The homeland of Orpheus and the gladiator Spartacus is interesting for tourists for its religious architecture and cultural monuments, the roots of which “sprouted” in antiquity, so they all want to be aware of the question: “What to see in Bulgaria?”
Holiday season in Bulgaria
Bulgaria is a sunny country, where, for the sake of the beaches of Tsarevo, Sinemorets, Burgas, Golden Sands and other resorts, it is advisable to go in June (middle of the month) - September (until the second half of the month), and ski holidays - at the end of December - March (the resorts of Borovets deserve attention, Pamporovo, Bansko).
As for the cost of vouchers to Bulgaria, the highest prices are typical for July-August due to the highest demand for them at that time. In the high season, it is worth visiting the festival of young wine in Trakia, the picking of walnuts, the festival of roses.
Top 15 places of interest in Bulgaria
Banya-Bashi Mosque
Banya-Bashi Mosque
The Tower-Bashi Mosque is a landmark of Sofia. There is a stone above the door with an unreadable text written on it, under which the year 974 is engraved, which is considered the year of the construction of the mosque, according to the Islamic calendar.
A mosque (wall painting from the inside is a detailed ornament and suras of the Koran) with a minaret, one large and 4 small domes, small turrets standing in the corners (they act as supporting elements), a women's gallery and a men's hall inside, and a small 3-dome annex, was built over natural hot springs, so everyone can see the steam flowing through the vents next to the walls of the mosque.
Rila Monastery
The Rila Monastery is 117 km away from the Bulgarian capital and is 1147 meters above sea level. The Rila Monastery complex includes the following objects:
- Ancient library: it stores old printed editions (9000), engravings, handwritten books of the 11-19th centuries (about 250);
- The main church (built in the middle of the 19th century): it is equipped with 2 aisles, 5 domes and 3 altars, and is famous for its famous icons and frescoes;
- Monastery Museum: Of the 35,000 exhibits, the most valuable is the carved wooden Raphael Cross with 104 religious scenes and 650 miniature figures.
Valley of roses
In the east of the Rose Valley is the city of Kazanlak, home to the Rose Museum (visitors will learn about the development of rose oil production from the Bulgarian Renaissance to the present day through photographs and documents, and vessels in which rose water and oil were transported and stored) and historical ethnographic complex "Tower" (here everyone will be able to see the process of growing and taste products based on the oilseed rose), and famous for the ongoing festival of roses with the Queen's choice (early summer).
In the Valley of Roses, tourists will be offered to admire the rosebuds that open at dawn (it is better to visit the Valley in June), as well as acquire natural cosmetics (soap, oil, etc.), wooden carvings, lace tablecloths and curtains.
Thracian tomb in Kazanlak
Thracian tomb in Kazanlak
The date of the creation of the Thracian tomb is 4-3 centuries BC. Its walls are decorated with frescoes depicting scenes from the life of the Thracians, and marble slabs are used in their facing. Near the entrance, in the center of the hall, tourists will see a woman and a man depicted at a table with food, surrounded by servants with gifts, and a little higher than this image - the figure of Demeter, leading the underworld.
The Thracian tomb includes a fragmentarily preserved vestibule, a corridor and a burial chamber. To visit this site, you will need permission from the Ministry of Culture of Bulgaria, so many people prefer to view an exact copy of it all year round (it appeared in 1984).
The entrance ticket will cost about $ 2.
Antique fortress of Serdica
Explore the ruins of the ancient fortress of Serdika in the form of city gates, fragments of Kaloyan's palace, Roman amphitheater, thermal baths, churches of St. Petka of Samardzhi (stones of different colors and shapes were used in its construction), St., in the shape of a rotunda (originally used for baptismal ceremonies; the church is famous for frescoes, the earliest of which date back to the 10th century), will succeed in the center of Sofia, in the underground passage between the buildings of the Council of Ministers and the Presidential Administration. Advice: you need to get off at the Serdika metro station.
Bachkovo monastery
Bachkovo monastery
The remoteness of the Bachkovo monastery from Asenovgrad is 10 km. The Church of the Holy Archangel (on the basement floor you will be able to admire the frescoes of Zacharius Zograf), the Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary (built in 1604; the Miraculous Icon of the Mother of God "Tenderness" is kept here), the crypt, 300 m away from the monastery buildings of the more modern period, the old refectory (it is painted with views of the monastery and images of its patrons), as well as museum exhibits in the form of icons, books and the sword of Friedrich Barbarossa (the museum awaits visitors every day from 9 am to 5 pm).
The cost of visiting the monastery complex is $ 0.56, the museum - $ 1.67, and the refectory - $ 3.33.
Bata village
It will be possible to find the village of Bata by moving 30 km from Burgas. In addition to rural landscapes, the village has a tourist part with a souvenir shop, a restored oiled house (there is an old spinner dressed in a national costume, who shows guests everyday utensils and fabrics) next to the symbolic entrance to the village, a water mill, workshops of potters and carvers on wood.
The “Bulgarian evening” in the village of Bata follows the following scheme: tourists are offered to drink rakia and enjoy treats displayed on tables on the street at the entrance to the village, after which they are entertained with a musical program with folk dances and walking on burning coals. Younger guests can ride donkeys or try their hand at making ceramic bowls, while adults can dance to popular rhythms at the disco.
Aladzha monastery
Aladzha monastery
The Aladzha Monastery is represented by the ruins of a 12th century rocky monastery (14 km from Varna) in the form of surviving fragments of cells, two chapels, a funeral church, a kitchen, utility rooms … Everyone who moves 800 m away from the monastery will come across the catacombs of the Aladzha complex.
Monks lived in a three-tiered cave on the upper and lower levels (the cells, the chapel and the temple discovered there are the worst preserved), and on the 2nd level tourists will see one spacious and smaller room (there are 5 burial chambers in the crypt, and its walls are dotted with carved in stone with crosses of the early Christian era). All this, as well as the museum exhibits dedicated to the history of the monastery, will be able to be viewed in May-October.
The entrance fee is $ 2.85, and the audiovisual performance on Saturdays and Wednesdays is $ 8.55.
St. Anastasia Island
The remoteness of the island of St. Anastasia, with an area of 1 hectare, from Burgas is 6 km. The island is equipped with a lighthouse, a monastery (the Church of the Ascension remains from the 15th century monastery), a cafe-pharmacy, a hotel, a restaurant (they serve Bulgarian dishes prepared according to recipes from 100 years ago). Guests here will see the remains of a pirate ship petrified in the rock, which was destroyed by St. Anastasia (the monks prayed for this), as well as stone formations in the form of a mushroom and a dragon. Everyone is brought to the island by a tourist boat (departure point is a bridge in the Seaside Park of Burgas).
Weird rocks
Location Wonderful rocks - the right bank of the Luda-Kamchia river (near Varna, 4 km from the village of Asparuhovo; you can get there by train). Pyramid-shaped rocks consist of 3 mountain massifs of limestone origin with tunnels dug in each of them. Those interested in certain areas can go rock climbing (8 climbing routes have been developed).
This beautiful area beckons those who want to relax, spend time by the picturesque lake Tsonevo, go fishing, stay in a comfortable cottage for a couple of days.
Seven Rila lakes
The Seven Rila Lakes are glacial lakes in the northwest of the Rila Mountains, at an altitude of 2,100-2,500 m above sea level. The highest lake is named Sylzata, the deepest is Okoto (its depth is 37.5 m), the shallowest is Ribnoto, the largest is Bliznaka, the lake with the steepest shores is Bybreka.
The area around the lakes is suitable for cycling / horse riding or hiking, fishing (some lakes are home to trout), sports and recreation during the summer months.
The city closest to the seven lakes is Sapareva Banya: you can take a taxi from it to the lakes.
Krushinsky waterfalls
Krushinsky waterfalls are located 35 km from the town of Lovech. Moving along the laid ecological path (on the way there will be 15 bridges to explore the picturesque area), tourists will see the main part of the waterfall, 20 m high, and smaller cascades branching off from it, as well as the nearby Devetashkat cave (travelers will have to walk to the bridge over the Osam River). Important: in some places there are gazebos for rest, picnic areas and camping. Also, those who wish can try Bulgarian herbal tea in the cafe and pamper themselves with horseback riding in the surroundings.
Stone forest
Stone forest
A stone forest in the form of a valley stretching for 700 m, with stone hollow columns (inside there is sand, and on the outside they are decorated with an unusual ornament of cracks and grooves), removed 18 km from Varna. There are stones laid out in 4 rows, there are stones 6 m high, and stones that are stacked on top of each other. Many stones placed in an even circle have names (“Family”, “Throne”, “Loner” and others). Advice: to be lucky, as the Bulgarians say, you need to go around the Stone Forest, and then go inside the magic circle.
Boyana Church
Boyana Church
Boyana Church is a landmark of Boyana village (8 km from Sofia): in the western part, tourists will look at the stone vestibule (19th century), in the eastern part - at the one-domed church of the 11th century, and in the central part - at the two-storey Kaloyanov Church (13 century). The decoration of the Boyana Church is the frescoes of the master Vasily (mid-13th century), paintings of 1882, frescoes of the 11-12th and 14-16th centuries, and figures (240) and compositions (89) on its walls. In addition, in the Boyana Church you will be able to admire historical portraits in the form of images of Queen Irina, the sevastocrator Kaloyan, and Tsar Konstantin Tykh.
Jumaya Mosque in Plovdiv
The architecture of the Jumaya mosque with a minaret decorated with an ornamental pattern is dominated by Byzantine and Old Bulgarian styles. The murals inside the mosque date back to the 18-19th centuries (the murals are represented by medallions with quotes from the Koran, as well as floral and plant patterns), and its prayer hall is crowned with 9 domes. Important: since the Jumaya Mosque is active, it is permissible to appear in the prayer hall only in clothes covering the body and without shoes (women need to cover their heads with a scarf).
