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From the vibrant, bustling holiday resorts to the dynamic energy and culture of the city to the country's wonderfully preserved heritage sites, Bulgaria is full of surprises. Whether you're looking for cosmopolitan city chic, a place in the sun, a hideaway in the mountains, or a more laid-back village lifestyle, the choices are extensive, the options are available and the decisions are yours. With a controlled and steadily developing economy, membership of the eurozone on the horizon, rising income levels to look forward to over the next decade and a host of EU funded structural development programmes in place, the Bulgarian success story is evolving daily. Blend all of that with a rich
and mysterious cultural heritage, a wealth and diversity of nature that simply
takes the breath away and a rural tranquility hard to find anywhere else in Europe
and you have a sense of what makes Bulgaria such an extremely attractive Balkan Here we offer an at-a-glance view of some of the key facts about Bulgaria - but, in truth, the only way to know this fascinating country is to pay her a visit ... Bulgaria is open to the world. |
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| Formal Title | The Republic of Bulgaria | ||
| Territory | 110993 square km | ||
| Population | Bulgaria has a population of approximately 7.5 million, with some 1.4 million living in the capital, Sofia | ||
| Language | Bulgarian is the official language and the Cyrillic alphabet is used. Turkish and Macedonian are amongst the minority languages. English, German, French and Russian are spoken in major tourist resorts and hotels. | ||
| Time | GMT +2 hours | ||
| Holidays |
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| Currency | Bulgaria's national currency is the Lev (BGN). 1 Lev = 100 stotinki. The current exchange rate is fixed at 1 euro = 1.955 Lev and floating at approximately £1 sterling = 2.15 Lev. Notes are in denominations of BGN 50, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1. Coins are in denominations of 50, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1 stotinki. | ||
| Capital | Sofia - the capital of Bulgaria boasts a large orthodox church, a synagogue and a mosque, all on the same square. This cultural coexistence reflects the genuine and deep respect Bulgarians have for their history of various cultural influences. The motto of Sofia is 'Ever growing, never old' | ||
| Government | Bulgaria has been a Democratic Republic since 1990. Formerly, it was part of the Ottoman Empire for around 500 years and then a satellite of the former Soviet Union for nearly half a century. Following the end of the Soviet regime, 1989 marked the beginning of major democratic change in Bulgaria and the re-introduction of the parliamentary party system. In 1990 Zhelyu Zhelev became the first democratically elected President and in 1991 a new constitution was adopted. Privatisation and the process of land restitution followed and the country began to integrate into western alliances when it became a NATO member in March 2004. After joining NATO, the key priority in Bulgaria's foreign policy was to become part of the European Union, which was achieved with the signing of the Accession Treaty in April 2005 and full EU membership from 1st January 2007 | ||
| Religion | The majority of the population are Christian, the main denomination being Bulgarian Orthodox Church. Eastern Orthodox Christianity is considered to be the traditional religion in Bulgaria. There is also a significant Muslim minority (9 per cent) and small Roman Catholic and Jewish communities | ||
| Geography | Bulgaria is situated in Eastern Europe and bounded to the north by the River Danube and Romania, to the east by the Black Sea, to the south by Turkey and Greece and to the west by Serbia and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. The Balkan Mountains cross the country reaching to the edge of the Black Sea and its golden beaches. The land is heavily cultivated, covered with forests and crossed by rivers. | ||
| Climate | Bulgaria is a year-round destination, enjoying four distinct seasons: a blooming spring, a typically Mediterranean summer, a long and pleasant autumn and a mild winter with lots of opportunity for skiing. Although Bulgaria lies in the very southeast corner of Europe the climate is never extreme in summer. There are more than 1,700 hours of sunshine, rainfall is low and the beaches are clean with eight EU blue flags. The Black Sea resorts have some of the largest beaches in Europe and offer sunbathing from May until October, while in winter heavy falls of snow are virtually guaranteed in the mountain ski resorts, which are amongst the best and most popular in Europe. Bulgaria's mountains and lakes offer clean air, endless outdoor pursuits and some fantastic landscapes. | ||
| Airports | Sofia is the country's main international airport operating all year round. Varna and Bourgas are used for domestic flights and, during the summer months, they handle international charter flights. Plovdiv is predominantly a seasonal airport and only operates international charter flights during the winter Sofia Airport - tel: +359 2 720672 Plovdiv Airport - tel: +359 32 551963 Varna Airport - tel: +359 52 500834 Bourgas Airport - tel: +359 56 34062 |
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| Visas | EU citizens do not require a visa in order to visit Bulgaria for a period of up to 90 days. During your stay, you can apply for a Long Stay Certificate for up to 5 years. This can usually be arranged within 24 hours provided that you are either employed or self-employed, following a recognised educational programme, or that you have sufficient funds to support yourself and your family | ||
| Driving | Visitors to Bulgaria may drive using their national licence as long as it complies with international standards. It is advisable, however, to carry an international license. There are petrol service stations along most major routes. Fuel in Bulgaria is lead free and available in the folowing octane levels: 92, 95 and 98. Diesel fuel is also widely available through the country. Road signs follow international standards. Under Bulgarian law seat belts must be worn by all passengers and mobile phones can only be used with hands-free sets. Speed limits for cars are 50 km/h (30mph) inside the city limits, 90 km/h (55mph) outside cities and 120 km/h (75mph) on motorways. Road assistance - 24 hour service | ||
| Telephones and Internet |
The country code for Bulgaria is: +359 and direct dialling to most countries is available, with digital cable trunk lines connecting switching centres in just about all areas of the country. There are many mobile operators and all mobile networks support roaming with other mobile operators around the world. Internet access is becoming more and more widespread, with internet cafes in all cities, towns and larger villages. While broadband networks are developing rapidly, ADSL and high-speed wireless access are the most common connection options. | ||
| Credit Cards | You can use your credit and debit cards in the bigger towns but still only in the larger shops. All the hotels and major petrol stations will accept cards but, in general, most other transactions are carried out in cash. You will find numerous banks and cash points in all the towns and they will accept most cards | ||
| Shopping | All the cities and large towns have the same spread of retail and leisure malls, DIY hypermarkets, and traditional supermarkets that you would expect to find anywhere in Europe. There are also chains of convenience sores (similar to SPAR) everywhere. The smaller towns and villages normally have well stocked local shops for all the essentials | ||
| Cost of Living | Bulgaria is probably best known for its low property prices but what may be less widely appreciated is that the cost of living here is less than half of that in the UK. While some items, such as petrol at around 1.99 BGN (Bulgarian Leva) or £0.95 a litre, are more expensive, direct price comparisons of non-imported food, clothing, electrical goods and furniture reflect around 40 to 45% of UK costs, with utility bills and municipal tax (council tax) at an even lower level. No matter how attractive the cost of living might be, though, it's not a good idea to come to Bulgaria without a source of income but, having said that, the fact is that many expats are pleasantly surprised at just how easy it is to live comfortably on a British pension or to find ways of generating an income to fund their new lifestyle. And in terms of accumulating cash rather than spending it, the banks offer a wide array of attractive savings account options. A typical fixed term account, for instance, would generate a return of around 8 to 9% a year on cash invested for two years, with even higher rates for longer term commitments. | ||
| Getting Here | Many international airlines operate regular flights to Bulgaria all year round. From the UK, British Airways, Air Bulgaria, Easyjet, Austrian Airways, WizzAir, Sky Europe, Alitalia and Lufthansa fly direct to Sofia. During the summer months, a number of major tour operators including Thomson, Airtours and First Choice offer charter holiday flights to Bulgaria and now that Bulgaria is a member of the EU, more and more air travel options are opening up. A number of European carriers fly direct to Varna and Burgas on the Black Sea, XL Airways have recently launched a new route from Ireland to Burgas and Ryanair have announced plans to fly into Plovdiv. The flight time to Bulgaria is about 3 hours from the UK. | ||
| Tourism | Bulgaria's natural landscape is full of surprises. It has endless, sandy beaches along the Black Sea, wild mountain ranges and lush green hills, fertile plains, magnificent gorges, rivers, health spas and natural springs. It is famous for long balmy Summers, dreamy scented rose fields, richly coloured orchards and sundrenched vineyards. Bulgaria is an intriguing experience for everyone: for those who love the warm southern sea or snow-covered slopes, for those who want to visit cultural and historic monuments, for young people fond of entertainment, for families with children, for the aged and people seeking relaxing spa treatments, for those who dream of carefree holidays ... Bulgaria is open to the world | ||
| History | The history of Bulgaria dates back more than 6000 years and the Bulgarian state has existed for 13 centuries on the Balkan Peninsula, which has long been a meeting place and a melting-pot for tribes and nations. After the conversion of Bulgaria to Christianity in 865 AD the country joined the Christian civilization. The invention of the Cyrillic script in the latter half of the ninth century, during an age when previously only Latin and Greek had been used to write, gave a powerful impetus to the country's cultural development. The War of Liberation (the Russian-Turkish War) regained Bulgaria's freedom in 1878. In 1879 the Constituent Assembly adopted the first constitution of Bulgaria, which was one of the most democratic constitutions of the day. The first decades of the 20th century were years of economic success and prosperity. Bulgarian goods and Bulgarian currency, called the 'Golden Lev', acquired a high value on the European markets. Trade relations with Austria, Germany, France and Great Britain strengthened. The peaceful end of Todor Zhivkov's regime in 1989 falls into the pattern of changes in Eastern Europe. Bulgaria took the road of a new democratic development, towards a free market economy | ||
| Culture | The dominant national culture is that of the ethnic Bulgarians but there is a mixrd sense of shared national culture among the three main ethnic groups. Turks usually do not self-identify as Bulgarians, whereas Gypsies often do. Nevertheless, since all citizens participate in national affairs, a shared political and socio-economic culture does exist, both shaped by and shaping the cultural practices of the constituent ethnic groups. The roots of Bulgarian culture spread much deeper than even most Bulgarians might imagine. The country has always been an important cross-roads connecting Europe with Asia, and Northern Europe with the Mediterranean. It was home at one time or another to the Thracians, the Greeks and the Romans, and their cultural heritage has continued to live long after them, as has the cultural grandeur of Byzantium and the exotic charm of Muslim art. The wealth of this heritage makes cultural traditions of present-day Bulgaria a unique phenomenon in a land where East meets West and keeps its traditions very much alive in many forms of music, dance, theatre, crafts and customs | ||
| Cuisine | The everyday diet is based largely on local, in-season products. Bread, an important staple, is often purchased rather than home baked. Dairy products are widely consumed, particularly yogurt and white-brined goat's cheese. Home-cooked lunches and dinners often include soups, salads, stews, grilled meats, or stuffed vegetables, while meals away from home may consist of foods such as bread, cheese, sausage, and vegetables. Banitsa is a popular pastry filled with cheese and eggs, pumpkin, rice, spinach, or leeks. For snacks and breakfast, it is accompanied by a grain-based drink, boza , or yogurt-based airan. Popular alcoholic beverages include: local and imported beers, rakiya, a potent fruit-based brandy, and wine. Many people can fruits and vegetables and make sauerkraut for winter when fresh produce is unavailable or unaffordable. Regional culinary variation reflects local environmental conditions, for example, fish along the sea, vegetables in the plains, and dairy products in mountain areas. Typical restaurant offerings are menus based around salads, soups, chicken, pork, beef and lamb meals, local specialities, pizzas and vegetarian options. Coffee bars, pubs, and sweet shops are popular meeting places for a drink, coffee, or snack. | ||
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