Entertainment and attractions in Bulgaria
Multifaceted Bulgaria is ready to surprise even the most inveterate traveler with its sights – natural resources will reveal to you the incredible beauty of mountains, lakes, vineyards and pink valleys, national parks and forests, architectural monuments will tell you about different eras – from the Byzantines and Romans to the struggle for independence from the Ottoman Empire, and impressive temples and churches will not leave indifferent even a non-religious person.
Active entertainment
Fans of water entertainment, in addition to the warm Black Sea, should appreciate the country’s main water parks. Aqualand is located in the center of Bulgaria, on the outskirts of the Lauta Park in Plovdiv, a good option for those who devote their holidays to urban tourism. The rest are scattered along the coast: the relatively small Aqua planet in Primorsko, the very impressive Aqua Paradise in Nessebar and Action in Sunny Beach, surrounded by greenery Aquapolis in Golden Sands and Aquamania in the resort town of Albena. Water parks are open from late May to mid-September.
Sofia has an interesting extreme adventure park Kokolandia and the oldest zoo in Bulgaria, and in the vicinity of Varna there is the country’s largest family theme park Happy Land.
Architectural monuments
Majestic monasteries and grandiose temples, Byzantine architecture, the ruins of ancient Roman fortresses, Ottoman mosques – fans of contemplative and historical tourism can only complain that the most interesting places are scattered throughout Bulgaria and they are not always located in cities. Of course, you can explore Sofia for a long time and with pleasure – visit the ancient Thracian fortress Serdika, the main cathedral of Bulgaria and the Banya-Bashi mosque – one of the oldest in Europe. And do not forget to look around – this city is literally filled with antiquity. In Golden Sands visit the rock monastery Aladzha, in Plovdiv – the ruins of the Roman theater, in the Rila Mountains – the Rila Monastery; Also of interest are cave churches near Ivanovo, Thracian tombs in Sveshtari or Kazanlak, Roman baths in Varna and do not forget about the museum city of Nessebar and the place of military glory – Shipka Pass.
In order to please tourists and add variety to their vacation, Bulgarian travel agencies began to organize excursions to Istanbul, and you can go to this Turkish city from any resort in Bulgaria.
Monuments of nature
A third of Bulgaria is covered with forests, there are many beautiful mountains and lakes in the country, united in natural and national parks. See other countries beginning with B. The largest of them are Pirin and Rila. Here, travelers are waiting for eco-routes through protected areas, mineral and thermal springs, clean air, high-quality ski slopes. In the Burgas Bay there is one of the few islands of the Black Sea – the island of St. Anastasia, in the vicinity of the city itself – a number of interesting lakes of Burgas. While in Varna, visit the mystical Stone Forest and Lake Varna, and the town of Kazanlak is worth a visit at least for the Rose Valley.
Museums
Fans of museum trips are advised to visit the Black Sea Museum and the Archaeological Museum in Varna, get acquainted with the life of the Bulgarians in the Ethnographic Museum in Burgas, here in the Art Gallery there is a unique collection of Strandzha icons. Of course, you will find many interesting places in the capital, for example, the largest Historical Museum in the Balkans and the main collection of culture and art in Bulgaria – the National Art Gallery.
Read more about the routes, beauties and types of excursion programs around the country on the excursions page in Bulgaria.
Holidays and events
Holidays in Bulgaria are celebrated with soul – bright, tasty and intoxicating, carefully preserving folk traditions and rituals. For example, on March 1 in the Bulgarian calendar, the analogue of our Maslenitsa is Baba Marta, everyone gives each other martenitsa amulets. This day is compared in popularity with the New Year or Christmas – Kolyada in the local way. May 21 – Rose Festival with its own beauty contest. May 24 is widely celebrated as the Day of Bulgarian Enlightenment, Culture and Slavic Literature, accompanied by numerous concerts and processions. November 1 is celebrated everywhere as the Day of National Awakeners – also an educational and cultural holiday.
Tasty holidays
On February 14, local residents, no, do not give “valentines”, but celebrate the day of cutting the vine – the holiday of winegrowers Tryfon Zarezan. Naturally, one cannot do without an abundance of homemade wine and delicious food. In September Troyan hosts the Bulgarian Plum Festival. The program includes many cultural events, tables with treats and slivovitz. In Plovdiv, at the end of November, they organize a parade of young wine, already ripe by this time. The festival gathers tens of thousands of guests.
Bulgaria festival
In addition to folk holidays, Bulgaria is surprisingly rich in international cultural events; it attracts music, theatrical, dance, singing, poetry and art festivals and competitions like a magnet. Most of them take place in spring and summer: a whole series of festivals under the auspices of Euro Folk, the multi-genre Kazanlak Rose and Varna Summer, the Spirit of Burgas contemporary music festival, contests of Orthodox music and children’s art, folk costumes, films, cartoons and a lot others. Events take place in almost every major city or resort – be sure to ask about the topic before the trip, it will be really great to combine standard recreation and cultural education. Information about some events can be found on the website.
