Guides and travel stories from Bulgaria.
99 articles
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.
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.
A guide to the karst country around Lovech: the vast film-famous Devetashka Cave, the turquoise Krushuna Falls and the God's-eyes Prohodna Cave — three of Bulgaria's natural wonders in one day trip.
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.
A travel guide to Bulgaria's far northeast: the Danube town of Silistra with its Roman tomb and Medzhidi Tabia fortress, and the UNESCO Srebarna Nature Reserve — a pelican-filled lake and one of Europe's great birdwatching spots.
A travel guide to the Trigrad Gorge and the Devil's Throat Cave in the Western Rhodopes: the vertical marble canyon, the roaring underground waterfall, the nearby Yagodina Cave and the Eagle's Eye viewpoint above the Buynovo Gorge.
How to visit Krushuna Falls, Bulgaria's largest travertine cascade: the eco-trail loops, entrance fee, best season for full water, photography tips and pairing it with Devetashka Cave and Prohodna.
How to visit Prohodna Cave near Karlukovo — the Eyes of God rock formation, Bulgaria's longest cave tunnel: getting there from Sofia, best light for photos, bungee jumps and pairing it with Devetashka Cave and Krushuna Falls.
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.
A travel guide to Smolyan, Bulgaria's highest regional capital: the Smolyan Lakes, the planetarium, the Canyon of Waterfalls, day trips to Pamporovo, Shiroka Laka and the Trigrad caves.
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.
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.
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 complete guide to Bansko ski resort: 75 km of pistes, the gondola from town, lift pass prices, night skiing, parking, family skiing, and where to stay.
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.
Borovets, Bansko, or Pamporovo? Bulgaria's top ski resorts compared on pistes, snow, beginners, lift passes, nightlife, and transfer times.
