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Background
Bulgaria became a member of NATO in 2004 and joined the EU in January 2007.
Located in the heart of the Balkan Peninsula, Bulgaria borders Romania, Turkey, Greece, Yugoslavia and Macedonia.
Population: 7.7 million, 1.2 million of whom reside in the capital, Sofia. The country is very sparsely populated; the area is roughly the size of England and Wales at 110,000 square kilometres (70,000 square miles). Over 50% of Bulgaria is hilly or mountainous making it a spectacularly beautiful country.
Bulgaria offers beautiful scenery, bursting with ancient monasteries, churches, mosques and ruins, effortlessly retaining a mixture of old world charm and combining it with a modern infrastructure.
More information on Bulgaria is available at the official tourist office website, http://www.bulgariatravel.org/
Language
Bulgarian is the national language. English is also spoken in most major cities, larger towns, ski resorts and beach resorts.
Currency
Unit of currency is the lev (leva) which is sub-divided into 100 stotinki.
The lev is linked to the euro at a fixed rate and house prices are often quoted in euros.
Climate
Temperate climate: chilly, damp winters and reliably hot summers. Springs are mild and pleasant. Skiers enjoy a season from mid December until May.
Flights to Bulgaria:
The summer season (for the Black Sea coast) enjoys good quality flights from May to October
| Fly From UK Airport | Fly To Bulgaria Airport | Departure Day | Airline |
| London Heathrow | Varna | Monday | Malev, BA |
| Bourgas | Tuesday | ||
| Sofia | Wednesday | ||
| Thursday | |||
| Saturday | |||
| Sunday | |||
| London Gatwick | Varna | Monday | BG Air |
| Sofia | Wednesday | ||
| Friday | |||
| Bristol | Bourgas | Tuesdays | First Choice |
| Thursdays | |||
| Saturdays | |||
| Manchester | Bourgas | Monday | Cosmos, Balkan Holidays |
| Sofia | Tuesday | Eclipse Direct, First | |
| Thursday | Choice, Sunstart, Unijet, | ||
| Friday | Airtours, Portland Direct, | ||
| Saturday | Thomas Cook, Skytours. | ||
| Sunday | |||
| Birmingham | Burgas | Thursday | Balkan Holidays Portland |
| Varna | Friday | Direct, Sytours, Sunstart, | |
| Saturday | Unijet, Eclipse Direct, | ||
| Thomson Holidays First | |||
| Choice | |||
Construction is due to begin soon on a new toll road that will reduce the drive fromSofia/the ski resorts to the Black Sea coast from six hours to two.
While return scheduled airfares from the UK to Bulgaria start from as little as £90, budget airlines are already offering prices from as little as £42 one way to Sofia and Bourgas. As already seen in countries such as Spain where you can get a flight now for as little as £49, property prices increase dramatically as soon as accessibility is improved. Property in Bulgaria has already increased significantly in value as investors realise the potential of buying here.
The planned introduction of direct routes from Dublin to Sofia in early 2007 will further increase property prices. If you are planning to buy property in Bulgaria then time is of the essence – Bulgarian property prices are on the rise.
The Food
Bulgarian food is close to traditional European cuisine with a Bulgarian menu including bread, yogurt and fresh milk, cheese, tomatoes, paprika, potatoes, onions, beans and fruits, brandy and red or white wine.
Bulgarians also love salads – a salad and Rakia (Bulgarian spirit/schnapps, usually made from grapes) are the obligatory start to the meal.
Some typical Bulgarian specialties and meals:
- Shopska salad - prepared from diced tomatoes, fresh cucumbers, green peppers, topped with feta cheese and seasoned with olive oil and parsley
- Mlechna salad - prepared from strained yogurt seasoned with olives, crushed walnuts, finely diced garlic and parsley
- Tarator - cold served soup from yogurt, fresh cucumbers, seasoned with walnuts, garlic and dill
- Sirene po Shopski - feta cheese, diced tomatoes and onion topped with egg and cooked in an earthenware dish
- Kebapche - minced meat rolls seasoned with traditional spices and fine herbs and barbecued
- Kuyfte - minced meat balls seasoned with traditional spices and fine herbs and barbecued
- Shish Kebab - grilled skewered meat, onion and paprika
- Banitsa - baked pumpkin pastry filled with cheese or meat
- Creme Caramel - delicious dessert prepared from fresh milk
- Eggs and caramelized sugar, similar to the classic French creme brulee
- Restaurants: Wide variety of cuisines is offered. Along with traditional Bulgarian dishes, many restaurants offer Italian, French, Greek, Chinese, German, Arabian, Hungarian, Latin American, Indian and Russian food.
Health Service
Many Bulgarian hospitals are very basic compared to those in the Ireland and the UK, however in most of the tourist resorts you will find a polyclinic where tourists can receive medical attention.
There is a charge for these services which varies from resort to resort, but costs are generally low. Please, keep all receipts for insurance claims, but be aware that most policies have an excess. You must always contact your Insurance company immediately to inform them of any accidents or claims.