hot dry summers. Spring (April to
mid-June) is a good time to visit, with mild and pleasant weather and a host of cultural events
taking place. Summer (mid-June to September) has reliable weather, perfect for hiking and outdoor
festivals but the beaches on the Black Sea coast can get insanely crowded, and accommodation and
camping grounds in coastal resorts tend to fill up. The coast is virtually deserted from mid-September
to mid-May. The ski season begins in mid-December and can last until April.
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Attractions in Bulgaria
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Bulgaria boasts stunningly untouched landscapes, beautiful, safe sandy beaches and a multitude
of tourist attractions ranging from sports to history and culture. This, combined with great value
for money and welcoming people, completes the most peoples' formula for a perfect holiday destination.
In winter, Borovetz, Bansko and Pamporovo are ski resorts. There are summer resorts on the Black Sea
at Sozopol, Nessebur, Golden Sands, Sunny Beach, Albena, St. Constantine & Helena and many others.
Public holidays include New Year (1 and 2 January), Liberation Day (3 March), Cyrillic Alphabet Day
(24 May) and Christmas (25 and 26 December). The reason for the two Christmas days is that religious
Bulgarians were forbidden to practise during the Communist era, so they invented a secular - and
suspiciously Christmas-like - celebration on the following day. Since the collapse of Communism,
the original Christmas Day has been celebrated as before, but the invented holiday has been sensibly
retained. Bulgarians observe a number of traditional customs. Trifon Zarezan on 14 February is
the ancient festival of the wine growers. Vines are pruned and sprinkled with wine to ensure a
bounteous harvest. On 1 March Bulgarians give one another martenitsi, red and white tasselled threads
which are worn for health and happiness at the coming of spring. When wearers see their first stork
of the season, the martenitsa is tied to the nearest tree. At the Koprivshtitsa International Folk
Festival, which is held every five years, some 4000 finalists compete for awards. There is a
biennial festival in Pernik at which participants, wearing traditional masks and costumes, perform
ancient dances to drive away evil spirits and ask the good spirits for a plentiful harvest.
Kukeri is another spring festival, most avidly celebrated in the Rodopi Mountains. The
Festival of Roses is celebrated with folk songs and dances at Kazanlâk and Karlovo on the
first Sunday in June.
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Society in Bulgaria
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Despite its numerous tourist attractions Bulgaria is a poor country and many, many people live
under the poverty line. The villagers mainly live off self-sufficiency and preserve almost everything
they produce, even meat.
Tipping - In most restaurants and bars it is not necessary to pay extra for
the service, but the custom is to leave 5-10% from the value of the order. In the restaurants where the
tip is included in the bill, its percentage is mentioned in the menu. Tips can also be given to the
chambermaid, the errand-boy, the taxi drivers and at the petrol stations staff.
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Food in Bulgaria
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Bulgarian cuisine is representative of the cuisine of the Balkans, showing Turkish, Greek and
Middle Eastern influences. Owing to the relatively warm climate and diverse geography affording
excellent growth conditions for a variety of veggetables, herbs and fruits, Bulgarian cuisine is
particularly diverse. Famous for its rich salads required at every meal, Bulgarian cuisine is also
noted for the diversity and quality of dairy products and the variety of wines and local alcoholic
drinks such as rakia, mastika and menta.
Bulgarian cuisine; plenty of fresh vegetables, eaten raw, roasted or stewed with meat in terra-cotta
pots. Lots of garlic, onions, oil and spices. Influences of its neighbours, Turkey and Greece are
also present in dishes such as sarmi (stuffed vine leaves), moussaka and baklava.
Bulgarians like their salads: a salad and rakia (Bulgarian spirit usually made from grapes) are the
obligatory start to the meal. Be warned, this stage of the meal can be a very drawn-out process
lasting up to an hour. These are some of the more popular Bulgarian salads, well worth a try the
shopska salata with chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, onions and peppers sprinkled with sirene
(Bulgarian white cheese); snezhanka (thick creamy yoghurt with chopped cucumber or gherkins,
walnuts and garlic); kyopulo (roasted aubergines, peppers, loads of garlic, parsley).
Soups are also a very important element in the Bulgarian menu; bob chorba - traditional bean
soup with plenty of herbs; shkembe chorba - tripe soup with garlic, vinegar and chilli, quite
tasty if you can bring yourself to try it; tarator - cold yoghurt and cucumber soup.
Bulgarians like their meat - mainly pork svinsko, veal teleshko and chicken pile -
grilled, fried or as a stew: kavarma- meat and vegetable stew, usually served in individual
pots; gyuvech- stewed chunks of vegetables and lamb; kyufteta - spicy meat balls/hamburgers;
kebapcheta - spicy mince meat, sausage shaped, grilled.
Vegetarians may find the choice on the menu a bit limiting which is a shame as there are plenty of
delicious vegetarian dishes. Usually you can find the following but if all else fails try a
selection of starters or a combination salad (a plate of various salads): kashkaval or sirene
pane - fried yellow (or white) cheese; chushki byurek - fried peppers stuffed with egg and
cheese; sirene po shopski - white cheese, egg, tomatoes and peppers baked in a pot.
The garash torta is the Bulgarian equivalent of the Sacher Torte, made from eggs, walnuts
and cocoa. If you are feeling a little peckish why not try: banitsa - fillo dough pastry filled
with white cheese; gevrek - like a very dry bagel, sold from big bags on street corners;
kifla - croissant usually filled with jam; piroshka - dough stick filled with white
cheese and fried.
The fame of Bulgarian wine speaks for itself. It is inexpensive and good. Bulgarian beers such as
Astika, Zagorka and Kamenitsa are all very continental in their appeal and much cheaper than
imported beers.
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Visa for Bulgaria
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Nationals of some 30 countries - including the USA, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the UK and
other EU countries - are admitted without a visa to stay in Bulgaria for less than 30 days.
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