Bulgaria

Visited: August 2004, July 2022

Duration of visit: 7 days

Capital city: Sofia

Population: 6.50 million (2022)

Estimated reading time: 11 minutes

• Overnight stay with local families and the opportunity to learn first-hand about their lifestyle and local customs.
• Cigarettes’ smoke on every step.
• The oldest continuously inhabited city in Europe and one of the longest pedestrian zones in Plovdiv.
• A unique combination of Byzantine, Georgian and Bulgarian culture in the historical Bachkovo Monastery.
• Wandering through Sozopol and Varna, the most famous seaside resorts on Bulgarian Black Sea.
• Swimming and relaxing on the beaches of Smokinya and Kabakum.

Eastern Europe has never been very high on my bucket list of countries to visit and Bulgaria is definitely in this category as well. I haven’t got a lot of interest in its history or politics either. Bulgarian political leaders used to have much lower profile than communist celebrities of Soviet Union, Poland or Yugoslavia.

My primary interest in 2004 centered on Bulgaria’s role as a country that, together with Romania, was next in line for European Union membership. So, I expected a similar level of development to Slovenia, which had just joined the EU in May 2004, together with several countries from the Eastern Bloc.

I traveled to Bulgaria on two occasions, once as a solo backpacker and another time accompanied by my family.

The first time was on my route through Eastern Europe, the Middle East  and my African Big Tour in 2004. I travelled with public transport, mainly focused to the interior area of the country.

The second time, in 2022, Bulgaria was part of in the Balkans tour in my own vehicle with my family. We were more focused on the coastal region along the Black Sea.

Bulgaria is one of the oldest countries in Europe. It is also the only one that has never changed its name since its establishment in 681. It was quickly obvious why Bulgaria had to wait and develop more before joining the developed Western Bloc. Beside official numbers about gross income, economic growth and purchase power, I noticed a completely different lifestyle and environment.

When riding on a train through the areas where many heavy industry factories were located, on the outskirts of bigger urban areas, it was visible that most of them were closed, abandoned or collapsed. They were created and run under a communist – socialist system, which was based on surrealistic country policy and supported by the Soviet Union’s interest and aid.

When the country collapsed and was forced to open to market economy, it became much cheaper to import than produce locally under non-competitive conditions. Therefore, many factories, businesses, supermarkets and hotels closed down, while people lost their jobs.

Still, one interesting branch of production is very successful in Bulgaria: about 70% of the world’s rose oil is produced here. It is used for cosmetic products, soaps, shampoos, etc.

Smoking seems as a national sport, since cigarettes are extremely cheap. Bulgarians are the heaviest smokers in Europe; officially over 28% of the Bulgarian citizens are defined as weighty smokers.

I’ve got a feeling that this number is much higher in practice. Bulgarians often appear aged, with dry or frail features, making them seem significantly older than their true age. Dry cough, lethargy, laziness and lack of energy do not portray people in the best perspective.

Since hotel accommodation was quite expensive and budget traveler accommodation options were not available yet, I decided to stay with local families by renting a room in centrally located apartments in Sofia and Plovdiv. This way, I managed to get involved in everyday life of an average family.

Language barrier is quite strong, English is spoken only by tourist workers and highly educated people. It was much easier to connect my Slavic roots through conversation based on Slovenian – Bulgarian exchange of words.

There is a unique body language used to say yes and no in Bulgarian: a shake of the head means “yes” and a nod means “no”.

I found out that our languages are actually quite similar and the biggest problem was actually the Cyrillic alphabet that Bulgarians use for writing. It had been a long time since I used it in the 7^th grade, but I quickly picked up the most necessary words when ordering food in restaurants.

The Cyrillic alphabet was invented in the 9^th century by two most famous Bulgarian monks ever to have lived – Cyril and Methodius.

In generall, the most famous Bulgarians are definitely athletes, who have had successful careers overseas or internationally. Beside speaking a few words in local language, mentioning Bulgarian celebrities was always the best way to start conversation and expressing respect for the local culture: Hristo Stoichkov, Stefka Kostadinova and Yordanka Donkova have definitely marked football and athletics at international level.

If Stoichkov was one of the best Barcelona football players, Kostadinova and Donkova world records in high jump and 100m hurdles were surreal when achieved in the 1980s and seemed to last forever.

In Sofia, I stayed with an old lady who used to be a member of the Bulgarian army. His son continues the family tradition and was currently on a mission as a sniper. She showed me a photo of her in the uniform and narrated interesting stories about privileges and promotion opportunities that military career enabled her.

The house was full of kitschy ornaments, old-fashioned furniture and impressive plumbing fixtures, but extremely safe and hospitable for guests. In general, people in Bulgaria are very friendly and helpful if the language barrier is surpassed.

The capital of Bulgaria has seen it all: from the Romans to the Ottomans and from the Russians to the Balkan tribes; everyone left a piece of their culture, traditions, and architecture behind.

Sofia is a nice medium size capital city in Eastern Europe, with few foreign visitors, since Sofia is only a transit point to other more touristic destinations on the coast of Black Sea or Plovdiv.

The city has been described as the square of religious tolerance. This is due to the fact that four temples of four major world religions – Christianity, Islam, Orthodox and Judaism – are situated within one square: Sveta Nedelya Church, Banya Bashi Mosque, Orthodox Church of Saint George Rotunda and Sofia Synagogue.

The most important landmark of Sofia is Aleksander Nevski Cathedral, one of the symbols, not just of Sofia, but of Bulgaria itself. This massive, awe-inspiring church was built between 1882 and 1912 in memory of the 200,000 Russian soldiers who died fighting for Bulgaria’s independence during the Russo-Turkish War (1877–78).

St. Alexander Nevski Cathedral is huge enough to accommodate 10,000 people and it’s the second largest cathedral in the Balkan region. The Bulgarian Orthodox Church is the oldest Slavic Orthodox Church, recognized as an independent church in 870 AD.

My host in Plovdiv was quite a character. The apartment was located in an old, rundown socialist skyscraper of 12 floors. It was so hot inside the apartment that the owner walked around in underwear all day long. Overweight and always looking tired, he was marching between the sofa in the living room and fridge in the kitchen, where local beers were cooling.

Nothing productive was done during the day and he always woke up at around 4:00am in the morning, since it was cooler and more enjoyable to watch TV and light up the first cigarette of the day.

Plovdiv, the second-largest city in Bulgaria, stands on the banks of the Maritsa River in the historical region of Thrace. Also called The City of the Seven Hills, it is the oldest continually inhabited city in Europe. A little way uphill, on the fringes of the Old Town, is a Plovdiv’s Roman Theatre, a beautifully preserved amphitheater that is still in use as a spectacular open-air performance venue.

People in Plovdiv are even more relaxed than in Sofia. The traffic is less hectic.

There are many things that might define Plovdiv, one of them being sport.

Two of the most famous Bulgarian sportsmen were born here: Stefka Kostadinova – the best female high jumper in the history, and the best Bulgarian football player of all times, Hristo Stoichkov, who achieved world fame as a player for Spanish Barcelona FC.

Additionally, two interesting sport objects stand in Plovdiv: The Rowing Channel, which is 2.2 kilometers by 120 meters big artificial lake, dedicated to rowing training and competitions. The biggest stadiums tend to be located in the capital cities, but Stadium Plovdiv is an exception. With capacity of 55.000 seats, it exceeds the one in Sofia and it is used mainly for athletics competition and concerts.

In the downtown Kapana district, people relax in cafes and bars located on the pedestrian streets. Plovdiv’s main shopping street is arguably one of the longest pedestrian zones in Europe with 1.75 kilometers. The most visited area in the city begins at the Trimontium Hotel and stretches down to the famous Roman Stadium and Dzhumaya Square. It is full of restaurants, shops, bars, cafeterias, street vendors and nice atmosphere that last late in the summer nights.

One-hour drive from Plovdiv is Bachkovo Monastery, known for the unique combination of Byzantine, Georgian and Bulgarian culture, united by the common faith. The cloister is the second largest and one of the most sacred places in the country.

Founded in 1083 by two Georgian brothers, the complex was razed during the Ottoman invasion. The principal Church of the Assumption of Our Lady (Sveta Bogoroditsa) is filled with beautiful frescoes and murals, but what draws local pilgrims is its 14^th century Virgin Mary icon – said to be a portrait painted by the apostle Luke. Pilgrims believe it has miraculous properties and gather around in big numbers.

In 2022, I visited the Bulgarian coast by car, entering from Greece and leaving to Romania. The first shock were bad and dangerous roads. There were not that many holes, but the surface was mostly uneven and bumpy, while some of the roads that were supposed to be the main connection between cities, suddenly turned out to be too narrow to safely meet with oncoming vehicles.

Since joining the European Union in 2007, Bulgaria has become a popular seaside destination, featuring numerous 4-5-star hotels that provide competitive pricing by European standards.

I preferred to stay in small towns close to Varna and Sozopol, where beaches can still be crowdy in the main season, but the atmosphere is more local with hardly any foreign visitors.

The town of Sozopol, is one of the oldest on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast and one of the country’s most popular seaside resorts. The romantic atmosphere of the city’s beautiful Old Town attracts mostly Bulgarian visitors. It was declared an architectural and archaeological sanctuary in 1974, including more than 180 residences, constructed from the middle of the 18^th century to the beginning of the 19^th century.

Houses in the Old Town are built of stone and wood and conform to the so-called Black Sea school of architecture.

The romantic atmosphere, thanks to its narrow-cobbled streets and venerable old houses, attracts many visitors, especially in the evening and night when restaurants, pancake shops and bars are fully operational.

Sozopol’s modern section is filled with hotels, dining establishments, and other pleasant amenities, while the main beach offers sport activities, including jet-skiing, surfing, beach volleyball, boating and fishing or just relaxing or swimming in the waves of the Black Sea.

Varna is the biggest beach resort city in the Bulgarian Black Sea. There is a wide beach area with clean sand in the city itself with many beaches spread kilometers to the north.

I stayed at Kabakum beach, which offers pretty much the same attractions as any others: most of the beach is filled with sets of umbrella and beach chairs, while only small portions are free and available to set up your own umbrella or spread out a towel without paying anything. On the back bars, restaurants and parking places are available.

The sea is usually quite rough, especially in the afternoon, when wind increases and swimming is only for the bravest with good swimming skills. Beaches in some places of Varna are up to 90 meters wide, where everything for a comfortable stay and a fun pastime is found.

There are many attractions in and around Varna, for those who don’t want to spend time only sunbathing and enjoying the beach: historical and ethnographical museum, bungee jumping from one of the main bridges, Primorski park with gardens, promenades and walking areas.

I walked around the city to visit the main landmarks: The Opera House and Dormition of the Theotokos Cathedral – orthodox cathedral with multiple gilded domes, ornate stained-glass windows & many frescoes.

Bulgaria is very inexpensive to travel around for a European country. Beside hotel accommodation everything is inexpensive: urban transport for a few cents, fruits, grocery or alcohol are much more affordable than anywhere else around Europe. People are easy going and seem to be immersed in their thoughts, often with a cigarette in hand.

The significant disparities between urban and rural areas are expected to persist, even after the country becomes a member of the European Union, as the Western consumer lifestyle aggressively penetrates traditional lifestyle.

I was fortunate to have the chance to reside with locals and being able to communicate in Bulgarian, gain a deeper understanding of the local culture.

The legendary storytelling by my hosts and reviving memories from communism era were replaced by swimming in the Black Sea and exploring historical landmarks in Sozopol and Varna. The positive impact of becoming a European Union member is visible. Opening to foreign investment, the construction boom and arrival of tourist has been transforming the country.

Time will show if the change is for good.

I never had much of expectation from Bulgaria, but I have to give a lot of credit to a country that could be a real hidden gem in this part of Europe, where its neighbors get much more credit from tourist industry.