Bulgaria Travel Hacker

Towns on Stara Planina (The Balkan)

Stara Planina (means "Old Mountain") also known as The Balkan is going through our whole country dividing it into a Northern and Southern part. The mountain is great for tourist who love hiking. But there are also very nice towns to visit for the regular traveler - they are sometimes inside the mountain, sometimes at its foot. Going to a mountain town is a great way to experience some of the mountain living without having to sleep in a hut. Many of these towns offer very easy access to single-day trekking routes.

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Let's explore the most popular of them and see how you can get there and what you can do.

Berkovica

We'll start from West and go to East - where the mountain ends near the Black Sea. The town of Berkovica is known as a base camp for trekking to Kom peak (18 km distance). If you are not that much of a mountaineer you can still enjoy this small town with population of only about 13,000, historical monuments, museums and very calm atmosphere.

Berkovica is 80km away of Sofia. Going there by train takes between 3 and 4 hours. Some faster buses are available (less than 2 hours) but there aren't many available daily. Buses to Berkovica start from the Central Bus Station.

Vratsa

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Vratsa is a lovely mountain town 112 km North from Sofia. There are great views around it and landmarks well worth visiting - the Ledenika cave, Skaklya waterfall, the passage Vratsata, and more. Vratsa is one of the bigger towns in Stara planina with population of about 60,000 so you'll find plenty of stores, a mall, restaurants, etc.

The route Sofia - Vratsa is easy to take by train. Most trains take around 2 hours and cost €3 - €4. They are pretty frequent too - more than 10 trains daily. Buses start almost every hour, take also about 2 hours and cost €5 - €6. I recommend the train not only for the lower price but also because the road is hilly and the train journey is more pleasant.

Etropole

Going East we reach Etropole. It's an old small town with a long history, currently having about 11,000 residents. There isn't so much to see there nowadays but if you like peaceful calm places with great views, why don't you visit it?

There is no train going to Etropole. Your only options are car or buses. Buses take an hour and half and there are about 10 races daily. Note that they start from Poduyane bus station and not from the central one.

Teteven

Teteven is more visited by local tourists because of its many historical houses and beautiful nature. I am not saying Teteven is better than Etropole but if you have to choose only one of them, go to Teteven. Inside the town or very close to it there are multiple museums, caves, and mountain peaks.

As Teteven is further East near the center of the country, transportation takes a bit longer. There are no trains and buses take 2 hours and half. The ticket costs about €5. There are 7 - 8 daily buses and they start from the Central bus station.

Koprivshtica

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Koprivshtica is a town with a lot of history and is one of the 100 Tourist Sites of Bulgaria. It's charming and beautiful with many preserved historical houses from the Bulgarian Renaissance, museums, and natural landmarks. Definitely worths a visit, don't miss it if you can.

Fortunately there are trains going to this town. The journey from Sofia is between 2 and 3 hours depending on the train type and there are 7-8 trains daily.

Troyan

Troyan is one of the bigger towns in its area which in this case means a population of about 21,000 :) I'm sure those of you living in mega cities will appreciate the calm atmosphere and low population in our mountain towns. Troyan is also full of history, churches and museums. But there is something that makes it even better - the slivova rakia (brandy made of plums) which Troyan is very famous with. There is a special festival of the rakia each September so you may want to visit at that time :)

Getting to Troyan is easy by both train or bus. Buses take 3 to 4 hours and the train about 5-6 with a train change at Levski station. At this time there is only one daily train starting from Sofia at 4 PM and there are two trains from Troyan to Sofia - one in the morning and one in the afternoon. The cost is €8 - €10.

Karlovo

What if I told you that Karlovo is a town with a lot of history? You won't be surprised I guess. Well, Karlovo is really important town because here is born our national hero Vasil Levski. In Karlovo you'll find his monument and the national museum Vasil Levski which is the house where he was born. There's a lot more in this town with about 24,000 residents. More museums, old houses, the Karlovsko Kale forest, and more.

Karlovo is one of the transportation hubs of The Balkan so there are many trains and buses going there. The train journey from Sofia takes between 2:30 and 4:30 hours while the bus will take you there for about 3 hours. Because the town is near the middle of the country, it takes almost the same time to get there from Burgas.

Kalofer

Are you getting tired of history? Sorry! Here's another one. Kalofer is the town of another national hero - Hristo Botev. The town is much smaller than Karlovo - less than 3,000 residents. Besides the Hristo Botev museum you can see great nature around. Several trekking routes start here - to Ray hut, Botev peak, Raiskoto Praskalo, Djendema, and more. Because the town is really small it looks a lot more like a village. So if you are looking to see some rural life, don't hesitate to visit Kalofer.

Trains and buses will take you to Kalofer from Karlovo so it's a good idea to visit both. It's only about 20 minutes distance by train and costs less than €2.

Gabrovo

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Now let's go back at the North side of Stara Planina (Karlovo and Kalofer are at South). Gabrovo is the geographical center of Bulgaria. It's a relatively large town with nearly 60,000 residents, lots of cultural life and again - a lovely nature around. When I say lots of culture, I really mean a lot: Gabrovo has 5 theatres, several art galleries, cinemas and cultural houses, over ten museums and about 20 festivals each year. Who could expect it from a town with 60,000 people? Also: there are about 50 different monuments, several famous bridges, famous houses, parks, and more. If you have to visit only one town on The Balkan, Gabrovo is almost the top choice (why almost? read on).

How do you get there? The easiest way from Sofia is by car or bus. Buses take around 3 hours and cost €9 - €10. If you insist on going by train, you'll spend 6 hours traveling and will need to change once or twice. It's up to you. The train journey is pretty picturesque though!

Lovech

Lovech is not too far from the geographic center either but is a bit at North. This town is also not exactly on the Balkan as it's located in a plane area at the foot of the mountain so it doesn't have the character of the mountain towns with lots of hilly streets etc. Lovech has its museums, theaters and art galleries but there's less to see in it than in Gabrovo.

Trains go to Lovech but they are not on the main Northern railway so you'll have to make a connection through Levski. Only one train daily goes from and to Sofia through this connection and the trip takes 4 - 5 hours. Fortunately there are many buses. The bus trip takes slightly less than 4 hours and costs €7 - €8.

Tryavna

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A small but very beautiful town near Gabrovo. Tryavna is full of history and a popular destination for tourists who like to see such kind of places. It's easy to reach it by a bus from Gabrovo - the distance is about 20km.

Kazanlak

Kazanlak is at the Southern side of the mountain. This town is most famous for the Valley of roses. Read the linked article to learn more about the town and how to get there.

Veliko Tarnovo

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Veliko Tarnovo is the old capital of Bulgaria and still one of the most beautiful and interesting towns. While it's currently not a big town with only 70,000 residents, it has an university and many tourist attractions. Veliko Tarnovo or just Tarnovo as they call it is a center of culture and life of Northern Bulgaria. A must visit if you are coming here for more than a couple of days.

To learn more about it and getting there, read our article about Tarnovo and around.

Sliven

Getting closer to the sea, on the Southern side of the mountain is Sliven. With nearly 100,000 residents Sliven is one of the big towns in Bulgaria. Sliven has several museums - the most popular is probably the house of the Bulgarian hero Hadji Dimitar. Sliven isn't a popular destination for tourism which makes it a bit of a hidden gem. There's no shortage of things to see.

Being closer to the sea, Sliven is easier to reach from Burgas than from Sofia but it's on the road and rail between both so you can easily make a combo trip. Going there by train from Sofia takes about 5 - 6 hours. Buses are faster by the highway and will get you there for 4 hours (and about €10).

Kotel

Kotel is a small town near Sliven. If you are going to Sliven it's easy to jump to Kotel by bus. There are a couple of natural reserves and places near Kotel. If you like nature and rural life, it's a great place to visit.

Elena

Elena is on the other side of the mountain, near Veliko Tarnovo. It's the center of the Elenski Balkan as we call this part of Stara Planina. Again plenty of history and museums even though it's a really small town with only about 5,000 residents. The trekkers might be interested in climbing the Chumerna peak (1536m) which is relatively easy to reach from Elena.

There is no railway going to Elene so you'll need to catch a local bus from Tarnovo or Gorna Oryahovitsa. Here's a timesheet in Bulgarian (PDF).

Preslav

We'll end our tour with Veliki Preslav. Preslav is a small town 20km away of Shumen. It's an ancient capital of Bulgaria so you can imagine there's plenty of history and landmarks to see there. It's easy to reach Preslav by bus or even taxi from Shumen, and Shumen is reachable by multiple trains and buses from Sofia or Varna.

For sure this guide have missed some of the towns on The Balkan, not to mention the villages. There are literally hundreds of them - small and large, low in the foot of the mountain or high near the peaks. If you are looking for adventure, a long trip going to the places around Stara Planing is an excellent choice.

Bulgarian Fruits

You can find all kind of fruits here, especially on the big markets and stores. I'm not going to talk about them all :) This page's purpose is to show you what locally grown fruits are most popular here and when you have the best chance to find them on sale. They are not sorted in any particular order.

Apple

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Apples are some of the most popular fruits in the world. Bulgaria makes no exception. We grow apples, we import apples, and we eat apples. The apple trees in Bulgaria give their fruit from the end of June (the Petrovka and other similar varieties) to the late Autumn. Most of the apples you'll find here, most of the time are from some of the popular international varieties like Granny Smith, Red Chief etc. Still, if you look at the open markets you have good chance to find apples grown here most of the time of the year.

Bulgarians sometimes make brandy (rakia) and wine from apples but they are most often eaten raw, sometimes baked.

Pear

Bulgarian pears are available on the market in the autumn to early winter. Most other time of the year all pears are from Argentina, Italy, Greece etc. Even in the season you'll find a lot more pears imported than locally grown. As usual, try to find some on the open markets. You can ask if their pears are Bulgarian. They'll usually tell you that yes, they are. So you may very well not ask too.

Pears can also be used for making rakia. People also eat them on jams and tutti-frutti, sometimes dried too.

Plum

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Bulgaria has great traditions in growing plumns and making them into rakia. If you like to try rakia, I recommend you one made of plums - ask for "slivova" like you know what you mean. Surprisingly Bulgarian plums are relatively easy to find in summer and early autumn. Unlike other fruits, plums on the market are mostly locally grown at least in the high season. They are also very popular dried and on various jams.

Cherry and Sour Cherry

Almost all cherries you can buy here in May and June are locally grown. Any other time they'll be imported, if you can find any at all. Huge part of cherries are grown in the region of Kustendil. Cherries are also made in tutti-frutti and jams, cherry pies and what not.

Of course we also make rakia from cherries, what did you think?!

Sour cherries are a lot less popular but you can sometimes find them in summer. They are often made on jams.

Strawberry

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Strawberries can be found from late winter but these are not locally grown. In Bulgaria raspberries start riping not earlier than April, in some places even June. Most of the time in late April - early May you'll find Bulgarian ones on the markets. If you go on a mountain walk in May - July you can find some wild strawberries and raspberries. They are small but very tasty.

Strawberries are excellent raw but there is pretty good jams made from them too.

Blueberry

Blueberries do grow here but aren't a popular fruit. You'll find some in markets in the summer and sometimes in big stores. Dried blueberries can be found year round. Your best chance for eating real locally grown blueberries is to go on a mountain trek and find some yourself :)

Persimmon

Persimmons ripe in late autumn and can be found on the market in November and December. They are odd and not very popular fruits but we have some gardens growing them so they aren't hard to find at this time. Oh yes, some make rakia from them too.

Kiwi

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Kiwi is a tropical fruit and one doesn't usually expect to see it growing here, but it grows just fine. In the recent years growing kiwis is getting more popular especially in South Bulgaria. Kiwis are typically available from October to April, but most of the time aren't Bulgarian. The chance to buy Greek kiwis is more than 90%.

Medlar

Medlar is less popular fruit and there's a chance you even don't know it. It's grown mostly in small hobby gardens and is not often found on the markets. Because it's unpopular if you find it sold somewhere you can be almost sure it's grown in Bulgaria.

This fruit should be eaten when it becomes soft and starts to slowly ferment. It's odd and not everyone likes this.

And of course, Bulgarian make rakia from it.

Quince

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Quinces can be found in late autumn and sometimes during the winter. Again, not very popular fruit and not widely grown. When available, it's mostly local. Quinces are more often eaten on jams and tutti-frutti rather than raw. And Bulgarians make rakia from them too.

Apricot

Apricots are typical summer fruits available mostly in June - August. Usually come from Greece although they grow perfectly well here except in colder or higher places. For some reason I don't know the period they can be found on the market is usually shorter than for peaches for example. They are eaten raw, made in jams, dried (but most dried you'd buy are Turkish). Rakia? Of course.

Peach

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Peaches are similar to apricots by their season preferences but somehow more popular and available longer time on the market. Still, this is a summer fruit and is unlikely to be found in December even at a high price. I don't recommend buying it at that time anyway as it would have traveled long time. In the peak season the ones on the market are usually Bulgarian, Greek, or Turkish. Don't ask about making rakia from them - you know the answer. But to be honest, peach rakia is not easily found.

Grapes

Grapes are a lot more than just fruit. Grapes is used to make wine (and rakia, of course) which gives it a very special status. The grapes season starts somewhere in August and continues to November. A lot of the grapes on the market at this is locally grown, although imported often outcompetes it even then. Grapes can also be dried and made in jams.

Ski and Winter Resorts

While Bulgaria is more popular with its beaches (is it?), the winter is also relatively long and snowy in the mountains. Due to this the country is not so bad as a winter sports destination. Let me be honest, we don't have the Alps: neither the infrastructure, neither all the snow that's there. But we have some pretty decent winter resors with lovely nature and enough snow. The big advantages compared to the most popular ski destinations in Europe? Here you go:

Here is cheaper. Not earth-shattering cheaper, but still significant cheaper.
Less crowded, less popular, therefore calmer and more hip.
Plenty of authentic nature not yet touched by commercialization - this is good especially if you look for winter treks rather than skiing.

Consider also that Bulgaria is small and it's easy and cheap to go from the resorts to the big cities and have several completely different experiences in short timeframe. Are you sold? If so, let's look into some more details.

The Season Length

First snow typically starts in November and in the mountains can continue to April. If you want to go skiing, my advice is to stick to mid-December to early March as snow is kind of guaranteed in this time frame. Winter treks in the high mountains can be done even in late October and late April if you are lucky. Some snow may be seen even in June and late September on the highest mountain peaks.

The winter in the cities is of course shorter. If you want to learn more about best time to visit the country for other than winter sports, see this article.

Winter Resorts

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Sofia itself is rarely thought as a winter resort, but the proximity of Vitosha mountain in fact makes it one. So if you have only few days in Bulgaria and / or are short in budget, it's a good one to consider. Vitosha has only a couple of ski slopes but is reachable in half to an hour from the center of Sofia. Beat that if you can! And you can even get to the ski lift with public transportation. It's also good enough for winter trekking and snowboarding.

There are also several huts working in Vitosha all year round. More about mountain huts in Bulgaria can be found here.

Borovets is one of the most popular ski resorts in Bulgaria, and it's the oldest one. Borovets is located in Rila mountain at 1345m above the sea level. The place is good for winter sports from mid December to mid April. Borovets is only 75 km away of Sofia but reaching it by public transit is a bit tricky. First you need to get a bus to Samokov. These buses don't start at the Central bus station but from bus station South. To get to this station take the metro from anywhere and go to station Joliot Curie. The bus station is at 5 minutes walking from Joliot Curie. Then finally get the bus to Samokov (once each 30 mins). An hour later you will reach Samokov. There in front of hotel Samokov is a bus station - you need to take the mini bus to Borovets - again, there's one minibus each 30 mins, so at least no waiting. Confused, scared? Fortunately there are more winter resorts.

Bansko is another very popular one and one of the largest ski resorts with lots of hotels and huts in the town and around. The town of Bansko itself lost its charm due to overbuilding with hotels but the surrounding area of the Pirin Mountain is amazing and compensates for the downtown craziness. There are several ski slopes and many interesting objects for tourism and winter treks. If you are more a trekker than a a skier you may want to consider climbing Vihren peak.

Bansko is only 150 km away of Sofia but reaching it by bus takes about 3 hours. At least it's easier to go there than to Borovets because the buses start from Sofia Central Bus Station and go directly to Bansko. So no changes of buses, yay! One has to love our infrastructure and public transit.

The third most popular ski resort is Pamporovo and it's farest away of Sofia from the three. Pamporovo is 1650 m above the sea level in Rhodopes and the ski season is mid December to the end of April. Going by bus takes about 4 hours from Sofia but at least it's a direct bus from the Central Bus Station. Pamporovo is maybe the most beautiful of the three and the best resort from what I've heard.

Besides the top 3 there are several other less popular but good winter resorts or ski slopes:

Parshevitsa is located 25km away of Vratsa (about 100km away of Sofia) at 1280m above the sea level. A popular object near it is the Ledenika cave.
Uzana is located near Gabrovo. In this area is the georgraphic center of Bulgaria.
Dobrinishte is a town located near Bansko, at 842m above the sea level. It's a spa resort reachable from Bansko or by the narrow-lined train Septemvri - Dobrinishte. The train ride is well worth the experience so if you have the time, do it.
Beklemeto also known as Troyan Passage is 1590m above the sea level. It's good for both winter and summer trecks.
Govedartsi is 13km away of Samokov and close to the Malyovitsa peak.
Kom is 2015m high peak in Stara Planina. It's the starting point of Kom - Emine tourist trail.
Tsigov Chark is 7 km away of Batak and 43 km away of Pazardjik. It's a bit hard to reach due to the lack of regular public transit.

There are plenty of places good for ski and winter sports or treks here. It all comes down to how much time you have to spend in the country. Money is less of an issue because our ski resorts and transportation are cheaper than those in Central Europe. Still be prepared to be overcharged in the most popular resorts.

Valley of Roses

Maybe you know, maybe you don't. Bulgaria is one of the top producers of rose oil in the world. This is famous enough here to have a very popular book written about a trader who sells our rose oil in Europe (OK, the book is not at all about this but that's all you need to know :D). These roses grow in the Valley of Roses - an area South of Stara Planina around the town of Kazanlak.

The Valley of Roses is one of the most beautiful places to see here and much less popular than it has to be. Of course, to see roses you must come in the right season - definitely not in the winter. The best time to visit is between the middle of May and middle of June.

So how to get there and what are the most interesting towns in the region?

Kazanlak

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Kazanlak is the Capital of the Valley of roses and the largest town there with population of about 50,000. Getting there is easy: several trains go daily from Sofia andn the journey takes between 4 and 6 hours. Similarly you can reach Kazanlak from Varna or Burgas. If by any chance you are in Plovdiv the journey will be much shorter. The train price from Sofia is about &eur;7.

Once in Kazanlak visit the Kulata museum which shows how the rose oil is made. In the beginning of June every year there is the Festival or Roses that typically includes a carnival, competitions, and more.

Besides the rose fields (which apparently you just have to walk out of Kazanlak to see), there are two natural reserves around the town. The Leshnica Reserve is near the village of Yassenovo - there are deers, boars, wild bears, etc. Similar to it is the Kamenshtica Reserve near v. Enina.

Rosino Village

If you are in the region it's worth visiting Rosino. The most popular landmark there is the rock phenomenon "Bulskia kamak" and the old factory for rose oil cosmetics.

Koprivshtica

Koprivshtica is historical town with just about 2,000 inhabitants 110km away of Sofia. Reaching Koprivshtica is much faster than going to Kazanlak, but you'll see less rose-related stuff there and a lot more history. There are a number of museums, architectural landmarks, old Revival houses, natural reserves and phenomenons.

Karlovo

Karlovo is another big rose oil producing town. Karlovo is 56km North of Plovdiv and very easy to reach from there by several daily buses and trains. Many trains daily go from Sofia to Karlovo. The trip takes 3-4 hours.

Besides the roses, Karlovo is proud to be the town of Vasil Levski and of course has a museum and monuments built after him. It's a nice Balkan town to visit with good nature views, so if you have the time, include it in your trip.

Kalofer

Kalofer is the third important center of rose oil manufacture. It's a small town with nearly 3,000 inhabitants and again (seems like all towns in Bulgaria!) is heavy on history. Kalofer is just 17 km away of Karlovo. If you plan to visit one of the towns, you can very easy reach the other one. At 600 m above the sea level this is a really beautiful mountain town - so even if you aren't keen on history or even roses, you won't regret going there.

Many touristic trails start from Kalofer: the route to Botev peak, to Djendema natural reserve, and many more. If you are the kind of traveller who likes to walk in mountains this is one of the top places with easy access to many things to see.

A few more important towns in Valley of Roses are Pavel Banya, Panagiurishte, Pirdop, Sopot, and Hisarya. We will review these in another article since they aren't that focused on rose oil. But if you are in the Valley and have the time, each of these towns worths a visit of few hours at least.

If all you want to see are the rose fields and the things that make the name of Valley of Roses, Kazanlak should be your starting point and you should go in May - June. The other towns can expand your trip of course.

In The Middle of Bulgaria: Veliko Tarnovo and Around

I guess you don't know that Sofia hasn't always been the capital of Bulgaria. Don't worry, many locals have no damn idea about this too. Well, that's OK because it has been nearly 150 years ago when the capital of the country was Veliko Tarnovo. And one good reason for it is that Tarnovo (as we use to call it shortly) is located in the middle of the country next to the Balkan (Stara Planina).

So, is there anything to see in Veliko Tarnovo besides knowing it has been old capital?

Things to See and Do

One of the most popular landmarks is the Tsarevets Fortress. It's located at a walking distance of Samovodska Charshiya. And this is the place where most tourist attractions, guest houses and hostels are. Just have in mind that the fortress closes at about 6 PM (how smart) so don't delay your going there.

You may also be interested in the Sound and Light show which is performed there on weekends in the summer. You can see pretty much of it from the city even without buying a ticket. But if you want the full experience, it's just €10 and well worth it.

Tsarevets is of course not the only reason to visit the city. It's an univercity city full of young people and attractions. Museums, art galleries, and theatres are abundant. It's well worth to visit the old city, the churches and monasteries, and the parks.

If you are interested in architecture you'll have a lot to see in Tarnovo as well. The city is hilly and this comes with charming mountain architecture, a nice mix of old-style and modern new buildings. There are also four bridges connecting the different parts of the city.

All this comes with excellent and affordable public transportation, one of the best in Bulgaria. So don't worry if you have some time you'll be able to visit all interesting places in Veliko Tarnovo.

How To Get There

Being in the middle of Bulgaria is a good thing but not as good for getting there from abroad. There is no airport in Tarnovo neither good train connections. So the best way to get there is by road. By car it will take you about 3 hrs from Sofia or from Varna. Buses from Sofia and Varna also stop in Veliko Tarnovo several times per day. The price is about € 10.

If you prefer trains you can get any train to Gorna Oryahovitsa. Gorna Oryahovitsa is the main railroad hub in North Bulgaria so there are several trains daily going to Sofia and Varna. The trip is about 4 hours. If you are coming by land from Romania, you can also reach Gorna Oryahovitsa by train from Ruse. Once in the city, the local buses will take you to Tarnovo in 20 minutes. You can even take a taxi, it's just 10 km distance.

Go Around

As already said above, Gorna Oryahovitsa is just next to Tarnovo and reachable by the city public transportation. There are also nice small towns and villages around so if you have more time, you can jump on a random bus and go somewhere.

One of the popular places around is the village of Arbanassi which is just 5km away. It's an architectural reserve and a museum and one of the 100 tourist sites of Bulgaria.

Relatively close is also the town of Gabrovo with the popular Etar Architectural-Ethnographic Complex, the House of Humor and Satire, the Shipka Memorial (18 km away), Dryanovo Monastery, and many other interesting locations.

I recommend you to spend at least a week in the region of Veliko Tarnovo if you can afford the time. Although touristic, the area is less popular than Sofia and the Black Sea Coast and will reveal you more of the real charming Bulgaria.

Lutenitsa, What The Heck?

Come here in September - October and visit a rural place. The tasty smell of roasting pepper will hit you in the nose. What do they do with all this pepper? Some of it goes in jars for cooking and salads in the winter. Most of it doesn't. Come closer and see what people are doing in their backyards: they are making lutenitsa.

What is this?

Lutenitsa or lutenica is a kind of chutney made of peppers, tomatoes and sometimes carrots and is popular only in Bulgaria, Serbia, and Macedonia. Sometimes it's a bit spicy because it contains hot peppers. It can contain also eggplant, onion, garlic, and black pepper (see recipe at the bottom of the article). Unlike Indian chutneys it's usually not served freshly cooked but is preserved in jars for using all year round.

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Bulgarians eat lutenitsa with toasts or as garnish to meatballs, sausages and other roasted meat. You can also find it in the popular beans & lutenitsa salad and as typical garnish to barbeque dishes in restaurants.

Where to find it?

Fortunately there is enough factory-made lutenitsa in stores so you don't have to beg a rural family to sell you a jar or two. But there are a couple of things to have in mind:

Many of the industrial made jars (especially the cheaper ones) contain also potato starch to make volume. This of course makes the lutenitsa lower quality than the real one.
Most of the commercial lutenitsa also contains preservatives.
More often you'll find finely-ground lutenitsa. While it's not bad at all, it's different than the traditional lutenitsa.
If you want to taste real lutenitsa but can't find homemade one, look for coarsely-ground in the stores (or just ask for "edro smliana lutenitsa").
Most lutenitsa is not spicy but you can find some spicy types.
There are other interesting products similar to lutenitsa: aivar, lutivka (spicy!), apetitka etc. You'll usually find them on the same stands in the stores.

How to make it (Recipe)

You don't have to live in Bulgaria to make lutenitsa although it helps :) Here's is one traditional recipe:

Ingredients

Don't be shocked by the quantities :) Making lutenitsa is a lot of work so typically Bulgarians make big quantity at once.

15 kg tomatoes
10 kg red peppers
5kg eggplant
800ml vegetable fat
2 tea cups sugar
1 tea cup salt

Making it

Roast and peel the peppers and eggplant. This can take several hours and several hands. Grind them. Smash and grind the tomatoes (raw). Boil the tomatoes in a large pan. This may take about an hour as you need part of the water to evaporate. You need to slowly stir the tomatoes while cooking them.

Once done with the tomatoes add the eggplants and peppers and continue cooking for another hour. Add the vegetable oil, keep cooking and stir for another hour. Add the salt and sugar and fill the ready lutenitsa in jars.

At the end you have to sterilize the jars to preserve the bounty for the winter. Put the jars in water and wait until it boils. Keep it boiling for 15-20 mins.

Burgas - Top Destination For Beaches and Best Place For Living

Burgas has won the prize "best place for living in Bulgaria" for several years. While this kind of rankings and votings shouldn't be taken too seriously, there is for sure something behind them. Burgas is really a well planned town, easy to reach from the Capital and with direct flights from abroad. Here are some of the best known advantages of this city:

As it is one of the largest Bulgarian cities with population of about 200,000 you'll find all the stuff you can expect from a big city: theatres, opera houses, shopping centers, markets, business opportunities and more.
Burgas is a sea town with lots of beaches. It's one of the popular places for sea tourism and even if you don't want to stay in the city itself, the nearby sea resorts are pretty close.
Because of the sea the city has good fish markets.
Burgas is one of the first cities in Bulgaria with bicycle renting system. While not perfect the infrastructure of cycling paths is much better than in the other cities here.
There are excellent connections to the other parts of the country. The highway connects Burgas to Sofia making the car trip just about 3 hours long. There are many trains and buses taking 5-6 hours.
Burgas has an airport with a few international flights and flights connecting it to Sofia.

Climate

The climate in Burgas is different than most of Bulgaria. It's close to sub-tropical with very hot summer and relatively mild but windy winter. The high air humidity makes it not that pleasant in both seasons. While summer is the most popular time for going there for tourism I strongly recommend you to visit it in spring or fall.

Don't underestimate the wind especially around the sea.

It's easy to visit the city not well clothed if you rely entirely on the air temperatures and the weather forecast. The heat in the summer can also be hard to bear even at night.

Things to See and Do

Burgas is not just the beaches. Here are just a few of the interesting things you can see and do there:

Go to the Anastasia Island. This is a popular touristic attraction with a museum, a monastery bakery, a church, a guesthouse and more. There is a ship going to the island and back 3 times per day. The trip takes 30 mins and costs € 5 - € 6 depending on the season.
The Ethnographic Museum is located in the city center. You can see a great collection of traditional Bulgarian costumes.
The Sea Garden of Burgas is actually the city park, easily accessible from the center and the sea. It's a great place for walks and leasure.
If you go to the beach, do visit the Burgas Bridge to feel the air inside the sea. It's a good place for taking pictures as well.
The Museum of Salt in Pomorie. This is the only museum of this kind in East Europe, showing the whole process of producing salt by evaporation of sea water.
The Black Sea Saltworks is a very popular place as well located 3 km away of the city. The healing lye and mud attract a lot of people from the country and abroad.

Around Burgas

There are some nearby places also may deserve attention:

Nessebar is a small town between Burgas and the Sunny Beach resort. Nice and calm place if you want to run away from the big city and the tourist crowd (not sure about the latter). Nessebar is one of the oldest towns in Europe.
The Sunny Beach resort. I'll just quote myself from this article: Overbuilt. Boring. Horrible. Stay away. But still a lot of people want to go there, so we keep saying about it.
Sozopol together with Nessebar is one of the oldest Bulgarian towns. It's now a poplar resort so the old charm is kind of lost, but it's still a nice place to visit.
Strandja is one of the less popular Bulgarian mountains and very interesting to visit if you are this kind of tourist. The area is also the least populated in the whole country so you can visit small villages and towns.

Tour Packages

We don't use tour agenciencies when traveling in Bulgaria. Actually we don't use them when traveling abroad either. So I am not familiar with the quality of any specific tour agencies here and can't recommend any. You will need to do your own research.

But I know what they offer in general and what you can expect. So I'll tell you when it's a good idea to contact a tour agency here and when it is not.

Photo credit

When To Call a Tour Agency?

My urge was to say "never" :) But let's be serious, there are cases when a tour agency could be a good choice:

When you want to go to the beach. Going to the beach in Bulgaria can easily turn into disaster because of the low quality of the service and overcrowded resorts. (Learn more about the places on the Black Sea Coast to choose a better one.) Calling a tour agency can help your organize a decent vacation on the sea in a good hotel at nice location. And the package tours are often quite affordable. If you are a midle-aged couple with kids and don't want too much adventure this could be your best bet.
When you are interested in cultural or historical tourism. Visiting such places is best with a guide so you know what you are seeing. Many of the less popular museums etc. won't even arrange a visit for 1-2 persons and work only with groups. And it's usually not easy to reach and book such visits. This is a case when organized tour can be better.
When you want to save money. Tour agencies book in bulk so they are able to get good deals. Very often they give you a price that you can't beat when booking a hotel and bus / train / plane tickets yourself.
When you want to save the hassle. It's easy. Call or email them, book an organized tour and voila - everything will be ready and arranged when you arrive. You don't need to search for hotels, tickets, and make sure all dates and times match. It's a hassle-free trip. Well, usually.

Some of us don't care about the "hassle" of arranging a trip. We call it fun. A good portion of the pleasure we get from traveling is in organizing and research. Are you one of us? Then you'll probably not use a tour agency even in the above cases.

But all the normal people who don't feel excited to research a hostel half day still have to avoid tour agencies in some cases.

When Not To Use a Tour Acency?

When you want to go off the beaten track. If you want to go where the mass tourist does not go, if you want to be alone, if you want to mess with the locals... In all these cases the organized tours are a big no-no. Even if the agency advertises itself as off the track, that's just bullshit. They take groups there so don't believe such nonsense. Organize yourself even when it's challenging.
When you really want to save money. Didn't I say above that tour agencies save you money? I did. But often you can save even more yourself. Most deals they get are also available via the booking sites online. If you are on a hussle for deals you can catch offers like $1 for a 500km bus trip or $10 for a decent hotel. Such super deals aren't common in Bulgaria but you get the idea. Be your own budget-master and don't pay them extra cash for questionable service.
When you feel adventourous. Going on a trip on your own can hide all kind of surprises. Booked the wrong train? The BnB owner does not return the call? You end up in a hostel dorm with 10 other freaks? Changing the plans in the middle of the trip? This can all be a lot of fun.

Semi-Organized Tours

There is a middle ground too. You may skip agencies but still go with a group. On the travel forums online you can find fellow travellers and organize to go together to a given place. If there are locals things will be even better. Such kind of self-organized groups is quite typical for mountain trips here. The only problem is they usually gather in Bulgarian forums so you'll need to know the language. But feel free to post in English, people will respond. You can also search for groups that organize in Facebook.

Car sharing is another option for semi-organized trip. If you share a ride with local you can travel comfortably and get directions along the way.

Our preferences not to go on organized tours shouldn't stop you from going. I'm sure not all agencies are useless and some of them do a good job.

Cities and Towns on the Danube River

The Danube river goes almost accross the whole North boundary of Bulgaria. There are several interesting cities and towns on the river but somehow none of them is popular for tourists. That's good, crowds away. One of the reason that not many people go there is the bad infrastructure. The Northern Bulgaria is generally poor and less developed. There is no good transportation between the cities on the river, compared for example with the towns and villages on the Black Sea Coast. Maybe you think you can travel by ship on the Danube river? What an optimist!

There were some small ships in the past but today your only option to travel between these towns is by land. Unless you build your own raft :D OK, let's see what are the most important places on Danube and how to get there.

Vidin

Soviet Monument in Vidin
Photo credit

Vidin is the first town when you come from West. This is where one of the two Danube bridges between Bulgaria and Romania is located. It connects Vidin in Bulgaria with Kalafat in Romania. The bridge is about 2 km long and you can walk, bike, use your car, or get on the train to pass through it.

The town's population is about 50,000 and constantly drops after the 90's due to the bad economical situation in the region. Don't think it's a dead place however - Vidin is one of the interesting places in Bulgaria, albeit less popular for visitors. If you plan to travel between Bulgaria and Romania, it's a great idea to stay in Vidin at least for a day. If you are onto landmarks, the Baba Vida Fortress definitely should be visited.

Getting from Sofia to Vidin is easy by train, but is slow. There are 3-4 trains daily with journey taking 4-5 hours. Trains in this direction are often old and not very comfortable. Buses are not much faster but at least have more frequent schedule. Now you must be starting to get why the economy in the area isn't working quite well.

Lom

Lom is a smaller town 56 km South-East from Vidin. It's even less popular destination because there is no bridge or major highway going to it. It is however the closest port to Sofia which gives it a bit of life. If you want to see some pictures of Lom, have a look here.

Although it's only 160 km away of Sofia, don't expect to get there fast. Most trains take nearly 4 hours. There are 5-6 buses daily which take about the same time to reach the town. If you are already in Vidin, you can take the train and reach Lom in about 2 hours.

Kozloduy

Kozloduy nuclear power plant
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Ever heard about the Bulgarian NPP? It's in Kozloduy. The town has only 13,000 citizens but has some business activity due to the NPP. Most of the working population is occupied there. If you are not interested in the NPP, you can visit the Radetski Steamship museum or the Okolchica peak. Visiting the NPP is possible only by sending a letter at least 2 weeks in advance. It's unclear how much this will cost you.

There are no trains to Kozloduy. You can get the bus from Sofia and reach the town in about 3 hours and 30 mins. One bus in the morning starts from Vidin at 9:30 through Lom at 11:00 and reaches Kozloduy in 12.15. So if you are in Lom, going to Kozloduy is easy.

Oryahovo

Oryahovo is a small town with a population of only 5,500. It has a beautiful hilly terrain, nice views, a couple of museums, and not much else to see. Here are some pictures.

If you want to visit it you'll need to take the bus (unless you have a car of course). There are 2-3 buses daily from Sofia taking about 4 hours to Oryahovo. The Kozloduy - Pleven bus from 6:30 AM also stops in Oryahovo about 40 mins after departure. If you are early bird, getting from Kozloduy is a fast option.

Nikopol

Even smaller town with population of less than 4,000, Nikopol is better known by Bulgarians. One of the reason is that years ago all batteries in Bulgaria were produced in Nikopol :) Is there something to see there now? Certainly. The Nature Park Persina, the Nikopol Fortress ("Kaleto"), and several museums.

No trains go to Nikopol. There is one bus daily from Sofia which reaches Nikopol in about 4 hours. And that's it. Not very easy to reach unless you have a car.

Belene

The next town on the way is Belene. We are going East, now in the middle of the route. This is a poor region, a town with population of 8,000, and not much business activity. It has some things to offer to the traveller however: the Roman military castle "Dimum", museums, military monuments, middle-age artifacts and more.

One or two buses daily travel from Sofia to Belene. The trip takes 4 hours. There are no trains. Buses from Nikopol are available several times per day and reach belene in about 1:20 h.

Svishtov

The Svishtov Railway Station
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Svishtov is an university town with a lot more life than the other towns in the region. This is also where one of the best works of Kolyu Ficheto is located - the Church of the Holy Trinity. Other things to see: the Aleko Konstantinov House museum, a Clocktower from 1763, and several other museums. Beign a town full of students it can offer some kind of night life as well.

Because of the university transportation to Svishtov is a bit better. Several trains per day connect the town to Sofia. They are not very fast though, so be prepared to spend 4-5 hours on the trip. There are also a couple of buses taking about the same time. If you are in Nikopol or Belene, you can also take a bus to Svishtov. From Nikopol it takes close to 2 hours, while the trip from Belene takes less than an hour.

Ruse

The Opera house in Ruse
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Ruse is the biggest Bulgarian city on the Danube river. It's the 5th most populated city here with 150,000 people in it (yes, we don't have many big cities). There is a lot to see in Ruse especially if you are interested in architectural monuments and landmarks. The museums are too many to count there. In addition to the architectural landmarks there are a couple of natural parks - Rusenski Lom (have a look), with the only working rock Monastery in Bulgaria, Orlova Chuka cave, and Teketo. If you have time, you won't regret visiting Ruse.

How easy is that? There is an airport in the city but no regular flights to it (I am not sure it's even functional). So your options are again bus, car or train. Currently six trains go daily between Sofia and Ruse taking between 6 and 7 hours. The bus journey can be slightly shorter - 5:30 h with the direct buses.

Ruse is also the most popular gate to Romania. The first Danube bridge connects Ruse to Giurgiu.

Tutrakan

This town with population of about 9,000 is mostly known because its name is often used in jokes. Most Bulgarians have no idea where it is :) This is not a surprise because the area is neither economically strong, nor a tourist destination. The town however is not bad to visit. It's located on a beautiful hilly terrain with good views to the river and around. There are several museums and protected natural areas.

Buses from Sofia to Silistra stop in Tutrakan. There are 5-6 such buses daily and the journey takes about 6:30 h. Many buses from Ruse go to Tutrakan in an hour or so. There are no trains however.

Silistra

A Gazebo in Srebarna Nature Reserve
Photo credit

Silistra is the largest town in this part of the river. With population of 35,000 and many architectural and historical landmarks it's better known and relatively popular destination. Don't get me wrong, "relatively popular" has nothing to do with the popularity of Sofia or the Black Sea resorts. You will not see any crowds of visitors in Silistra.

Silistra one of the oldest towns in Bulgaria so you'll see a lot of history if you go there. Few places to mentiom: Dorostorum fortress, Medjid Tabia, the Srebarna Nature Reserve, and more.

Two trains daily go from Sofia to Silistra but it's a long journey with several train changes. Takes between 10 and 13 hours. Buses are a bit more frequent and the bus journey takes about 7-8 hours. It's easier to reach Silistra if you are already in Ruse. There are 3 trains daily taking close to 5 hours, but there are again train changes except in the night train. Buses are much better option - there are many buses daily and the journey is only 2-3 hours long.

As a final, let me tell you one thing: if you make a trip to all of these cities and towns you will see more than most Bulgarians, because they have not been to most of them. Including us. Yet :)

Dobruja - Towns, Villages, and Hidden Gems

This is certainly not the first place you'd think about visiting in Bulgaria. It's not the second either. Most visitors don't ever go in this region because it's not popular among all the other places here. So, is it not worth a visit? I'd like to argue a little bit.

As you already know, on this site we favor the hidden pearls more than the best known touristic destinations. So, the area of Dobruja has something to offer as well.

What Is It Like?

Dobruja is a flat to hilly area in North-East Bulgaria (and South-East Romania) with lots of fields and unique nature. Part of the Bulgarian sea coast also belongs to it. You can see some of these places on our interactive Black Sea coast map.

Because it lacks any of the most popular landmarks, Dobruja is often neglected by foreign visitors - except those who go to the sea.

This is good for you - welcome to the real Bulgarian Provence. I'll tell you about the main towns and interesting places in this area, so start making your plans.

Dobrich

A view from the Old Dobrich
Photo credit

The town of Dobrich is the unofficial "Capital" of Dobruja. With population of about 100,000 it's one of the big towns in Bulgaria and has all the stores, hotels and restaurants you may need. While in Dobrich you may want to visit the city park which is one of the biggest and oldest parks in Bulgaria. Make a trip also to the ethnographic Old Dobrich (easy to reach on foot from the city center, just ask anyone about "Staria Dobrich") to see crafts, drink boza, eat traditional food and specific Bulgarian pretzels.

You can get to Dobrich from Sofia by bus or train. It's a 6 to 10 hours journey depending on what you take. There is also a night sleeper train which is relatively comfortable. If you are in Varna, getting to Dobrich is super easy and cheap (€ 2.5) with the minibuses. There are two intercity bus stations in Varna and both have buses to Dobrich every 30 minutes, from the early morning to 7:30 PM.

Silistra

Silistra is far Noth town and a port on the Danube river. The population is close to 40,000 which puts it in the middle-range here. There are two popular landmarks in Silistra - a late ancient tomb and the Medzhit Tabiya fortress (sadly, I couldn't find any English-language sites about these).

Travelling to Silistra from Sofia is a bit harder - there are less buses and they take nearly 9 hours. Train jorneys are even worse with duration between 10 and 13 hours and multiple changes involved. Travelling from Varna is only slightly better - 6 hours by train. Buses take only 2 hours and half though.

Kavarna

Kavarna is getting increasingly popular here in the last few years due to the concerts of several old popular rock bands from USA and UK. If you are not much into this, don't worry. This small town is pretty charming and has much else to offer. There are two old churches, old fountains, and the national archaeological reserve Yailata. And Kaliakra cape is also close (12 km away) which should be telling you also that the town is on the sea coast.

The easiest way to get to Kavarna is by bus from Varna and takes about 80 minutes. Of course you can also go by car.

Albena

Albena is one of the popular sea resorts and probably the most important one in Dobruja. The resort doesn't have notable landmarks but is considered to be good. My own impressions are mixed and I'd advice you to skip it in favor of Balchik.

Balchik

Balchik is a sea town and resort and unlike Albena has a bit more character. It's also popular due to the Balchik Palace / Quiet Nest Palace. Getting to Balchik is easy from Albena, Varna and Dobrich and takes 30 minutes or less. Note that it can be pretty overcrowded in the Summer.

Provadia

Provadia is mostly known for the closely located Ovech Fortress. The town itself is small and not popular but looks like a nice place to visit. It's locaed on the main Sofia - Varna railway so it's easily reached by train from both cities.

Interesting Villages

The villages in Dobruja are kind of unique and very different than the villages in the mountains for example. There is well growing large agriculture business and increasing number of family farms, large wheat fields, animals, and rich houses with large square gardens. Many orchards were created in the recent years so if you are interested in farming and agriculture, this is the place to visit in Bulgaria.

If you are more interested in nature, visit Durankulak - the far northeastern village of Bulgaria. The Lake Durankulak is a habitat of many rare birds and other species.

If you've ever been to Dobruja, please let me know what you saw there in the comments!

Wild Animals, Birds, and Dangerous Animals

No, we have no monkeys and primates here outside of the zoo. Some individuals in the city may look and behave like primates but they are not. We have some animals however.

In the city

The most popular wild animals in the cities are cats and stray dogs. The first aren't a problem but stray dogs can be nasty. There are not one and two stories where people were attacked by dogs. Avoid them when they are in packs.

Sometimes you can of course see mouses and rats, insects, and birds. Birds are abundant even in the cities so we'll talk about them separately at the end of this post.

Squirrels can be noticed sometimes in the parks.

In the villages

Villages, especially remote ones can see more wild animals occasionally. Some villages in the Rhodopes have frequent problems with bears visiting them. Wolves, foxes, polecats, martens, moles, mole-rats, and wild rabbits are not unseen.

Inside the gardens and on meadows there is a slight risk of snakes in the summer. See the "dangerous animals" section below for more info on snakes.

Don't expect however that by visiting a random village you'll see many wild animals. Besides cats, dogs, and domestic animals the others do not walk on the streets all the time. To see wild animals you must go to the mountains and the woods.

In the woods

Your best chance to see wild animals are far of the big cities. Deep in the forest you may be able to glimpse a deer, bear (not recommended to go close to it), wild boars, a wolf, a fox, or why not a brock, a jackal, or even a lynx. Unfortunately most of these animals are not abundant and you may be walking for hours without seeing anything but birds. So coming here with the whole idea to see wildlife might be a disappointing venture. Unless you want to see birds which are plentiful especially in the summer.

Here is a decent resource of information about all wild mammals in Bulgaria. And this page will suggest where to go to watch different types of wild animals.

Dangerous animals

We don't have many dangerous animals here. One that was already mentioned are the stray dogs in the cities. Sometimes they can be aggressive. Such cases are not often but you should still be careful with them. Read this page for more info.

If you go out in the wild there is a little bit more risk:

Poison snakes - viper and adder. They are not as deadly as tropical poison snakes and there are very few cases if any of fatalities caused by poison snakes here.
Insects, bees and wasps are not much different than anywhere else in Europe.
Bears are one of the very few real dangers in the woods and mountains. There are not many bears and your chances of meeting one are low. If it happens it can be really dangerous of course.
Wild boars are the other real threat for those who go deep in the mountains. The chance to meet them is also rather low.
Wolves can sometimes be dangerous but they will usually run away from you.
Insects like mites can cause a lot more trouble than the large wild animals.

Birds and bird watching

There are a lot of birds here and many of them can be seen even in the big cities. The hot season - somehwere from April to September - is richer on birds. Many of them fly South in the winter. A lot of companies offer bird watching tours here. I have no idea of the quality of the service so I will not recommend a specific company. I guess you can find plenty of birds entirely by yourself but if you prefer a tour, have in mind they are not cheap. Several days bird watching tour often exceeds €500.

Maybe you'll prefer to first learn what kind of birds you can find here. This is a really good site that will help you.

Best Time To Visit Bulgaria - Weather, Holidays, and More

The best time to go somewhere is subjective thing. Someone wants to go for the beaches, someone for skiing, and someone may want to enjoy the circus of the elections. So we can't tell you the best time to visit. We can tell you what is each month of the year like and you decide for yourself.

January

Weather here is hard to predict but one of the sure things is that January is cold. Almost no exceptions. You can expect temperatures well below the zero, sometimes (rare) down to -20 C. Snow and ice is also to be expected. In mild winters you can see few degrees above the zero. The day is shortest in January with the sunset about 5 PM.

So this month is best for ski and similar winter activities. If you like festivals, this is the time when the International Kukeri festival is held in Pernik (50 km away of Sofia, good connections by train).

February

February is also cold but sometimes you can see the first signs of spring. While -20 C is not unseen in February you can also have +20 C. It's recommended to check the weather forecast just before you start your trip.

Besides the st. Valentine day which is getting popular recently there is another festival going here on February 14th. This is the Pruner day also known as Saint Trifon or Trifon Zarezan. Excellent time to visit if you like wine!

The days in February start growing slower with the sunset heading for 6 PM. It's still a typical winter month so don't come here if you hate cold.

March

The first month of the spring can greet you with temperatures well below the zero or 25 centigrades above it. This is probably the least predictable month. Typically you should be prepared for snow.

March 3rd is official holiday so expect to have institutions closed around the date. On March 8th many Bulgarians celebrate the International Women's Day so you'll see a lot of flowers for sale and the restaurants will be full. On the last Saturday of March we switch to DST time so the clock moves 1 hour ahead.

March is also the time when a lot of green salads start appearing on the markets and the country starts waking up for the spring.

April

Snow in April is rare but happens. It usually melts quickly because the temperatures rarely drop below freezing. April can have very hot days with 25 C or more. The typical daily temperatures are around 15 C.

Easter here is celebrated by the Orthodox calendar so it usually is a week or two later than the Catholic Easter. There are often several non-working days around Easter so check for actual information before you come.

April is rich of locally grown greens, strawberries, spinach and more. The days are long with the sunset heading for 8 PM.

May

One of the best months in general. May is usually hot without being too hot. You can however expect cold (about 10C) and rainy days sometimes or very hot days (above 30C). A lot of locally grown vegetables and the first fruits appear on the markets in May. The day is getting very long, the sunset gets closer to 9 PM.

Have in mind that May 1st and May 6th are official holidays. This often means the whole period between 1st and 6th will be non-working days and there will be a lot of traffic jams on the roads and rails on these dates. May 24th is the Day of Slavonic Alphabet with a lot of events going around it.

June

June is the first month when you can go to the beach. The first visitors come in May but the sea water is still too cool. June is the first summer month with temperatures often over 30 C. It's also officially the wettest month so rain is to be expected. It's not unusual for June to welcome you with temperatures around 10 C especially in the first half.

There are no big festivals in June except the International Children's day which is celebrated on 1st.

Besides going to the beach June is good time for mountains and going to a hut. Have in mind that the highest peaks will still have snow on them.

June is the month with the longest days with the sun shining up to 9:30 PM.

July

The most typical summer month. Usually hot and dry. Be prepared for 30 - 35 C or more and no rain, except in some years. July along with August are the most popular months for summer vacations.

July is very rich of locally grown fruits and vegetables so it's good time for food lovers as well.

There are no big festivals in this month here. Just come to enjoy the summer.

August

Similar to July, August is usually very hot. By the end of the month the nights start getting cooler especially in the higher places like Sofia.

There are no festivals in August. Everyone is on vacation. This is the best time to enjoy empty cities and less traffic, unless you go to the sea places.

August is excellent for lazy vacation, mountaineering, cultural tourism etc. It's less excellent for doing business. Everyone is on vacation.

September

Although it's the first month of the fall, September is still usually hot. You can often see sunny days with temperatures around 30 C. On the lower end it can go down to about 10 C in the morning. In some years September is very wet.

This is probably the richest month of locally grown food. Enjoy the best fruits and vegetables at this time.

September is still good for going to the sea - the water is not too cold yet. It's also the month when students go to school (on Sept 15th) so there are some celebrations and traffic around this. Sep 6th is official holiday.

October

October is the first month when you will really feel autumn. While some days might be pretty sunny and well over 20 C, some mornings it can be close to zero. Rains are frequent and snow is not impossible especially in the second half of the month.

October is however good time to visit Bulgaria in general. Weather is still mostly good. There is a lot of freshly grown local produce. Days are still relatively long as DST is in effect till the end of the month. It's no longer good for sea vacation but the time is excellent for visiting the cities or mountains. The views in the nature are excellent when leaves start turning brown and yellow.

There are no major holidays in October.

November

Although it's an autumn month, November can feel like winter. Snow can be expected any time and temperatures below the zero as well. Temperatures over 20 C also are not an exception but since the days are short don't forget your winter clothes.

There are no major festivals or holidays in November. The weather isn't too great usually so it's not the best month for walks in the cities. November is good for those who enjoy nature - with or without snow it can be nice at this time of the year.

December

The winter finally sets in. It can be very cold sometimes with -10 C or below. Usually temperatures are around the zero. Days are very short with sunset around 5 PM. Snow and fog should be expected.

If you come here for Christmas have in mind the loads of traffic in trains, buses, roads and airplanes. Try to avoid traveling exactly the day before and after the holidays. A lot of companies and institutions close around the holidays so there are nearly two weeks with almost nothing working - around Christmas and New Year.

Bulgarian Gardens, Gardening and Homesteading

Do you like gardening? You may be coming to the righ place. Gardening is popular in the rural areas of Bulgaria and even in city backyards. And it's often not just grass and flowers, but also fruits and vegetables. There are very few places here where regulations will stop you from gardening anything you want (except Cannabis).

What Do Bulgarians Garden

Most Bulgarian gardens include several fruit trees. Apple, pear, plum, peach, apricot - these are the most popular. There are gardens with only grass and flowers but Bulgarians have good traditions in growing vegetables. Spring gardens usually are full of salads and onions. In the summer you'll see a lot of tomatoes, beans, cucumbers, zuccini, pepper, potatoes. Autumn is usually the time for collecting the crops but you can see spinach, cabbage, turnips and leeks. Oh yes, and since everyone pretends to be a wine maker, everyone grows a lot of grapes.

The majority of gardens here are between 1/8 and 1/4 acre. Only the very rural areas normally have larger homesteads. Larger gardens are usually considered farms.

Photo credit

Weather Conditions

The climate here allows gardening nearly everything from the temperate climate. Many fruits / vegetables were already mentioned above. Some tropical perennials can be grown as annual plants. Some hardy tropical fruits like oranges and olives have been grown in the Southernmost part of the country. I don't know how successful though.

Cool-loving plans grow well in early spring and late autumn. Winter is a non-growing season with very few exceptions like leeks and some types of kale. But you can overwinter many vegetables - like onions, spinach, garlic, and some salads. They will usually survive the winter and continue growing early spring.

Gardening here is impossible without watering. Summers are hot and dry (except the last one was not) and vegetables can't survive through without watering. Most fruit trees and bushes will also need to be watered once in a while.

Bulgaria has many mountains and mountain villages. The weather conditions in them are often harsh and the growing season may be much shorter depending on the altitude. If you plan to purchase a house for a homestead you should definitely check the location and the elevation above sea level.

Greenhouse Gardening

A lot of gardeners here extend the growing season with greenhouses. Depending on the exact location you can grow salads and cold-hardy greens in the winter, and some locations allow growing even cucumbers in unheated greenhouse. Very often greenhouses are used for seed starting or hardening the seedlings. Sometimes you'll see tomatoes and cucumbers growing in hoop houses even in the summer to protect them from diseases and hail.

The typical American cold frames are not very popular here but you can use them for overwintering spinach and similar hardy greens.

Homesteading

What about more self-sustainable homesteading here? No worries, it's a good place for this. In the villages there are still plenty of people who raise goats, sheeps, and even cows. Chickens and rabbits are raised even in city backyards.

If you want to homestead and provide most of your food here you can combine gardening with raising animals. Most plots do not exceed 1/4 to 1/2 acres unless you buy agriculture land (but then you'll lack the community services and utilities). But 1/4 acre should be enough for a small orchard and vegetable garden, chickens, rabbits and maybe even beekeeping.

In order to preserve your produce you need to account for two things: the really hot summers and the really cold winters. You will need some kind of basement and maybe root cellar. Most homesteaders here can a lot of food from summer and early autumn and prepare various kinds of pickles and sauerkraut.

In short Bulgaria is very good place for gardening - good weather, low regulations and mostly good land.

Electricity in Bulgaria

The power plugs here are all EU standard. Electricity is 220V.

If you are coming on a trip from the USA or UK, it's easy to find switchers from your plugs to ours, and they don't cost much. Don't expect to find them in every hotel however.

Electricity supply is relatively stable in the big cities and power shuts are mostly an exception. I smaller towns and especially villages the power is interrupted more often. Villages often shut the power down in case of storms. There are many small villages where the voltage is lower than 220 V and the power supply is very unreliable. If you plan to come here and live in a village it's best to not count only on electricity for all your needs (heating and hot water), because power shuts in the winter are frequent.

When buying a home here you also need to carefully check how the electricity supply is handled, especially in rural areas. Don't buy home which is not connected to the grid unless going off-grid is your goal. If the home is not connected, this is a sure sign there is a problem. If you want to buy a plot of land, it's normal to have no elecricity supply on the plot. But you need to check whether connecting is possible and how much it will cost. The minimum you are going to spend is about &eur;400. The amount can go up tremendously if there is no power pole near the plot. The existence of a power pole is no guarantee either - it's always possible that they'll tell you the local supply is not enough for a new home.

Have in mind that when renting a house or a flat here, the cost of electricy, water and central heating is usually not included in the rent.

This is roughly all you need to know unless you plan to work as electrician here ;)

Mountain Huts in Bulgaria

If you like hiking in the mountains you can spend good time in Bulgaria. We have cool mountains like the Balkan, Rila, Pirin, Vitosha, and so on. And there are many tourist huts and shelters in them. This page will give you a short introduction to the mountain huts and shelters in Bulgaria. At the bottom you'll find links which will give you full details about each of the currently usable huts.

Where are the huts?

Everywhere. We don't have any big mountain without huts. Chances to get lost for days without finding shelters in Bulgarian mountains is low if you are well fit. For example in the Balkan huts are planned to be reachable within a day of walking, at most.

Finding the huts is a different matter however. Usually there are tourist signs that you can follow to reach a hut. Sometimes they are not very visible, not in good condition, or plain wrong. Most textual signboards are only in Bulgarian.

If you are lost in the mountain and trying to find a hut your best bet would be the GPS or a paper map. Your second best bet is to meet someone and ask for directions. This is easy in mountains like Vitosha, which are full of hikers, and less easy somewhere in the middle of the Balkan. It's highly recommended to be prepared with maps and / or GPS.

In the event you get lost and can't find shelter, going downhill might be a decent strategy for success because you'll most likely reach a road. If you feel you are getting exhausted without a chance to reach civilization, call 112.

What To Expect

There is no luxury in mountain huts. Hopefully you don't expect it. In most cases you can expect a bed and sometimes food. It varies from hut to hut. Some huts can be very cold in late or early summer because the owners decide to stop heating while nights in the mountain are still cool.

Most Bulgarian huts have good people to manage them but there quite a few exceptions. If you talk with treckers you'll hear all kind of funny or scary stories with odd-personality hut owners.

Kitchens, when available, may offer you a couple of tasty dishes. Usually soups (shkembe chorba, bob chorba) and sometimes grill. Having a mountain herbal tea (maybe with rum) is a must for good experience.

One of the unpleasant things in Bulgarian huts are the large companies with drunk idiots who have nothing to do in the mountain in the first place. Your best chance to avoid them is to avoid the most popular large huts with easy access by road. Finding company of idiots is harder in a remote hut deep in the mountain.

Another warning: cleanness. Or the lack of it. Of course you should be prepared for this in the mountain, but the pigsty in some huts can go beyond your expectations.

Some Cool Huts

Let me throw a selection of a few huts you might be interested to visit. This is not at all a comprehensive list - for such have a look at the links at the bottom.

The Rila Lakes Hut

This hut is beautiful and a good starting point to visit the Seven Rila Lakes.

photo credit

Planinarska Pesen (Mountaineer Song) hut in Vitosha

This hut is loved by many treckers here because of the lovely area around, and the good food.

Shelter "Cherni Vrah"

photo credit

This is not a hut but just a shelter and provides no accomodation. But you can have a rest inside after climbing the peak and have a cup of tasty hot soup.

Vihren Hut in Pirin

This hut is not very good by itself, but it's the top starting point for climbing the Vihren peak, seeing Okoto, and other interesting objects.

Mazalat Hut

This hut is part of the Kom - Emine trail. It's located in a lovely area and is close to the "Singing rocks" natural reserve.

There are many other interesting huts in Stara Planina (Balkan), Rila, Pirin, Rhodopes, and so on. Check the recommended links below to learn more about them.

Useful Links

One of the best sites with information about Bulgarian huts and shelters is Planinite.info. The English version is incomplete so I recommend you to use Google Translate and read the Bulgarian version.

This site here has an interactive map with most huts and info about them.

Public Toilets in Bulgaria

Warning: UGLY stuff ahead. We'll talk about Bulgarian water closets. Water? Sometimes.

Jokes aside, going to the toilet here can often turn into adventure. First you need to find one which is not always easy. Then you need to use it. And this is often harder. The below tips will hopefully help having less shitty experience here.

The Malls

Our shopping malls aren't impressive but there is still a good reason to visit them. In most malls there are free toilets usually with western quality, and most important, clean. Malls are your best bet when available and especially if you don't want to spend money on cafe just because you need a restroom.

The malls are not that many however and are mostly available in the largest cities like Sofia. So what to do if you can't find a mall?

The Public Toilets

The typical public toilet in Bulgaria has several specific characteristics:

It's nearly non-existent. Even in Sofia there are just a few.
If it exists you'll probably find it easy. It stinks.
It costs few coins, usually €0.25. Once you enter you'll wonder why do you have to pay for such crap.
It's usually a Turkish / squat toilet.
If water is available at all, it's only cold water. Even if it's below zero outside.
If soap is available it's often just a hard piece of dirty thing that they call soap.
If you are lucky, the staff may give you a napkin to dry your hands after washing. Dryer is rarely available and there is no guarantee it will work.
Do not expect to communicate with the staff in English. They often can't talk even proper Bulgarian.
After you have visited such toilet you'll avoid public toilets at any cost.

The chemical toilets that started to appear recently are slightly better and cleaner. Don't hold your breath, you never know if yours will be clean.

Toilets on Airports, and Train/Bus Stations

These public toilets are usually in better condition. The toilets on the Sofia Airport Terminal 2 are decent. The ones in Terminal 1 (the low cost terminal) are dirtier but still acceptable.

If you arrive at the Central Rail Station you may want to visit the toilet on the Central Bus Station (100 m away) which is much better. There is also decent toilet in front of the rail station near the shops across the street. The rail station toilet is acceptable but not too good.

Train and bus stations in small towns can surprise you with all kind of toilets. The most common between all of them is that they stink. For example here in Svoge you can find one of the most stinking toilets in the world. Welcome.

When in a small town it's much better to visit the WC in a restaurant or cafe.

Toilets in Restaurants and Bars

As a general rule you should prefer these restrooms to the public ones. In most cases they are cleaner and better. Except sometimes. Although every place that offer drinks and food should logically have a toilet, this is not always the case. If you don't see tables inside the place (i.e. they are only outside) you can be almost sure there is no toilet. If you are not sure feel free to ask.

Toilets in bars and restaurants are free for customers. If you are not a customer you can ask to use the toilet and they'll probably let you. Unless you are on a very tight budget it's preferred to have at least a drink inside and use the WC then.

The quality and cleanness of the toilets vary a lot. A nicer place is expected to have nicer WC but this is not always the case. You can often by surprised by a shiny bar or sweetshop with a stinking paper-less, water-less, semi-functioning WC. You never know.

Pee on the Street?

In some countries in the world it's acceptable to pee on the streets. Here it's not, so don't do it. Regardless of the pathetic quality of many of our toilets, you should find one and use it when in need.

Rila Mountain

Rila is the highest mountain here in Bulgaria which is one of the reasons to attract touristic interest. Don't expect altitude sickness though as it still under 3,000 m. Besides the Musala peak there are a few interesting places in Rila that we'll tell you about.

You don't have to be a rock climber to enjoy visit to Rila - most of the places do not require special equipment except good shoes and warm clothes in the winter.

The Seven Rila Lakes Hut

Musala Peak

Musala is the highest peak in Bulgaria standing at 2,925 m (9,596 ft). Despites this it's not hard to climb and a lot of unexperienced tourists go there especially in Summer. There is a lift which will save you a lot of climbing if you wish.

How to get there? It's not too far from Sofia. The easiest way is first to go to Borovets - a popular ski resort with a lot of hotels and attractions (so you can sleep there if you want). The route to Borovets goes through Samokov so if you want to take a bus get a ticket to Samokov. Note that these buses start from the South Bus Station ("Sofia - Yug") and not the central station in Sofia. There is a bus each 30 or 60 minutes. The trip is about 1 hour long.

From Samokov you need to take another bus going to Borovets (a shorter trip). Then take the Gondola lift to Yastrebets. Then follow the marking and in 2-3 hours you will be at the peak.

Rila Monastery

The Rila Monastery is probably the most popular touristic attraction in Rila and one of the most popular attractions of this type in the whole Bulgaria. Saying this I guess you now know what to expect - a lot of tourists and things made for tourists. You are warned :)

Saying all this, there is still a lot to see there so don't hesitate to go. You can sleep in the monastery ($15 per night) or in any of the surrounding hotels.

How to get there. The easiest way to go there is by car. If you want to go by bus you can do it in several ways:

Bus from Sofia to Rila Town (approximately 2 hours). There are only 2-3 buses per day and they start from Sofia West bus station. This station is located in Ovcha Kupel near Tsar Boris Blvd. Then get the bus to the monastery.
Bus or train from Sofia to Blagoevgrad. There are 7-8 trains per day and most trips take 2 hours and half. Approximate price is €4 - €5. More buses per day are available and take the same time to travel. The buses start from Sofia Central Bus Station. From Blagoevgrad get the bus to the monastery.
Bus or train from Sofia to Dupnitsa and then bus to the monastery. Most trains take around 2 hours to Dupnitsa and cost €3 - €4. Direct buses are slightly faster.

A direct bus is supposed to be available from Sofia West Bus Station to the Rila Monastery but the information about it is scarce. A lot of companies offer organized trips to the monastery so this is an option if you want to handle going there and returning back in a day.

The Seven Rila Lakes

Many locals will tell you this is one of the most beautiful things to see here. The seven lakes are located between 2,100m and 2,500m above the sea level and are close enough to each other to be visited by foot (once you are there). The seven lakes are: The Tear (Salzata), The Eye (Okoto), The Kidney (Babreka), The Twin (Bliznaka), The Trefoil (Trilistnika), The Fish Lake (Ribnoto ezero), and The Lower Lake (Dolnoto ezero).

How to get there. Most touristic tracks start from Panichishte. Getting to Panichishte is a bit tricky because there is no regular bus service from any big city. The resort is located just 10km away from Sapareva Banya so if you are going by car things are easy. If you don't have a car you may look for a taxi or small buses going to Panichishte in the summer.

Several buses per day go from Sofia to Saparevo and Sapareva banya. The trip takes an hour - hour and half. The buses start from Sofia West bus station.

Malyovitsa

Malyovitsa is 2729 m high peak very popular among climbers. The whole area is very popular touristic attraction because of the good ski slopes and the natural beauty. The Malyovitsa hut is the starting point for most touristic tracks and for climbing the peak.

How to get there. From Sofia South bus station there are buses going to Samokov each 30 minutes during the day. Then from Samokov get a bus to Govedartsi and then to Malyovitsa. You can also sometimes get a bus directly from Samokov but you'll have to check locally as there is no reliable info online (as usual here :D).

Parangalitsa

Parangalitsa is a natural reserve created to preserve spruce forest. There are also bears, wolves, deers, roes, wild cats. Going there is allowed only within a marked trail.

Getting there. The reserve is located 30 km west from Blagoevgrad so you first need to go there - several buses and trains go there from Sofia. Information how to enter the reserve is literally missing so I guess you should go there and ask. Sorry, our country is best in hiding information from travellers unless you want to drink cheap vodka in Sunny Beach of course.

Skakavitsa

Skakvitsa means several things in Rila: a waterfall, a mountain hut, and a natural reserve. Typically you would go to the hut to see the waterfall. Visiting the natural reserve Skakvitsa is questionable, as usual.

How to get to Skakavitsa hut? The hut is 2 hours walking distance from Panichishte. See The Seven Rila Lakes description above to learn how to get to Panichishte.

Dancing Bears Park

Here is one less known place of interest. This park is created for rehabilitation of brown bears used in the past to dance on the streets (learn more here). The park is open for guided tours during April - November.

Getting there: the park is located 12 km away from Belitsa. There are 3-4 trains per day going from Sofia Central Station to Belitsa. The train trip takes 5-6 hours so you may want to look for alternatives. There is no information about public transportation from Belitsa to the park however. Hopefully taxis will be available.

Svoge and Around: Single Day Trips From Sofia

If you land in Sofia and have a few days to spend in Bulgaria, move out of the big city. There are plenty of interesting places nearby and each one of them can be visited in a single day trip. Sometimes you can even visit more than one place in a day. Today we'll tell you about Svoge and the villages around. They are great destinations if you like nature and mountaneous villages.

Svoge

The town of Svoge with its population of about 8,000 is the center of this area. It's easy to reach Svoge by train, car or bus. The train ride is between 30 and 60 minutes and costs €1.2. The town is on a hilly terrain and great for hiking. If you like walking in the nature I recommend you go on a walk on the Vasov way or to Grohoten. A walk through the neighborhoods is also worth it - head up in Djidjovica and you'll see great views.

Inside the town there are stores and restaurants so you'll not stay hungry or thisty. If you'd like to stay for the night, there are two small hotels close to the bus station. Just ask for a hotel and people will show you the way. Note that the last train to Sofia is at 8 or 8:30 PM, so if you don't plan to sleep is Svoge, don't miss it.

View from Lakatnik

On the way to Svoge

Vlado Trichkov is closest to Sofia and is the biggest village in the row. If you come by train you may first got the impression that it's very small, but just go upstairs in front of the station building and you'll see it's not. There are a couple of shops and at least two restaurants. Again, hilly terrain like most of the villages in this region, and plenty of natural beauty to explore.

If you want more rural experience, stop in the next village - Lukovo. It has only about 300 inhabitants and if you go uphill where the vacation houses are you'll feel like being in the wild. Get some food with you as you can't be sure you'll be able to buy anything, especially in the weekend.

The next one on the railway, Rebrovo, is bigger and steeper. Go there if you want to see how people fight with the hilly terrain. The architecture of houses and streets is interesting.

The closest one to Svoge is Tompson. (Techhically the train has one more stop - Orlin - but it's just a bunch of vacation homes.) Tompson is small and wild village. There is nothing special to see except rural houses, but it's nice place for a walk.

On a short bike or bus trip from Svoge

There are few villages near Svoge that are not on the railway but are close enough to be visited by bicycle. There are also buses which reach them in few minutes, and you can get a taxi for several euros as well.

The biggest one is Iskrets. Few km West of Svoge, the village has a lot of life and good views. Feel free to visit also Redina, Svidnya and Cerecel.

On the rail, heading North

Some of the more interesting places are on the railway after Svoge. The first one - Jelen - can also be visited by road. It's just 3-4 km away so feel free to bike or walk to it. One of the interesting things in Jelen is the Trinoga community where a permaculture project is run.

Next, it's worth visiting Bov, especially if you like caves. You can also see the waterfall Skaklya there.

A very popular destination close after is Lakatnik. Go there if you like rock clibming or just to see the amazing terrain and the Lakatnishki rocks. Bring some food with you especially on weekends. If you forget there is a small store and snackbar on the station, but don't expect much from it.

Many of the villages after Lakatnik, on the way to Mezdra, are also interesting. I'll only mention Zli Dol, Zverino, and Chelopek.

Eliseina deserves a bit more attention because it's base for exploring The Seven Thrones Monastery. The whole area near it is great. You can get to Eliseina by train from Sofia in less than 2 hours. Check the return trains carefully because they are just a few per day.

Other Things to See

The Elata cave is located near Zimevica. Getting to Zimevica from Svoge is easiest by car as there are no direct buses or trains.

Djuglata is natural landmark near the rail station of Cerovo. There are trains from Svoge to Cerovo, it takes just few minutes and costs an euro or less.

The alpine shelter "Eagle's Nest" is located in the rocks above Lakatnik. It's hard to reach but you can see it from the village. Bring binoculars with you.

There are a few other caves as well, if you are into this.

Bulgarian Salads

Bulgarian kitchen is full of salads and we eat a lot of them. It's typical for some Bulgarians to eat just a large salad for lunch or dinner. There are some light salads, but some are very rich and can replace a full course of dishes. One of the reasons to eat so many salads here is that we have good vegetables. Another reason is drinking rakia :D Rakia goes best with a salad.

Here you'll find info on some of the most popular salads based on the season and with links to recipes.

They mostly contain vegetables although we have many salads where the primary ingredient is eggs and/or meat.

Spring Salads

Green salad. Early spring this is the most popular salad eaten here. It's made with lettuce, green onion and/or garlic, radishes, and sometimes cucumbers. Typically the green salad shouldn't contain tomatoes although some put cherry tomatoes in it. Here is a typical recipe. Often boiled eggs are added to the salad.

A popular variation is the green salad with tuna which is essentially the same except that you add some tuna.

Less typical but still spring-only salad is the spinach salad. Here is one recipe (not strictly Bulgarian)

Summer Salads

Summer is very rich on vegetables so this is the time when most salads are eaten. Here are the most popular:

Shopska salad. When you go to a restaurant with Bulgarians they'll certainly offer you to try the Shopska salad. It's with tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, and cheese. Tasty if you eat all of the ingredients. Sometimes it can contain hot pepper. Here's one good recipe.

Snezhanka is made with yogurt and cucumbers. Here's a good recipe.

Shepherd's salad (Ovcharska salata) is similar to shopska but not the same thing. This recipe is a good example showing the difference.

Potato salad is available in all seasons. Let's call it summer salad because summer is the time when potatoes are gathered. A typical recipe is available here. You can also make potato salad with smoked fish. This is a typical example of salad that can replace the main course.

Autumn and Winter Salads

I put fall and winter together because most of the vegetables coming in fall are also available in winter. We enjoy plenty of peppers, onions, garlic, leeks, turnips, beet, cabbage, and more.

Baked peppers salad vary a lot but always contain peppers, baked and peeled. Usually these salads also contain garlic and vinegar. You don't need a specific recipe to make it, just follow your intuition.

Cabbage and carrots is a typical all seasons salad. It's great choice for the winter when less other vegetables are available. It's also usually the cheapest salad in restaurants. Here's a Greek recipe which is the same as the salad we eat here.

Beans salad is made with beans, olives and onions. Very easy to make, all-seasons good, but especially good option for the fall and winter. This recipe has no olives.

Turnips and carrots salad is great in the winter. It's also often used to garnish meat or other food. Here's a recipe. The ingredients should be finely chopped.

Salads with beets. There are various salads with beets. One of the popular ones is the Martenitsa in which beets is finely chopped with white radish. Other versions include beets with mayonnaise and so on.

Bulgarian chutney / Lutenitsa is not exactly a salad but goes well as garnish to meat or other food, and on bread slices. Lutenitsa is very popular here and many Bulgarian familias prepare it themselves in late Summer when the red peppers are ready for gathering. Learn more here.

Pickles. Bulgarians eat a lot of pickles in the winter. Sauerkraut, pickles of cucumbers, turshia and so on. They usually contain a lot of salt, but otherwise are very useful food and very tasty.

This is not at all a full list of salads in Bulgaria. We have hundreds of varieties. Want to share a specific recipe? Go on, use the comments.

What is Boza and How To Make It?

Surprisingly many visitors to this site are interested in recipes for making boza. I guess that's because they never tried it :D Joking aside, it has a specific taste. There is a good chance that you won't like it. Or maybe you'll love it. But first let's figure out what exactly boza is.

What is boza

The best source of scientific-like explanation on this topic is the Wikipedia page. It quickly breaks the myth that boza is Bulgarian drink. There are plenty of other countries that make it. Currently the Bulgarian boza is made mostly from wheat. Sometimes you can find boza made of rye and that one usually tastes better. The Wikipedia's article claims that boza here is also made from millet but good luck finding millet boza in the stores.

Most of the boza available here in the stores or the bakeries contains artifical sweeteners. Read on to see where you can drink more natural boza.

Where to drink it in Bulgaria

Boza is available in most small and big stores plus the bakeries and some lunchbars. Unfortunately most often this is the low quality version with artifical sweeteners. Besides it's not good to drink aspartame, the taste of this boza is not very good and not that close to the good real boza people made years ago. The price of this boza is around 1 lev for 0.5 litres bottle, or less. You can find it in small bottles of 0.3 l or so, up to 1.5 l bottles.

In some supermarkets you can find "organic" boza made with sugar. It's a better option. It's often made of rye. This boza is of course more expensive than the more popular one.

Your best bet to drink real, fresh boza that is closest to the thing people made in the past is to go to ethnographic complexes like The Old Dobrich or Etar. In such places boza is made locally and is fresh, coming from a tap in the wall. It's well worth the experience, at least in The Old Dobrich (I've tried it myself).

How to make it

Already tried boza when you were in Bulgaria and trilled to make some yourself? No, you are not crazy. We also like boza. Just like you want to make boza now, I wanted to make kwass after trying it in Georgia. So, here you go. Some recipes suggest that you need to buy some boza first in order to make more at home. Here's one such recipe. This is a bit dull because when you are far away from Bulgaria it's hard to find boza (unless you buy expensive one online).

Here's a better recipe, making boza "from scratch":

The yeast:

1 teacup water
1 teacup sugar
2 spoons flour, preferably millet flour

The boza itself:

2 teacups flour
5 litres water
2 teacups sugar

You need to make the yeast 1-2 days in advance. Mix the yeast ingredients and leave for 1-2 days to ferment.

Then bake the flour in a dry pan until it becomes brown. Let it cool out in a big pot. Pour the water and mix it well, try to avoid forming lumps. Add the sugar and boil for 7-8 minutes while mixing all the time. After the thing cools, add the yeast and forget it for 2-3 days until the boza ferments. Store it in the fridge.

If you keep a cup of your homemade boza for the next time, you can use it to make new boza (i.e. you'll avoid making yeast again). Here's a version of this recipe in Bulgarian.