بلغاريا

Eat

alt=|thumb|Shopska salad Bulgarian cuisine is representative of the Balkans and Southeastern Europe. The relatively warm climate and diverse geography produce excellent growth conditions for a variety of vegetables, beans, herbs and fruits. It has some Turkish and Greek influences (such as moussaka, gyuvetch, and baklava) as well.

Bulgarian cuisine is famous for its rich salads at every meal, for the diversity and quality of dairy products and the variety of wines and local alcoholic drinks. It features a diversity of hot and cold soups, and numerous main dishes featuring locally grown vegetables.

Most dishes are oven baked, steamed, or in the form of stew. Grilling - especially different kinds of meats - is common. Pork meat is the most common meat in the Bulgarian cuisine. Fish and chicken are widely eaten, while beef is less common.

A traditional meal starts with a salad of choice and some strong alcoholic beverage. Bulgarians like to drink wine or beer with the main dish continuing with the chosen drink by the end of the meal. This is why in most restaurants a salad is considered to be the best combination for strong alcoholic drinks. The meat appetizers that are typically served after the main dish are not to be missed out on.

Restaurants serving international cuisine have a presence in the country, offering various options such as Chinese, French and Italian.

Sleep

Finding accommodation in Bulgaria is very easy, for any price. You can find everything, from hostels in Sofia and Plovdiv, very cheap boarding houses along the coast to inexpensive hotels in all cities and luxury hotels in large cities. There are many "mountain huts" or villas available for rent all around the mountains in the country. Overnight accommodations can also be acquired at about a dozen of the monasteries. There are also plenty of guest houses and villas. Bulgaria is famous for offering quality budget accommodation for rural and ecological tourism in charming small towns in its mountains as well as at the seaside.

In general, reserve online to get the best prices. In some of the coastal villages, elderly ladies often approach tourists disembarking from coaches and trains, offering accommodation in boarding houses. These can often be excellent value for money and can offer an authentic experience, however check these out before you agree on a stay.

Respect

thumb|Bulgarian folk dancers and musicians Bulgarians are incredibly friendly and very interested in talking to foreigners. Bulgarians tend to be far more open than some other Eastern Europeans and engaging in dialogue with these people is much advised and worthwhile.

In smaller towns, especially in the Rhodopes, people may invite you for lunch, dinner or even to sleep over. It is a pleasant gesture to give someone a "dobar den" when walking past a quiet stall or past a person. "Kak ste" (how's it going) will usually suffice for the younger generation. However, Bulgarians don't really do chit chat, so trying to make conversation with someone at a till in a shop will probably result in odd looks (either from not understanding or not wanting to engage) or they will just ignore you.

Do not refer to the Bulgarian alphabet as the "Russian alphabet". Bulgarian was the first language to adopt the Cyrillic alphabet, which would later be adopted by other Slavic languages like Russian and Serbian, and Bulgarians are fiercely proud of this fact.

Most Bulgarians do not feel anger or resentment towards Russians (unlike people from most other former Eastern Bloc countries), and Bulgarians tend to have a much better perception of Russians than most other Europeans. Indeed, Bulgarians are largely grateful to the Russian Empire for liberating them from Ottoman rule, and you will often see Russian flags being waved at Liberation Day parades.

On the other hand, many Bulgarians do feel resen…

Connect

There are three networks (A1, Yettel and Vivacom), all using the GSM/4G/3G/HDSPA standards. 5G coverage is being expanded; as of the beginning of 2023, most larger cities are covered. Phone service has almost full national coverage, with minor exceptions in the highest and the most remote parts of the mountains.

Free WiFi access is often available in public places such as libraries and in gas stations. Many pubs and hotels will also have free WiFi. Internet cafes are mostly a thing of the past; some of the few places that still provide to the public computers with internet access are the regional public libraries in the larger cities.

Go next

If you plan on staying in the region for long, why not pay a visit to some of Bulgaria’s neighbouring nations? Romania Serbia North Macedonia Greece Turkey