8/10/2019 Eastern Europe Bulgaria v1 m56577569830516522
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Lonely Planet Publications
Hurry. Eastern Europes last stop to the south, Bulgaria, is
changing fast. Now part of the EU and
with New Bulgarians (aka middle-aged Brits) buying up beach and
mountain villas, Bulgaria is
having a change-forever moment. Its big four bustling modern
capital Sofia, laid-back hill
town Veliko Trnovo, lively Black Sea city Varna, and cobbled
Roman-rooted Plovdiv dominate
most itineraries. Theyre worthy, but its worth digging deeper,
where youll find whitewashed
gingerbread taverns to bunk in, old guys whispering baby goats
to sleep on trains, locals brag-
ging about hangover-free wine and hikes to huts on Alp-like
peaks with ski runs weaving down
them. Bulgarias reputation as a budget ski and beach destination
is starting to wear out: itschief beach resort, Sunny Beach, has
three times the hotel capacity than its beach can fit. Once
a quiet ski base, Bansko is building itself up to make a case
for the 2014 Winter Olympics.
All is far, far from lost though. DIY explorations through the
culturally rich Stara Planina or
Rodopi Mountains take in traditional villages including some
Turkish ones where Bulgarian
phrases are met with confused shrugs. Strong links to Bulgarias
distant history are being
uncovered with gusto, as just-discovered Thracian sites
particularly around Kazanlk are
opening to visitors. Up in Belogradchik, medieval walls surround
animated bluffs so lifelike
you wonder if Medusa had her way with a tea party of giants.
Many visitors use guides such as this one to check the Bulgaria
box with a couple of
days in Sofia, then move on. Its kinda sad but all the better
for those capitalising on
areas that see fewer folk.
Bulgaria
FAST FACTS
Area110,910 sq km
Capital Sofia
Currencyleva (lv); A$1 = 1.20; 1 = 1.96lv; 100= 1.39; NZ$1 =
1.07; UK1 = 2.85lv; US$1 = 1.64lv
Famous forBlack Sea beaches, monasteries,
yogurt
Official LanguageBulgarian
Phrases zdrasti (hello), blagodarya (thank you),
imati li? (do you have?), kolko struva? (how
much?), oshte bira molya (another beer please)
Population 8 million
Telephone Codescountry code%359;international access code%00
Visano visa required for citizens of Australia,
Canada, the EU, New Zealand, USA and several
other nations; see p186 for details
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