Guides and travel stories from Bulgaria.
63 articles
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.
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.
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 — routes from Aleko, the lifts, difficulty, season, and Bulgaria's easiest big peak.
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, duration, difficulty and season.
How to hike Malyovitsa (2,729 m), the cradle of Bulgarian mountaineering in northern Rila — the route from the hut, difficulty, season, and where to stay.
The highest peak of every major Bulgarian mountain — Musala, Vihren, Botev and more, with elevations, difficulty, base towns and how to climb each.
How to climb Musala (2,925 m), the highest peak in Bulgaria and the Balkans: the Borovets gondola, the route, huts, distances, season and what to pack.
How to climb Vihren (2,914 m), Bulgaria's second-highest peak, from Bansko — the route, the fearsome Koncheto ridge, huts, season and what to pack.
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 complete guide to Borovets: ski sectors Sitnyakovo and Yastrebets, gondola tips, night skiing, lift passes, hiking Peak Musala, and accommodation.
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.
A complete guide to hiking the Seven Rila Lakes: the trailhead, chairlift, loop trail, parking, family tips, distances from Sofia, and where to stay.
