Guides and travel stories from Bulgaria.
69 articles
A guide to the Dryanovo Monastery and the Bacho Kiro cave in the Andaka gorge: the nine-day siege of 1876, the cave's two lit routes, the 45,000-year-old human remains found inside, and how to walk the gorge trails.
A guide to the Etar Architectural-Ethnographic Complex near Gabrovo: a reconstructed Revival craft street where the workshops still run on water power, what each trade does, how long to allow, and how to combine it with Tryavna and Bozhentsi.
Discover Gabrovo, Bulgaria: Visit the House of Humour and Satire, Sokolski Monastery, Racho the Blacksmith, and Uzana in the geographic centre of Bulgaria.
A complete 4-day road trip itinerary through Bulgaria's least-visited region: Iskar Gorge, Vratsa, God's Bridge, Chiprovtsi, Belogradchik Rocks, Magura Cave, and Vidin.
A complete guide to Pleven: Explore the Pleven Panorama, learn about the historic 1877 siege, visit St. George Mausoleum, and relax in Kaylaka Park.
A complete guide to crossing the Shipka Pass: Climb the 890 steps to the Monument of Freedom, visit the gold-domed Shipka Memorial Church, and explore nearby Buzludzha.
A travel guide to Tryavna in the Balkan Mountains: the oldest preserved Revival square in Bulgaria, the 1814 clock tower, the Daskalov House sun ceilings, the Tryavna woodcarving school, and how to combine it with Bozhentsi and Dryanovo.
A complete 4-day driving itinerary across the Balkan Mountains: Veliko Tarnovo, Dryanovo, Tryavna, Bozhentsi, Etar, Gabrovo, Shipka Pass, and Kazanlak.
A complete travel guide to Vidin on the Danube: Explore Baba Vida castle, visit the restored Synagogue (Jules Pascin Centre), and pair it with Belogradchik and Magura Cave.
How to pick a base by your children's ages, the drive times that make or break a family trip, which caves and beaches actually work with young kids, which ski resort suits which age, and rainy-day fallbacks.
Shopska salad and rakia to open, banitsa from the bakery, the mixed grill, clay-pot stews and the fasting dishes that make the country quietly vegetarian-friendly.
Sofia's German market by the National Theatre, Plovdiv's Kapana bazaar, Bansko's ski-town lights and the coastal markets — when they open and what to expect.
A guide to Bulgaria's greatest monasteries after Rila: Bachkovo in the Rhodopes, Troyan in the Balkan Mountains and Rozhen near Melnik — their history, frescoes, miraculous icons and how to visit each.
A travel guide to the Rusenski Lom valley south of Ruse: the UNESCO Ivanovo Rock-Hewn Churches and their medieval frescoes, the Cherven fortress, the working Basarbovo rock monastery, and how to combine all three in one day.
A travel guide to Ruse, Bulgaria's largest Danube port and 'Little Vienna': neo-Baroque architecture, Freedom Square, the Sexaginta Prista Roman fortress, and day trips to the Ivanovo rock churches, Cherven fortress and Basarbovo monastery.
The best day trips from Plovdiv: Bachkovo Monastery, Asen's Fortress, the Rose Valley, Buzludzha, Koprivshtitsa and more — with distances and how to go.
The best day trips from Sofia: Rila Monastery, the Seven Rila Lakes, Vitosha, Koprivshtitsa, Plovdiv and more — with distances, travel times and how to go.
A guide to the Buzludzha Monument: what it is, how to get there, whether you can go inside, the mosaics, and the best time to visit Bulgaria's UFO landmark.
A guide to the Belogradchik Rocks and Fortress: how to get there, what to see, the Magura Cave, parking, family tips, distances and where to stay.
A guide to Bulgaria's festivals and traditions: Kukeri mummers, Baba Marta martenitsi, the Kazanlak Rose Festival and Nestinarstvo fire dancing.
A complete guide to Bulgarian wine and Melnik: famous wine regions, local grape varieties, Melnik cellars, sandstone pyramids, and Rozhen Monastery.
The best things to do in Nessebar Old Town: medieval Byzantine churches, archaeological sites, where to park, the beaches and trips to Pomorie.
The complete 7-day Bulgaria travel itinerary: explore Sofia, Rila Monastery, Plovdiv, Veliko Tarnovo, and the Black Sea coast with distances and travel times.
Plan a day trip to Rila Monastery from Sofia: driving distances, parking, how long to spend, family tips, what to see, and where to stay overnight.
