Bulgaria

Situated on the Balkan Peninsula, Bulgaria has borders with Romania to the north, much of it denoted by the River Danube; Greece and Turkey to the south-east, and Macedonia and Serbia, to the west. To the east Bulgaria is flanked by the Black sea. A total of 380km of coastline offers everything from rugged secluded beaches to fully developed, highly commercialized resorts, such as Golden Sands. Add to that Bulgaria’s mountain ranges: the Balkans (locally known as Stara Planina) run out centrally across the country; the Rila with Mussala, 2925m, the highest peak of the region), Pirin and Rodope ranges, with their charming mountain/ski resort and unspolit national parks, and it is easy to recognize the potential of this country for year-round recreation. A lot of work and investment is required to capitalize on the assets, rather than just exploiting them.

Area: 111 000 sq km
Population: 7 679 000
Capital: Sofia (1 260 954 citizens)
Principal cities: Plovdiv (376501), Varna (349416), Bourgas (203797), Rousse (167715)
Post code: BG
Tel code: 00359

Distance between some of the principal cities:
Distance Sofia - Varna: 377.16 km
Distance Cofia - Burgas: 341.754 km
Distance Sofia - Plovdiv: 131.714 km
Distance Sofia - Rousse: 251.338 km

Regions in Bulgaria: 28
Number of municipalities: 264
Number of towns: 250
Number of villages: 5080

Bulgaria is a cradle and crossroads of ancient civilizations. Thracians, Romans, Slavs and Bulgars have left their mark in the past on the culture of Bulgaria contributing to a heritage that combines long history, fine literature and unique folklore. Bulgaria is the birthplace of the Cyrillic alphabet, which was developed in Preslav and Ohrid Literary Schools during the tenth century. More than 200 million people from different countries today use the developed version of the Cyrillic alphabet, which by 1 January 2007 with Bulgaria’s accession to the European Union become its official alphabet.

Bulgaria’s climate is temperate continental with some Mediterranian influance.There are four distinct seasons and on the whole the weather is easily and accurately predicted.

The biggest barrier faced by all visitors to Bulgaria is the language, and the Cyrillic alphabet in particular.In tourist resorts and in the cities you will find most signs and menus have translations and that the service staff speak foreign languages, but in the countryside you may find that people in the streets do not understand your questions. If you are staying for any period of time it is worth trying to grasp the language, and the alphabet at least. Bulgarian is a South Slavonic language, along with Serbo-Croat and Slovenian, though if you have knowledge of any Slavonic language you will recognize the roots of many words.

Bulgaria celebrated its accession to EU at the beginning of April 2007. Bulgaria is to set to receive 3.6 billion euro in aid from the EU in the first 3 years after joining the EU.

It is still best to arrive in Bulgaria with pre booked accommodation, as it is often cheaper than booking the same accommodation locally.There have been major developments in the availability of modern, clean and well-run private hotels througout the country-in particular popular tourist destinations. Hotels in the major resorts catering to tour operators have also nearly all completed renovation. Sofia itself has an excellent range of accommodation on offer:from the well known five star brand hotels such as Hilton, Kempinski, Sheraton, and Radisson SAS, to smaller, privately owned hotels, and fully serviced rental apartment buildings.

Sofia is the country’s main international airport operating all year round. Sofia Airport is an ongoing phase of modernization since 2000, but the improvements already made to both the departure and arrivals terminal make a huge difference.

Bulgaria has so far not really been thought of as a backpacker destination, although it is by all means possible to travel the country on a budget. There are private bus companies operating regular services between all the major cities.

Parking has become a headache in larger towns and cities, especially in Sofia. In the city centre there are many guarded car parks, both private and municipal. Elsewhere the city centre is designated a blue parking zone, where vouchers must be validated and displayed in the car window or you must send on SMS to number 1302.

Bulgaria, a country with a historical and cultural heritage, and attractive natural landscapes, is one of the most visited tourist destinations in Europe. In 2007 Bulgaria was visited by 5.2 million tourists, measured as outlined by the World Tourism Organization. In 2008 Bulgaria was visited by more than 6 million visitors. The country has historical cities and towns, summer beaches, and mountain ski resorts. New types of tourism, including cultural, architectural and historic tours, eco-tourism, and adventure tours, expand the range of services available to visitors.

Here is an overview of the best ski resorts Bulgaria has to offer.

Just over an hour from Sofia lies Bulgaria’s oldest and, recently, most developed ski resort. Borovets offers 1 cabin lift; 3 chair lifts; 10 drag plus several baby drag. There is variety of sky runs and gread apres ski.

In resent years there has been a big push to develop the area, and the effect is dramatic.People who skied last winter in Bansko could not believe they were in Bulgaria.The resort has the most modern facilities, including a new cabin lift, 3 new chair lifts, 5 drag lifts.

Beautifully tucked away among the pine forest, the heart of the resort is relatively compact with a dozen or so hotels blending into the natural surroundings. Pamporovo’s gentle sunny slopes are ideal for beginners or families with small children. There are 5 chair lifts, 4 drag, 4 baby drag.

Few capitals the world over can boast over 22km of marked runs within half an hour’s access from the city centre. Large open slopes below Cherni Vrah (the Black Peak) offers runs suitable for skiers of all abilities, including two runs approved for international competitions.

The best known resort,with the biggest number of entertainment spots and sports facilities, suitable for all ages.A paradise for children and restful holiday for parents. It has been awarded the prestigious Blue Flag international ecology prize several times.

A holiday oasis with vast beaches, a clean sea and informal atmosphere, appealing to young people, situated in a picturesque bay on the Black Sea coast, 30 km from the city of Varna. A host of different catering establishments, excellent sports possibilities, children’s amusement park, varied cultural program.

The biggest resort, with the longest and widest beach strip,with hotels spread along the beach and among the dunes,the sunniest resort for the sunniest tourists-the children.Lies only 35km away from the city of Bourgas. 1,700 hours of sunshine from may to October plenty of ozone and ultraviolet rays, along with fresh breeze.

A vacation club village, an enchanting world for relaxation, sports and entertainment.Located 90 km from the city of Varna and 40 km from the resort of Albena,situated admidst an old oak forest in exotic “Birds Bay” Roussalka is the perfect blend of unspolit nature and original architecture.

If possible, you should get someone at your place to work to sort out all these legalities for you.The passport office is at 48 Maria Luiza Blvd There is a special EU counter with a helpful girl that speaks English.Worth nothing is that you can apply for a “lichna karta” without first having had a long term visa (3 month) issued outside Bulgaria.

You may apply for one of these if you have been granted official permission to work in Bulgaria. If you set up a company in Bulgaria you are also entitled to a residence permit. Anyone here on their own steam, or intending to work freelance, will find it impossible to get a permit and may end up leaving the country every 30 days in order to automatically renew their visa.

You may apply for one of these if you live long term in Bulgaria. Holders of a long term residence permit are also expected to exchange their driving licences for a Bulgarian one, and there has been some talk recently about applicants having to take a ‘Bulgarian Proficiency Test (not yet implemented).

This should in theory not be too difficult as there is an abundance of accommodation available for rent . The problem is finding something that will feel like home away from home. There are several areas popular with the ex-pat community and the first decision you will need to make is whether to live in town or in the suburbs. Accommodation in town will usually be in apartments, either in modern purpose built blocks or in some of the older grander buildings. Popular residential areas in Sofia include Iztok, Lozenets and Doctor’s Garden. Out of town accommodation is usually in new villas with all sorts of extras, including pool and sauna (depending on your budget). The air is cleaner here and most villas have reasonably sized gardens making it the better choice for families with small children.Popular areas include: Boyana, Dragalevtsi, Simeonovo, Bistritsa, Pancharevo and Gorna Banya.The city centre is generally a 20-30 minute drive from these areas.

Most properties available for rent offer some form of security. Alternatives to alarms include living in secure compounds, hiring a guard, or keeping a guard dog.

Many homes come partially furnished or unfurnished. Most typically foreigners complain about badly equipped kitchen. A compromise can often be reached with landlords to foot part of the bill for a proper fitted kitchen. There are plenty of shops with suitable furniture. There are an increasing number of good Bulgarian manufactures for fitted kitchen and stylish bedroom and lounge furniture, which is usually made to order, according to your designs.

Home help is affordable and easy to find in Sofia.Highly qualified academics take on jobs, cleaning and baby-sitting because they are better paid than their profession .