Guides and travel stories from Bulgaria.
84 articles
Discover Gabrovo, Bulgaria: Visit the House of Humour and Satire, Sokolski Monastery, Racho the Blacksmith, and Uzana in the geographic centre of Bulgaria.
Discover the Iskar Gorge north of Sofia: Visit the Lakatnik Rocks, Cherepish Monastery, the Ritlite formation, and ride the scenic Sofia–Mezdra railway.
A guide to Montana and Berkovitsa in north-west Bulgaria: the Ogosta reservoir, Berkovitsa's pottery and Ivan Vazov connection, Klisura Monastery, and Kom Peak at the western end of the Kom–Emine trail.
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.
A guide to the Vrachanski Balkan Nature Park: the God's Bridge rock arch near Lilyache, the seasonal Skaklya waterfall above Vratsa, the Borov Kamak eco-trail, and when in spring to time the water.
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.
Everything you need to plan a Rhodope Mountains trip: Smolyan, Pamporovo, Trigrad Gorge, Shiroka Laka, Perperikon, caves, spa towns, food, itineraries and when to go.
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.
How to hike Botev Peak (2,376 m), the highest summit of the Balkan Mountains, from Kalofer — past Raysko Praskalo, the highest waterfall in the Balkans.
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.
How to hike Cherni Vrah (2,290 m), the summit of Vitosha above Sofia — the route from Aleko, bus 66, the lifts that still run, difficulty, and season.
A guide to the Kom–Emine trail, Bulgaria's ~600 km E3 traverse of the Balkan Mountains from Kom Peak to the Black Sea: route, stages, water, huts and season.
How to hike Malyovitsa (2,729 m), the cradle of Bulgarian mountaineering in northern Rila — the route from the resort and hut, parking, difficulty and season.
