Guides and travel stories from Bulgaria.
46 articles
A practical guide to Chepelare: the Mechi Chal ski area, Snezhanka Peak, getting there from Plovdiv, parking, where to stay, and why it beats Pamporovo on price.
A guide to the Burgas Sea Garden: 5 km of coastal parkland, the pier, the city beaches, shoulder-season tips and flamingos at Atanasovsko Lake.
A guide to Bulgaria's three national parks and eleven nature parks — Rila, Pirin, Central Balkan, Vitosha, Vrachanski Balkan, Strandzha, Persina and the rest — what the categories mean and which to visit.
A guide to Bulgaria's show caves — Prohodna, Devetashka, the Devil's Throat, Ledenika, Bacho Kiro, Magura, Yagodina, Saeva Dupka and Snezhanka — with what each one is actually for and how to pair them.
A guide to Central Balkan National Park: its nine strict reserves, the UNESCO-listed primeval beech forests of Boatin and Tsarichina, the Dzhendema cliffs, bears and wolves, and which town to enter from.
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.
Discover the Iskar Gorge north of Sofia: Visit the Lakatnik Rocks, Cherepish Monastery, the Ritlite formation, and ride the scenic Sofia–Mezdra railway.
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 guide to Teteven and Ribaritsa in the Vit valley: the clifftop Glozhene Monastery, the green cheese of Cherni Vit, access to the Central Balkan reserves, and why this valley stays empty.
A guide to the Vrachanski Balkan Nature Park: the God's Bridge rock arch near Lilyache, the seasonal Skaklya waterfall above Zgorigrad, the Borov Kamak falls, and when in spring to time the water.
A travel guide to Vratsa: the Vratsata gorge and its 400-metre rock face, the Ledenika show cave, the Rogozen Treasure of 165 silver vessels, and the Botev memorial at Okolchitsa — an hour and a half from Sofia.
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.
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 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 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.
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, the highest town in Bulgaria: the Smolyan Lakes, the planetarium, the Canyon of Waterfalls, day trips to Pamporovo, Shiroka Laka and the Trigrad caves.
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 — 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.
