Bulgaria is a gorgeous country with a long history, there is a rich mix of ancient treasures and modern wonders to explore. These are challenging times, economically, for the people of Bulgaria, but they are clever, proud and resourceful. There is so much to discover in Bulgaria during our virtual visit. Thanks for tagging along - Hope you enjoy!
Mapwork by @Slalice_Draws
TRAVEL & ACCOMODATIONS
This week, we will be virtually staying in three regions within this country: Sofia; Stara Zagora; and Burgas, as most of the attractions we are visiting can be reached from these three locations. At the end, I will share a handful of attractions that are further afield, in case we are interested in adding another stop to our itinerary of accommodations.
From Berlin, Germany, travel is not too difficult. Many airlines can get us there, and I found at least one with direct flights of just over 2 hours, obtainable currently for less than 100 Euros.
When we arrive in the capital city of Sofia, we will stay in the luxurious Sense Hotel and Spa, which currently has rooms available from 100 Euros per night.
When we travel to Stara Zagora, we will stay at the most highest rated hotel in that area, called (appropriately!) Best Boutique Hotel, which has rooms available currently starting at around 40 Euros / night.
Finally, when we are staying along the coast in Burgas, we will stay at the beautiul Grand Hotel & Spa - Primoretz, which has rooms currently averaging at 75 Euros per night.
ITINERARY
SOFIA
St. Sofia Church
This historic church is the oldest operating church in Europe and is built on top of an ancient Roman theater and the ruins can be seen through panes of glass in the floor.
The Largo is an architectural ensemble of three buildings designed as a prime example of Socialist Classicism architecture in Southeastern Europe. The Largo houses the Bulgarian National assembly (previously used as quarters for the Bulgarian communist party), the TZUM department store, the Council of Ministers, the Presidency, the Sofia Hotel Balkan and the Ministry of Education. In the 1990s, the former communist party house was reconfigured by exposing the ruins of ancient Serdica, which lay directly beneath it. This was proposed because the people did not want communist memorabilia to be the accent in the city’s center.
In Sofia, the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral is the largest Orthodox cathedral. Let's take a virtual tour here.
Next up in Sofia, we will check out the National Palace of Culture:
Statue of Sveta Sofia
Of course, while we are touring around the city, we don't want to miss the statue of Sveta, Sofia:
The next stop on our visit to Sofia is the Rila Monastery, and - lucky for us - the master himself, Rick Steves, has visited this attraction and made a great little tour that we can take here:
Monument to the Soviet Army
Next we will head over to the Monument to the Soviet Army to check out how it looks today. It is often painted over in protest to look like different cultural touchstones, and some of them are funny and well-done, and as a result has become a tourist attraction in spite of itself:
Next, we will be sure to stop by the Museum of Socialist Art. In the meantime, here is a virtual walkthrough we can enjoy:
We can't leave Sofia before we check out the most obscure and unique building around. The Snail House is a fun landmark worth a visit (and great for our Instagram feed!):
By now, I am sure we are getting hungry, so we will head to Raketa Rakia Bar - a very highly recommended and cool retro-Soviet/Communist themed restaurant, for a delicious meal:
Just outside Sofia, we will find the Underground Mining Museum. Here's a great tour (this particular tour is not in English, but we can get a good idea of what we are watching - and get exposure to the local language as well!)
If we are lucky, the Surva Carnival Festival will be happening while we are visiting Bulgaria. Here is a great overview of the festival we can check out in the meanwhile:
The "Eyes of God" Cave
Not too far from Sofia there is a natural cave that has captured the spiritual imagination. In this cave, there are two large eye shaped holes that look down from the heavens. There are stunning views when it is a clear night or a beautiful day, and on rainy days, the eyes appear to weep. Here is a short excerpt from a moving acoustic concert within the caves that we can enjoy:
STARA ZAGORA
Our first stop when we arrive in Stara Zagora will be the Regional History Museum. It has been a fixture and an authority in the area over the past 100+ years and will be the perfect place to get our bearings as we begin exploring this part of the country. As a part of this visit, we will also get a chance to see the impressive Neolithic Dwellings Museum:
Our stay in Stara Zagora (toward the middle of the country) will serve as a regional hub as we explore this part of Bulgaria, and we will likely need access to a car to get to some of these locations that may be 1-2 hours away from Stara Zagora. Good thing we are in the mood to explore! Next up is a visit to Koprivshtitsa, which is a beautiful and well preserved example of a revival-era town - relaxing and full of wonderful and hospitable residents.
Next we will head nearby to the town of Veliko Tarnovo for a visit to this fairytale-like historic palatial fortress:
Bulgaria is well-known for its wine production. We won't want to get through this week without a visit to a winery. The Maryan Winery is beautiful and produces 5 wine varieties. Here is a short visit:
Right down the road, we don't want to miss the ruins of the ancient Roman city of Nikopolis ad Istrum:
Also nearby, we can visit the beautiful and historically important Ascension Cathedral which is a popular spot for tourists.
Also not too far from Stara Zagora is the world's 6th oldest town - Plovdiv! There will be a few things we will want to check out here. Let's start with an overview:
Our first stop in Plovdiv will be a tour of the ancient Roman stadium. It once held 30,000 spectators, and today has 14 preserved rows of seating. Here's a tour:
Alyosha Monument - Plovdiv
While in Plovdiv, we can look up, and see this statue that watches over the city:
We will want to check out the nearby flying-saucer-looking Buzludza Monument - once a beacon of the Communist Party in the region, and now abandoned and a tourist attraction:
Another popular attraction is the cool natural phenomenon in the nearby area of Beli Plast, referred to as the 'Stone Mushrooms.'
Rose Oil is one of the proud exports of Bulgaria, and it will be fun to visit an old distillery to learn about how this happens and how it has happened historically. Here's a virtual tour:
Speaking of roses and rose oil, they are so culturally important to Bulgaria that they celebrate each year with a rose festival. Let's enjoy this video where we can join in the fun!:
BURGAS
Beehive Tomb
Next, we head to the coast of the Black Sea, to the town of Burgas and attractions nearby. Our first stop there will be the Beehive Tomb which dates back to the 2nd or 3rd century, AD. It is believed to have served as a mausoleum of a wealthy family in which religious pagan rituals were carried out.
While in the area, it will be interesting to explore the Arkutino School for Gifted Children - a massive complex that was never completed and abandoned. It was designed to be a draw for gifted children from around the world to come and study.
Perla 2
And, speaking of unfinished architecture, nearby we will find Perla 2 - a never finished, grand residence for dictator Todor Zhivkov, abandoned in 1989 when Communism fell.
Rock Monastery of Shashkunite
This looks to be a very cool place to visit - accessible only by a small metal footbridge - these caves have served as a series of religious halls.
Nearby, we will enjoy a visit to a retro car museum. Here is a virtual tour we can take:
Pomorie / Seaside Resort
While in the Burgas area, we will be ready to relax after such a busy week. Pomorie is a seaside resort that will be a perfect fit... Dreamy!
Apollonia Art & Film Fest
If we are lucky, the annual Apollonia Art & Film Fest will be happening while we are in town.
Should we find ourselves with an extra day available in our itinerary and willingness to leave the three areas where we are staying to further explore, we can check out one of the following really cool attractions:
Bulgarian State Monument
Devil's Throat Cave
Thracian Tomb of Sveshtari
Abritus Outdoor Museum
Finally, we can visit the ancient Roman military base of Abritus - built in the 1st Century AD, on top of an ancient Thracian settlement.
Phew! Such a full and busy virtual trip! What did you enjoy the most?