Interesting locations in Bulgaria

In the past years, tourism has played an important role in Bulgaria’s economic growth. There were about 5.2 million tourists who visited the country in 2007 making Bulgaria as one of top destinations in Europe. It features historical sites, eco-tourism, cultural and architectural heritages, summer beaches, and mountain ski resorts. Whatever the season is, Bulgaria is always ready to fascinate its visitors.

For summer escapades the following are recommended – Dyuni (holiday town and beach resort perfect for windsurfing and other water sports), Nessabar (this ancient city was included in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1983 and has several famous resorts including the Sunny Beach), and Sozopol (known for its great weather, sandy beaches, culture, history and cuisine, this ancient town is located on the southern Bulgarian Black Sea coast).

During winters, the following resorts offer some of the best amenities and services – Borovets (ski school, night skiing, cross-country skiing, ski-doo, ski-jumping, lifts), Pamporovo (one of the top ski resorts in Southeastern Europe, features first-rate hotels and bars), Bansko (regarded as the most developed winter and ski resort in Eastern Europe, has several lakes and old pine woods and home of the annual Bansko Jazz Festival), and Vitosha (located on the outskirts of Sofia, it is offers the closest spot for hiking, skiing, and alpinism).

Other popular city destinations include Plovdiv (second largest city in Bulgaria and one of the oldest cities in Europe), Varna (known as the Summer Capital of Bulgaria and chosen as seat of the Black Sea Euro-Region), Burgas (Burgas Regional Historical Museum, Ethnographic Museum, Museum of Nature and Science, International Folklore Festival), Vidin, Rousse, and Pleven. For rural sightseeing, visit Arbanasi, Kumani, Ribaritsa, Tryavna, and Orehovo. Popular monasteries in the country are the Rila Monastery, Rozhen Monastery, Bachkovo Monastery, and Drianovo Monastery.