Bulgaria - Treat Yourself to a 5* Magical Vacation At Possibly The Cheapest Price You Could Find in Europe

Have you ever wondered where to go, when you don't really have a huge amount of money, but you still want to have the vacation of your life? This might just be the place for you! If you are a Winter sports lover, or you just feel like swimming in hot mineral water, if you feel like sunbathing on the beach, or climbing high mountain peaks or just enjoy nature in all it's beauty, than Bulgaria is just the place for you! In this article I will tell you about this magical country and the hidden treasures you might find!

So now...

The Republic of Bulgaria is a country in Southeastern Europe, situated in the Balkan Peninsula. With a territory of 110,994 square kilometres, it holds centuries of history and natural beauty. Ever since the First Bulgarian Empire founded in 681 AD it has been on a crossroad - territory that everyone wants as it connects Europe to Asia and yet it has managed to preserve it's own culture and beauty despite the different historical clashes that have kept it on edge throughout the years. Nowadays, as a modern country - part of the European Union the layers of history are still visible throughout the country, dating back to the time of the Roman Empire. Nowadays the country's population is approximately 7 million people and with modern life in Bulgaria constantly developing it is becoming one of the preferred business and vacation locations in Europe. It is known that Bulgaria has one of the fastest broadband connections of 32.1 megabits per second on average. That places it among the countries with the highest internet connection in the world in 2012 coming second worldwide after South Korea. You can find everything you would expect from a modern world, and at the same time if you are interest in culture and history, hop on the the 20th century retro tram...

... and enjoy a great tour around the capital city of Bulgaria - Sofia, but don't worry, you can enjoy it as well on a luxurious new one, for the outstanding price of 1.6BGN (0.82€).
You will pass through the ancient, medieval, Soviet Union, modern and futuristic layers that shape the city in all sides. Through faith...

... and glory...

... you will come to understand one of Bulgaria's most iconic saying - 'Съединението прави силата' which means in bulgarian - Unity Creates Power/United we stay strong - both correct. Don't forget though that sightseeing is not always enjoyable on an empty stomach. You can feel free to get off the tram and enjoy a nice meal at one of the many restaurants in the city, offering unique views and more food than you can actually eat for no more than 7.00€ including desert, and I can guarantee that there are dishes and deserts, that are gonna make you eat the plate.

You can than continue at a piano bar, where you can find a huge selection of different alcohol and of course beer from the country, as well as a large amount of famous brands from around the world, at the maximum price of 6.00BGN (3.07€). However mainly the price of a 2 letter bottle of beer cost about 1.02€ - most famous and best of flavor being Kamenitza, Shumensko, Pirinsko and Zagorka as brands.
Hotels have their own charm here. If you feel like experiencing the luxury of the 20th century or the elegance of the 21st century, you can book a few nights in some of the most famous hotels that offer all inclusive service to it's guests at a competitive to western Europe price. you can fine prices between 16.00€ - 60.00€ per night, and we are talking meals included at hotels above 3*

------------------------------------------Time to Travel------------------------------------------

Now, every excursion starts with a good old train ticket in your hand. In Bulgaria there is a well developed train and bus transport systems, you can get from one end of the country to the other in a few hours, well maybe not everywhere that quickly. The longest trip is 8 hours by train/7 hours by bus to the very opposite end of the country and the shoreline of Black Sea. So naturally you go to the Central Railway Station of Sofia...

... and you head east towards the city of Burgas passing through the heart of the country only to find yourself in front of the crystal blue waters of Black sea. You will pass through the second biggest city in the country, ancient in history yet everlasting - Plovdiv.

Plovdiv or pLOVEdiv, known as the city of the seven hills, is one of the most beautiful cities of Bulgaria, combining ancient roman architecture with medieval bulgarian buildings and modern towers of today.

You can enjoy the different aspects of Bulgaria's culture or go on a shopping spree in the city center where you can find everything you can ever imagine from all worldwide brands in clothing and much more, just don't get carried away, there is a lot more to see. if you are a fan of sports you can enjoy kanu kayak as the city has it's own sports water channel over 2 km of length.

If you feel like just visiting a nice café, you can do it at central pedestrian street - known to be the longest such in entire Europe.

--------------------------------------Time to continue east-------------------------------------

Welcome aboard the train again and prepare yourselves for further surprises!

You are on your way to the seaside passing through some of the biggest cities in the country and the vast valley of Trakia full of different wonders among which is the famous bulgarian rose. Yes, those are the same roses that give oil from which some of the finest perfumes are being made in Paris, France and shipped all around the world. The scent of these roses is so strong that you can feel it in the air as you pass along the colossal fields. The harvest of these roses is a very strict process so that you can get the maximum out of each rose. You can see the harvest of roses only very early in the morning before the sunrise and only an hour after it. It's being done by hand and after that the rose oil has to be prepared through a chain of extractions that save only the best of the best scent out of each rose.
The harvest is very hard, and the making of the rose oil takes a lot of time and hard work, that is why it costs so much in Europe, but in Bulgaria it's a tradition so you can find it everywhere. About 200ml of the scent costs less than 2.00€. You will pass through mountains and valleys and spectacular views however it has to be seen as in words it can not be described. While being breath taken by the beauty you won't notice how quickly time has passed and at the end of the journey you will end up here...

This is the city of Burgas - one of Bulgaria's biggest cities at the seaside and the second largest bulgarian port after the international port of Varna. Here, ships filled with tourists dock and people from all over the world come to enjoy an outstanding vacation. Just the same picture appears at the international airport of Burgas, where hundreds of flights from all over the world land each and every day. You will enjoy the art-driven architecture of the city and hundreds of kilometers of sandy beaches .
With crystal clean waters and temperature of the sea water being at (32-36)degees Celsius, all you need is cold beer and you are ready to relax and let go of any accumulated stress. At evening time you can enjoy the sunset at a restaurant near the sea...
...or if you feel like it you could take the first city bus and in 30 minutes arrive at the beautiful town of Nesebar, rich in history and beautiful in it's own medieval way, combined with the warmth of night lights.
You can enjoy a late night carnival and a ride on the ferries wheel with an astounding view of the city...!

I would understand if you are not really a romantic person and would like to go to a party at a night club. That is why the notorious town of 'Слънчев бряг' (Sunny Beach) is only 10 minutes of walk along the shore line away from Nesebar, so you can enjoy the lights of casinos, night clubs, bars and piano bars or taverns and a variety of music types played in each of them - from rock and roll to pop-folk and pop, new age and many more. You can enjoy of course an all inclusive vacation in the finest 5 star hotels on relative prices of 30BGN - 80BGN (10€ - 60€) per person, per night. Having in mind lower number of stars hotels also offer an outstanding service for even less money than the mentioned above. Hotels and restaurants offer a large range of different kitchen types, such as Chinese food, Vietnamese, Turkish sweets, American fast foods such as McDonalds, KFC and different variations of Arab, and Greek food along with delicious Mediterranean sea foods and wines from all around the world. You can have a taste of bulgarian traditional alcohol - rakia, but be careful tho, not too much, haha! It's a strong drink that can have different flavors due to it being able to be extracted from different fruits like grapes, apples, apricots and so on. There exist as well the so called - English restaurants in which you can enjoy an english breakfast as well as other tasty pastries. If you feel like eating on the go, there is always pizza and sandwiches everywhere. And as a different way to feel the breeze you can enjoy a romantic diner on a small boat cruising around the two towns...

------------------------------------------Hold on Now------------------------------------------

We are getting ahead of ourselves dreaming about the palms and the warm breeze of the sea, it's still Winter and of course it's time for Winter sports such as skiing and snowboarding! That would be a few kilometers back from the seaside closer again to the country's capital. And it's the town of Bansko, where millions of tourists come every ear just for the snow and the miles long ski slopes as well as that hot mineral water combined with a nice cup of tea and some bean soup in the restaurants.

In the heart of the Pirin mountain lies this small town full of luxury and abundance of hotels, spa centres and naturally hot mineral waters. Reaching an altitude of 2,914 metres (9,560 ft) at the mountain's peak Vihren, the perfect layout of the ski slopes is just enough to satisfy the needs of those looking for some serious workout and adrenaline.
And a comfortable Gondola lift, as well as other types of lifts that will make your way back to the peak - quick and easy!

And if you don't feel like going to the slopes you could always enjoy a nice turkish bath or relaxation at the sauna or maybe a dip in the hot mineral water pool.

------------------------------------------Or Maybe------------------------------------------

You can go hiking in the mountain even during the summer if you feel like viewing the world from the sky. Bulgaria's highest mountain is called Rila with it's peak Musala (2925 metres). You can enjoy green forests, waterfalls and even valleys where once glaciers were formed...

You can climb higher than the clouds and still enjoy a meal at the peak in an old tavern, wouldn't that be a treat!

On your way to Musala you pass through different glacier lakes one of them by the name 'The scary lake' due to it being in a bowl shaped earth form that causes the eco to be very strong, therefore any sound is likely to be heard repeated 3-4 times before it fades into nothing. At the edge of the lake sits a small little hut that works as a hideout if by any chance you find yourself in a storm, as weather can be very unpredictable at such altitudes.

As I mentioned you could make your way though gauges and forest to enjoy the natural untouched side of this land. One of the most beautiful places being the Iskar river gauge slicing through the Old mountain or in bulgarian (Стара планина)...
There you can find different flowers and animals as well as experience the village life of people dedicated to keeping the tradition and craft of the old times alive in the modern world. Just outside of the Iskar gauge you will find the enchanting world of the Krushuna waterfalls...
...those cascades... there are even bigger ones than the ones shown on the picture...

If you are interested you can visit some of the oldest towns and cities in Bulgaria marking it's culture and everlasting growth, however not for the sake of the old, as it's said ''You have to always remember your origin in order to go somewhere in life''. Such town would be the town of Koprivshtitsa with it's medieval architecture and warmth of the people who live there.
... and let's not forget that red, symbol of health and prosperity according to old traditions...
...even during winter, full of color...

Just be sure to visit the city of Veliko Turnovo, one of the first capital cities in bulgarian history, especially during the month of March as the 22nd of March is the citie's festival and every year a show is being performed live at one of the oldest collosal ruines of the old Bulgarian Empire - Tsarevets. The show is called ''Sound and Light'' and it features a moving platform through the city, loud music and the culmination is a grand light display and giant fireworks display later in the evening.

You can find many other things to enjoy in Bulgaria such as fire dancing and an enormous display of astounding wildlife and natural creations. It's a thrill that you have to live through for yourself. And so... our brief journey through the country is coming to an end, having in mind that what you have seen in this article is not even half of the magic that the country holds, but I guess you will find that out for yourselves if you decide to visit!

Thank you very much for the attention and time spent on reading this article, I hope this has sparked your curiosity to travel to this wonderful side of the world. Please let me know in the comments on what you think about the topic and upvote :)

All photos with the tag ''viktor velkovsky'' belong to myself
Any other photos that do not have this tag have been downloaded off of google images, filtered so that they can be most accurate to the real deal.

Thank you again!
Viktor Velkovsky