10 Day Highlights of Bulgaria

About the destination: Sofia is a city with a sparkling future; it’s the energetically resilient Bulgarian capital that still revels in its own idiosyncrasies as it forges towards a more cultured and urbane existence. Dramatically ringed by the Balkan Mountains to the north and the Vitosha Mountains to the south, Sofia stands on an open plain 550m above sea level in western Bulgaria. It is this duality between urban sprawl and natural wonder that makes it a fascinating place to visit, with more to arrest the attention than many other Eastern European capitals. Development is rife and roads are mercifully being improved. It boasts boutique hotels galore and the spanking new Metro lines and stations are enough to make Western visitors look on with jealousy. Of course, the Communist influence still pervades in the streets; the country’s relatively short occupation from 1945 to 1989 is still visible in its neo-Stalinist architecture. Despite this, most of Sofia’s major tourist attractions pre-date this era. Buildings like the Aleksander Nevski Cathedral, the Central Sofia Synagogue and the Banya Bashi mosque are stark reminders of the country’s multicultural past, whilst the charming UNESCO-listed Boyana Church in the Vitosha Mountains is an absolute must-visit. Locals strike the balance between Russian insouciance and Mediterranean flare and continue to be proud up-keepers of the country’s hospitable heritage. The Bulgarian language and Cyrillic alphabet still prosper, resisting tourism’s penchant for English internationalism, which is not widely spoken outside of restaurants, shops and hotels.

About the destination: Plovdiv is the second-largest city in Bulgaria after the capital Sofia. It is the administrative center of Plovdiv Province and the municipalities of the City of Plovdiv, Maritsa municipality, and Rodopi municipality. It is an important economic, transport, cultural, and educational center, as well as the second-largest city in the historical international region of Thrace after Istanbul. The old Plovdiv is compact and walkable, with the main downtown road blocked to car traffic. There is a good collection of Bulgarian revival buildings in use as museums, hotels, and restaurants etc. and is worth a visit if you have chance. The nearby Roman Amphitheater is part of the pedestrian zone, and typically has merchants selling art and other items nearby. Wander the cobblestone streets near the downtown to find the centuries old St. Marina church with a unique wooden tower, a mosque from the Ottoman Empire, and on the nearby hill the old town center. The old town center was walled, and has a famous gateway entrance. In the new center of the city, you will find the Roman stadium which dates back to the late 1st/early 2nd century. When you go to the other end of the predestrian street, next to the Tourist Information Center and the post office, you will see the Roman Odeon and Forum.

About the destination: Varna is the largest city and seaside resort on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast and the third largest city in Bulgaria. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous province and Varna Municipality and the tenth-largest city in the Balkans. It is also the fourth largest city on the Black Sea. MAIN TOURIST ATTRACTION • Varna Archaeological Museum. They now compose the Museum exhibition monuments of past epochs from Varna, the Region and Northeast Bulgaria. The museum also manages two open-air archaeological sites, the large Roman baths in the city centre and the medieval grotto of Aladzha Monastery at Golden Sands Nature Park. • Naval Museum one of the symbols of Varna. Situated in the southern part of the sea garden.The most valuable exhibit is the destroyer ""Drazki"" placed there in 1957, known for torpedoing the Turkish cruiser ""Hamidie"" on November 12, 1912 during Balkan war. • Museum of Ethnography The exposition of the Ethnographic Museum is situated in a revival house of so-called ""symmetrical type houses"" built in 1860 and shows the rich diversity in culture and lifestyle of the population of Varna end of the second half of the XIX and early XX century. • Battle of Varna Park Museum ""Varnenchik"" is memorial complex located in a unique park. Located in the western part of Varna at the battlefield place where in the name of liberation of the Balkans. • The Sea Garden is the oldest and perhaps largest park.It is associated with the name of the Czech Anton Novak. There is a long alley of the Bulgarian revival with busts of the most honorable figures of the era. Perfect place for a pleasant walk. It contains also zoo and terrarium. • Varna Aquarium The aquarium's exhibition focuses on the Black Sea's flora and fauna which includes over 140 fish species, but also features freshwater fish, Mediterranean fish, exotic species from faraway areas of the World Ocean, mussels and algae. • Varna Dolphinarium the only dolphinarium on the Balkan Peninsula, one of the most entertaining attractions of city. • Nicolaus Copernicus Observatory and Planetarium.

About the destination: Sozopol is a town on the Black Sea Coast of Bulgaria. The city is one of the oldest on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast and one of the country’s most popular seaside resorts. The romantic atmosphere of the city’s beautiful old town attracts visitors from all over the world and the Sozopol’s Old Town was declared a museum-reserve by Ministerial Decree in1974.