MestalaMestala
HomePlacesMapTripBlogAboutFAQ
EN|БГ

Discover Bulgaria with Mestala.

AboutFAQLicensePrivacy
EN|БГ
HomeBlog

Blog

Guides and travel stories from Bulgaria.

AllCities & Towns42Beaches & Coast9Mountains & Hiking19Ski & Winter6Itineraries & Road Trips19Culture & History30Events & Festivals9Nature & Landmarks32Travel Tips21

76 articles

Vidin Travel Guide: Baba Vida Castle & Top Things to Do
Cities & TownsCulture & History

Vidin Travel Guide: Baba Vida Castle & Top Things to Do

A complete travel guide to Vidin on the Danube: Explore Baba Vida castle, visit the restored Synagogue (Jules Pascin Center), and pair it with Belogradchik and Magura Cave.

9 August 20265 min read
Bulgaria in Autumn: Things to Do Beyond the Beach
Nature & LandmarksTravel Tips

Bulgaria in Autumn: Things to Do Beyond the Beach

Grape harvest in the Struma and Thracian valleys, Rhodope forests turning gold in October, the last safe hiking window, and a coast without the crowds.

22 July 20267 min read
Bulgaria with Kids: A Family Travel Guide
Itineraries & Road TripsTravel Tips

Bulgaria with Kids: A Family Travel Guide

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, and rainy-day fallbacks.

22 July 20265 min read
Bulgarian Food: The Dishes Worth Seeking Out
Culture & HistoryTravel Tips

Bulgarian Food: The Dishes Worth Seeking Out

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.

22 July 20268 min read
Christmas Markets in Bulgaria: Sofia, Plovdiv & Bansko
Events & FestivalsSki & Winter

Christmas Markets in Bulgaria: Sofia, Plovdiv & Bansko

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.

22 July 20265 min read
Digital Nomad Guide to Bulgaria: Visa, Tax and Where to Base
Travel TipsCities & Towns

Digital Nomad Guide to Bulgaria: Visa, Tax and Where to Base

Bulgaria's new digital nomad visa, the 10% flat tax, and how Sofia, Plovdiv and Bansko actually compare for remote work — internet, coworking, cost of living and community.

22 July 20266 min read
What to Pack for Bulgaria: A Season-by-Season List
Travel Tips

What to Pack for Bulgaria: A Season-by-Season List

Master the art of layering for a country where temperatures can swing from a 30°C afternoon in Sofia to a freezing morning on Mount Musala. Includes plug types, monastery dress codes, the winter tyre law, and what you can buy locally.

22 July 20266 min read
eSIM & SIM Cards in Bulgaria: Staying Connected (2026)
Travel Tips

eSIM & SIM Cards in Bulgaria: Staying Connected (2026)

Which Bulgarian network to pick, whether you need a SIM at all as an EU visitor, eSIM options, passport rules, and where coverage actually drops.

21 July 20266 min read
Bulgaria Visa & Entry Requirements (2026)
Travel Tips

Bulgaria Visa & Entry Requirements (2026)

Bulgaria is a full Schengen member. Who needs a visa, how the 90/180 rule now applies, the biometric EES checks, and what ETIAS means for late 2026.

21 July 20266 min read
Burgas Airport Transfers: City Center, Sunny Beach & Nessebar
Travel TipsCities & Towns

Burgas Airport Transfers: City Center, Sunny Beach & Nessebar

A complete guide to transfers from Burgas Airport (BOJ): Bus No. 15 to the city, direct Bus No. 10 to Sunny Beach and Nessebar, taxis, and fare details.

21 July 20266 min read
Driving in Bulgaria: Car Rental, Vignettes & Road Rules (2026)
Travel Tips

Driving in Bulgaria: Car Rental, Vignettes & Road Rules (2026)

E-vignette prices, speed limits, winter tyre rules and rental gotchas — plus an honest answer on whether you need a car in Bulgaria at all.

21 July 20266 min read
Getting to Plovdiv: The Airport, Sofia Transfers & Trains
Travel TipsCities & Towns

Getting to Plovdiv: The Airport, Sofia Transfers & Trains

How to get to Plovdiv: Plovdiv Airport (PDV) routes, train and bus options from Sofia, private transfers, costs, and travel times.

21 July 20264 min read
Sofia Airport to the City Center: Every Transfer Option (2026)
Travel TipsCities & Towns

Sofia Airport to the City Center: Every Transfer Option (2026)

Metro in 20 minutes for €0.80, bus, or taxi from Sofia Airport. Terminal 1 vs Terminal 2, real fares, and how to avoid the taxi touts in arrivals.

21 July 20266 min read
Varna Airport to the City Center & Golden Sands (2026)
Travel TipsCities & Towns

Varna Airport to the City Center & Golden Sands (2026)

Bus 409 reaches central Varna in 20 minutes for about €1 and Golden Sands in 50. Zoned fares, the two operators to tell apart, and taxi costs.

21 July 20267 min read
Bulgaria's Monasteries Beyond Rila: Bachkovo, Troyan & Rozhen
Culture & History

Bulgaria's Monasteries Beyond Rila: Bachkovo, Troyan & Rozhen

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.

16 July 20264 min read
Ivanovo Rock-Hewn Churches & the Rusenski Lom Valley (UNESCO)
Culture & HistoryNature & Landmarks

Ivanovo Rock-Hewn Churches & the Rusenski Lom Valley (UNESCO)

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.

16 July 20266 min read
Ruse: Bulgaria's 'Little Vienna' on the Danube
Cities & TownsCulture & History

Ruse: Bulgaria's 'Little Vienna' on the Danube

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.

16 July 20266 min read
Best Day Trips from Plovdiv: 8 Trips into Central Bulgaria
Itineraries & Road TripsCities & Towns

Best Day Trips from Plovdiv: 8 Trips into Central Bulgaria

The best day trips from Plovdiv: Bachkovo Monastery, Asen's Fortress, the Rose Valley, Buzludzha, Koprivshtitsa and more — with distances and how to go.

8 July 20265 min read
Best Day Trips from Sofia: 9 Great Escapes
Itineraries & Road TripsCities & Towns

Best Day Trips from Sofia: 9 Great Escapes

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.

8 July 20265 min read
Buzludzha: Bulgaria's Abandoned Communist 'UFO' Monument
Culture & History

Buzludzha: Bulgaria's Abandoned Communist 'UFO' Monument

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.

8 July 20264 min read
Belogradchik Rocks & Fortress: NW Bulgaria's Wonder
Nature & LandmarksCulture & History

Belogradchik Rocks & Fortress: NW Bulgaria's Wonder

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.

4 July 20263 min read
Bulgarian Festivals & Traditions: Kukeri and Baba Marta
Events & FestivalsCulture & History

Bulgarian Festivals & Traditions: Kukeri and Baba Marta

A guide to Bulgaria's festivals and traditions: Kukeri mummers, Baba Marta martenitsi, the Kazanlak Rose Festival and Nestinarstvo fire dancing.

4 July 20267 min read
Bulgarian Wine & Melnik: Top Wineries & Travel Guide
Culture & History

Bulgarian Wine & Melnik: Top Wineries & Travel Guide

A complete guide to Bulgarian wine and Melnik: famous wine regions, local grape varieties, Melnik cellars, sandstone pyramids, and Rozhen Monastery.

4 July 20266 min read
The Euro in Bulgaria: What Travelers Need to Know (2026)
Travel Tips

The Euro in Bulgaria: What Travelers Need to Know (2026)

Does Bulgaria use the euro? Yes — since January 2026. What changed, the fixed rate, old lev, cards and ATMs, and what it means for travelers.

4 July 20264 min read
Previous1234Next