Why Should People Visit Bulgaria?
This was my third destination during my Eastern European jaunt. (See Why Travel To Slovakia? as well as A Little Taste of Transylvania for more round-ups.) As a writer, it's the one I found most interesting, to the point where there will be a story on my trip there in the next issue of Perceptive Travel. That's because I went in with no expectations and was amazed on a daily basis. It's certainly rough in places but that's the main part of the appeal that you won't have to share a stretch of sidewalk anywhere with hundreds of package tourists who are sucked up by an excursion boat or river cruise. This brings us to first thing:
You can still be an explorer in Bulgaria.
When you get settled in a backpacker's path today, it's easy to feel as if you're swaying through a path that's so familiar that it might as well be a sidewalk that moves at an airport. There are around you thousands, perhaps hundreds of people doing the same things you are, posting the same photos, just like thousands of others prior to you arrived. If there are more than a dozen foreigners in Sofia. One tour bus was observed in May at the UNESCO World Heritage Rila Monastery, which is pictured below. With its bizarre alphabet, a language that isn't quite right, wide open spaces, and relatively removed geography, Bulgaria just doesn't get the huge crowds. The experience here is still an adventure.
Excellent "Slow Food" at Great Prices.
This is the reason why the latest trend of looking for "slow food" and "farm-to-table" restaurants is a good idea. It's how we eat every day. Every house is equipped with a grapevine vine trellis and a tiny garden plot. Supermarkets are far outnumbered by market stalls in the village and roadside vegetable stands. The majority of people eat whatever is in season, and they pickle their vegetables for winter as they have done for centuries. Despite eating an enormous amount of dairy products, particularly white cheese and yogurt--this is a much healthier looking people than the ones I am a part of in the USA. I'll write a blog post later regarding prices, but just trust me when I say to be sure to double-check the exchange rate calculation every time you are presented with the menu. The beer and wine are generally good as well and the rakia (liquor distilled from plums, grapes or other fruits) is practically cost-free.
One-third of Bulgaria is protected green space
In a lot of central and western Europe, there's very little old growth forests left, and a large portion of the forest has been replaced by an increasing population. Many people still lament that the Ottomans destroyed their forests many years ago, and are adamant about how long and difficult it was to transport logs. It's not unusual for me to see a lot more deforestation in the developing world especially in areas where people cook over wood fires. In the United States, however, the mountains are dotted with greenery and you drive through thick forests. This is what it means...
Amazing Hiking Opportunities
When you look at what's offered on theirBulgaria Hiking website, it's difficult to believe that you could do all this in a country that the majority of people can't even find on maps. There are three main mountains, two of which are just a few minutes from Sofia, and you can enjoy multi-day hikes in organized mountain huts with cafes or staying in village guesthouses. You can trek around glacial lakes, visit painted monasteries, see ancient castles, pass the roaring waterfalls and enjoy the stunning landscapes. Besides the great experience, reaching more than 3,000 feet, the prices are excellent. Guided tours including lodging and two meals per day are priced at approximately $100 per person. This is a great hiking tour illustration. (And it's true that you can organize snowshoeing or mountain biking if you'd like. For example, a kayaking/rafting adventure.)
Veliko Turnovo
The town's historic part of Plovdiv, with its Roman architectural wonders and ruins, gets more visitors because it's easy to reach from Sofia. However, if I were able to return to one spot in Bulgaria and linger for a while it would be Veliko Turnova. With different conditions it is the kind of location which is often trampled by the blink of an eye. Based on the appearance and feel, you would imagine it to be crowded with cafes, hostels, and backpacker hostels following the style of Chefchaouen Luang Prabang, Hoi An, San Cristobal de Las Casa, or Hampi. Then the more adventurous independent travelers with more money would come along and the town would become a target for the world's top magazines. If more people knew about the town and it wasn't too far from the main highway, it would. It is situated on the train line that connects Istanbul to Bucharest however, so you should consider it a possibility, but don't tell everyone about it yet. Here are the costs for a stay in a hostel as well as breakfast at Hotel Gurko.