84 Reasons To Love Bulgaria

Every time I travel abroad I realize how much I love Bulgaria. Our country is gorgeous! We often don’t see it, or take whatever we have for granted. We also like to compare ourselves to the others. And I know it’s easier to point out the bad things, but let’s do the opposite instead.

Let’s think about the good things that warm our Bulgarian hearts even when we are far away, and which impress the adventurous foreign travelers when visiting our country. Because… Bulgaria is gorgeous and here are 84 reasons to love it!

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84 reasons to love Bulgaria

1. Bulgarian women are crazy beautiful. They are often tall, with pale skin, dark hair, and blue or green eyes. More than once they have been ranked among the most (or THE MOST) beautiful in the world.

2. For that reason Bulgarian men are the luckiest 😉 They spend every day of their lives, being surrounded by the heavenly beauty of Bulgarian girls. 

3. We have one of the best internet speed in Europe. Last year Bulgaria ranked at the 20-th position in the global Net Index Explorer for broadband internet accessibility and speed.

4. Not only do we have fast internet, but there’s also free wi-fi everywhere. We like to be open!

5. Plovdiv, which is our second biggest city, is European capital of Culture 2019.

6. Well, well, well… and Wikipedia says Sofia is the most affordable European capital to visit. I think Wiki does not lie.

7. Bulgaria is well connected with the rest of the world and offers a lot of low-cost carrier options. For example, you can buy a two-way ticket Milan – Sofia just for €50.

I gotta tell you…

8. The rivers.

9. The lakes.

10. The caves.

11. The mountains.

12. The waterfalls.

13. The sea.

…are once in a lifetime (са веднъж!). Our nature is gorgeous and unspoiled. 

View over the small village of Lakatnik.
Krushuna waterfalls.
Vratchanski Balkan Natural Park.
The cliffs of Cherepish.

14. We have four clearly defined seasons unlike many other countries.

15. “Gypsy Summer”! That’s what we call it when the summer continues throughout September (and possibly October). It’s our fifth season and everybody loves it.

16. You can see dolphins in the sea.

17. You can go to a concert in a cave! What I am trying to say here is that there is something for everyone’s taste.

18. Sunny beach is one of the top summer party destinations in Europe.

19. At the same time we have some unique untouched beaches along the Black sea coast where you can go camping and stay in touch with nature.

The Black Sea at Tsarevo, a town and seaside resort in southeastern Bulgaria.
Camp site Arapia, situated in the southern part of the Black sea coastline.
Arapia, Bulgaria.
The wild Karadere beach. Karadere has unique natural offerings—the fine sand, the clean sea water, the fresh air, the sunny weather, the spring water, the mud baths and even the opportunity to spot a dolphin in the bay. It is one of very few places on the Bulgarian coast still permitting free camping.
Meeting the sun on a July morning at Black Sea coast.

20. Our tomatoes taste like tomatoes. Every Bulgarian who has lived abroad knows the craving for a real Bulgarian tomato. We even have a saying: “Home is where tomatoes taste like tomatoes.”

21. Bulgarian yogurt (Japanese understand us on that one). It’s one of our secrets to living a long life, but shh.

22. The Tarator. It’s a typical Bulgarian cold yogurt-cucumber soup. I know it sounds strange, but if you feel brave enough  to try it, here’s how you can make it yourself: Tarator – cold soup for hot days!

23. Our food is real, no GMO. We still naturally grow veggies and fruits.

24. We even do our own food preservation. Pickles, tomatoes, paprika-we put all sorts of vegetables in jars to use during the winter. This way we have a healthy alternative to the full of preservatives jars from the store.

25. Chubrica. It’s a spice made of a variety of dried Bulgarian herbs which we like to put in almost every dish. If your whole life you’ve felt like there has been a spice missing in your dish, that’s it!

26. You probably have already tried Italian, French and Greek cuisine and if you like them, you should definitely give Bulgarian also a try! It’s the hidden gem among the Southern European cuisine(s). 

27. Wine, wine & wine! We ❤ wine and we are also one of the biggest wine-producing countries in Europe.

28. Homemade wine and rakia. Every Bulgarian knows the feeling when the whole family gathers in the sunny countryside at the end of summer in order to turn the freshly picked fruits into rakia and wine to warm our hearts during the winter.

29. Homemade or not, drinks in Bulgaria are extremely cheap when compared to other countries. The cost of one beer is around 2.50 leva (€1.25) in a regular bar.

30. You are allowed to drink in parks. (Actually you are not, but everybody does it).

31. Bulgarians, like true Balkan people, know how to drink and party. You won’t find us wasted at 10 pm. When we drink, we’re immortal!

Jam and other fruit preserve.
Squat shop.
Homemade Bulgarian pretzel.
Raspberries just picked up from the garden.
Tarator, a typical Bulgarian cold yogurt-cucumber soup.

32. There are water fountains all over. Meaning, free water everywhere. In some cities we even have actual mineral water source points, so you don’t have to buy bottled mineral water, but instead you could fill your own bottles anytime and as much you want!

33. We have many 24 hours shops. So if you need condoms, cigarettes or just food in the middle of the night, you don’t have to go across the whole city to get some.

34. Stores and supermarkets don’t close on Sundays!!!

35. You could buy homemade pretzels for breakfast on your way to work in the metro or at bus stops. There are lots of nice old ladies who make a living by taking their time to get up early and prepare those tasty pastries, which they sell to you always with a smile and a kind word. They are also really cheap- only 60 stotinki (30 cents).

36. Dear shopaholics, we have the most malls per capita. There are more than 10 malls in Sofia alone!

37. The unique squat shops. It’s a nice tiny exercise every time you need to buy cigarettes, something sweet or a Cola. (If you can’t possibly imagine what that is, look at the pictures above and figure it out.)

38. We have a lot of markets out in the open. Flower markets, flea markets, veggies & fruit markets, country markets… You could buy almost anything and on always on a lower price. They also have kind of an exotic atmosphere which you could only find in the Orient countries.

The Flower_market

39. Traveling inside the country is cheap. No matter if you travel by train, by bus, or by car. I only don’t know what the case with boats is.

40. Even taxis are cheap. You can take a taxi from the airport to the city center of Sofia (12km) for 15 lv. (€7).

41. We have one of the nicest subways in Europe, which speaks in English with a pretty awesome accent.

42. Did I tell you how much the ticket for the public transport is? It costs just 1 lev (€0.50).

43. There is a variety of means of transport. It’s not that uncommon to see some old-fashioned pal using a horse to pull his cart. Even our park police uses big beautiful horses in order to patrol a larger territory.

44. Distances are not big. Only for 4 hours you can travel from the capital to the seaside, which are on opposite ends of the country. Or you can take a plane and be there in 45 min.

45. You will have to learn the Cyrillic alphabet since the majority of signs are written… well, in Cyrillic letters. Bulgarian officials are not very fond of translating useful street information. But what the heck, the Cyrillic alphabet is one of the three official European alphabets, so it would be nice to learn it.

46. You could enjoy amazing sceneries while traveling inside the country. Fields of sunflowers, small villages, high mountain peaks…

Bunovo, Bulgaria.
The railway station in Cherepish.
Traveling along Trakia motorway, which connects the capital Sofia and the city of Burgas on the Black sea coast.

47. If you are a fan of the green, Bulgaria is the destination for you! Nearly one third the country is covered in forests. ❤

48. You could chill anyway and anytime you want. You can even bring your own hammock to one of the city parks and hang it wherever you want.

49. If you are an animal lover, you would enjoy the rich fauna we have in our cities. Our “strays”are friendly and sociable and you could always make a four-pawed friend, which will remember if you were kind to it and greet you everytime it sees you.

50. For us balconies are not just a place to dry our clothes. We like to arrange them with flowers, put out some chairs and a table, and thus turning them into little heavenly gardens where we can enjoy our morning coffee or warm evenings with friends.

51. The famous Bulgarian rose oil. It is used for making some of the world’s most popular and expensive perfumes and cosmetics.

52. The healing qualities of our mineral springs. They have been known for ages and are used for balneotherapy. It’s also not expensive to visit them, as you may suspect.

53. Therefore the SPA and wellness tourism in Bulgaria is affordable and awesome.

54. There are unique folklore festivals held in the mountains where you can learn more about our culture and traditions. You probably don’t know, but the Bulgarian nation has one of the richest folk heritage in the world. Click here to see the top 10 traditional festivals held in Bulgaria according to the travel blogger David’s been here.

55. We have our own specific bagpipe. The Bulgarian bagpipe is called the kaba gaida which is larger and with a lower pitch than the gaidas of other southeastern European countries. It will give you the chills (in a good sense) when you hear it.

56. Chalga music! (Sadly, you have all probably heard of Azis). Half of the Bulgarians love it, the other half hates it, but foreigners always do love it! It’s like a rule.

57. You should definitely experience the feeling of being completely lost in a “yes-no” conversation with a Bulgarian. We are the only country in the world where people shake their heads to mean yes and nod for no. You can also read 10 things Bulgarians always have to explain to foreigners to learn some other “weird stuff” about us.

58. Bulgarian grandmas ❤ They are like the wise men from the legends- they are really tough and appear to know everything!

59. Bulgarian families – that is an experience hard to explain to a foreigner! Bulgarian families are big. Reaaally big. I don’t even know all of the words we have for different family members. We value family a lot and if you are connected by blood with someone, even if he is a cousin of a cousin (of another cousin?!), he is family and you are connected.

60. We are rich in traditions, we are rich in history, we are rich in culture! You can never get bored, because one life is not nearly enough to explore Bulgaria!

61. We take our shoes off at the door of our homes.

62. Martenitsas. That thingy you can only see in Bulgaria. It’s a tradition for us to exchange those red and white threads on the 1st of March for health and luck. You could read more about it here.

63. July morning. The day before the 1st of July people from across the whole country travel (often hitchhiking) to Black Sea coast to meet the first sun rays on the first day of July. It’s an unique tradition, celebrated only in Bulgaria. You can read more about it here.

64. “Name Days” are celebrated in addition to birthdays and in many cases are even more valued. So, if you don’t like to celebrate that you are getting older, how would you like it to celebrate your name?

65. Villages like Leshten and Kovachevitsa will take you back in time with their authentic atmosphere and looks.

66. One of the biggest wealth in Bulgaria is the great number of monasteries situated over the unapproachable peaks or enclosed by mountains and surrounded by incredible nature.

67. Bulgaria ranks third in Europe for the number of it’s valuable archaeological monuments.

Martenitsas hanging on a blossoming tree, a symbol of approaching spring.
Family gathering.
The village of Leshten. It will impress you with it’s authentic Bulgarian architecture and atmosphere.
The Panagyurishte Treasure – one of the oldest gold treasures in the world dating back to the 4th century BC.

68. Sofia’s architecture is an interesting mixture of old architecture, concrete buildings and modern skyscrapers. Each part tells a different story and there is a lot to explore.

69. The capital Sofia is situated just 15 minutes away from a mountain – Vitosha Mountain. Most capitals may have rivers, but not us- we have a whole mountain!

70. If you live in Sofia you can go skiing, snowboarding, hiking, wandering, etc. at any time. Start the car and in 15 minutes you would escape the city jungle and be on the top of Vitosha mountain.

71. We have top-class ski resorts like Bansko where last year were held rounds of the Ski World Cup.

St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Sofia. The cathedral in one of the largest Eastern Orthodox cathedrals in the world.
The front facade of the National Theater in Sofia. One of the guys who was doing the renovations of the theater made a joke by making the little boy’s penis golden. After that he was fired. We love the humor though!
The beloved street “Shishman” in Sofia. We even have a saying for it: “Behind the tale of the Horse is Shishman and right there is, where the heart of Sofia is.”
National Theater “Ivan Vazov” during the night.
View over one of Sofia’s neighborhoods with typical Soviet style apartment housing.

72. Bulgarians are quite lighthearted and easy going. “It doesn’t matter if we win or lose — either way, we are getting drunk.” Life shouldn’t be taken too seriously and this is kind of our credo. We don’t give up.

73. When we are out on the streets we don’t smile a lot and it’s possible that you could be feeling like walking in a city full of Grumpy cats. BUT when we gather with our friends and family, we are loud, happy and enthusiastic. It’s just that when we are seen in the hood we like to look bad, yo.

74. The dirty jokes. We are big on telling dirty jokes and are always kind enough to translate them to foreigners, making them blush.

75. Our sarcasm and cynicism are kind of charming. We like to make fun of ourselves.

76. Enjoying coffee for hours. Bulgarians love drinking coffee, but nothing like the Italians who have it as a shot… we sit, we talk, we chill.

77. A top outsourcing destination. A lot of call centers which are perfect job placement for foreign citizens.

78. Bulgaria’s doctors and nurses are extremely well trained and deliver first class medical care despite the poor standard of their facilities.

79. We have an active street art scene, where many talanted people express themselves, while making the urban environment more colorful and enjoyable. You can visit the Facebook page of the artist from Destructive creation and see some great art pieces! Click here.

80. Bulgaria has certainly not sold out to the West and it’s an authentic country, where you can experience a totally different way of life.

81. No crowds of tourists. Bulgaria is still off the beaten track destination and you can feel like an explorer.

82. There are free tours of the biggest three cities in Bulgaria – Free Sofia Tou, Free Plovdiv Tour and Free Tour Varna. The tour guides are great and you will learn quite interesting and funny facts about our country. We also recommend to Bulgarians to join the tour, you will be surprised how much you don’t know.

83. You could live like a king while visiting! We still have our own currency which is called “lev”(лев) and therefore everything’s cheaper compared to countries which have the Euro.

84. If you don’t have much ($$$), you can still live happily in Bulgaria. We are pretty good at making the most of… well, nothing and still be enjoying life. It’s a skill you can master here.

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❤

58 thoughts on “84 Reasons To Love Bulgaria”

  1. I’m convinced! This list is extremely comprehensive and covers everything you would want to know about Bulgaria! It’s funny, I JUST finished reading a blog post claiming Iceland had the most beautiful women in the world “per capita” (based on the amount of Miss Universe winners) and then read your opening point has a reason to love Bulgaria haha. I also find the saying about “home is where tomatoes taste like tomatoes” to be hilarious! Great post!

    Jessica
    The Bohemian Diaries
    http://www.thebohemiandiaries.com

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Hahaha, your comment made me laugh! Now you’ve inspired me to do a research on the amount of beautiful girls “per capita” we have! I think we can really beat Iceland on that, haha! Thank you for stopping by, Jessica! Don’t forget to try our delicious Bulgarian tomatoes if you visit!

      Liked by 1 person

    1. You are totally right about our pessimism… When I lived in Portugal I was amazed how people there didn’t really have more than us, but they were happy! They were not complaining about what they have… They were always looking at the bright side. Even when not having money, they would say: “Well, it’s ok. We have the ocean and we have sun…” If we could only be a bit more like them, haha! I am really glad you liked the list!

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  4. This is really, really fantastic and I’m being totally sincere when I say I think you may have convinced me to plan a trip to Bulgaria in late 2016! I love what I’ve seen of the Balkans so far (Croatia and Bosnia) and I’m dying to go back for a more thorough tour of the peninsula.

    Did you know that Bulgaria is slowly becoming a popular destination for ‘digital nomads’ and people who work online? I keep reading about it on sites like Nomad List as being ideal for some of the reasons you mentioned here, particularly the low cost of everything and the great wifi speeds. I think your country is officially making its way onto the tourist map, and I hope Bulgaria will preserve its special beauty 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I am totally sincere that your comment really made me smile! 🙂 I think you would make one hell of a choice, if you really decided to visit! Bulgaria is the perfect budget destination… it’s like paying 1 euro for something that is worth 100… but let me not repeat myself by quoting some of the 84 reasons, haha. You are also totally right about the digital nomads. It’s one of the latest trends we are observing. There’s a lot of unused potential in this country, a loot to be discovered…

      Well Jakob, if you do come one day, do not hesitate to write us if you need any advice or something! We’ll be happy to help! 😉

      Liked by 1 person

  8. No, our country is more gorgeous. 🙂 I am sure they all have something special to offer. I haven’t been to Bulgaria but am planning to go. It looks like a nice budget destination. And close enough for a road trip.

    Liked by 1 person

  9. Which is your country? We can have some arguing here! Haha, I am just kidding. It’s always good when we appreciate and love our countries for the way they are. 🙂 Bulgaria is a perfect budget destination, you are right about that! 😉

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  14. I am Bulgarian and unfortunately am studying out of my country right now, but I love my country and always try to convince the people to visit our beautiful place.
    So guys..if you want to have an unforgettable and in the same time relatively cheap trip.. Bulgaria is your place.
    You will never regret about your choice!
    BULGARIA IS LOVE!

    Liked by 2 people

  16. I bought a house in Bulgaria over 10 years ago because I fell in love with the country.I visit as often as I can and each time its like going home even though Im English.I have some amazing friends there, Brits and Bulgarians alike.I cant wait to be out there in the Spring to see the beauty of the flowers and the sunsets.I love you Bulgaria xxx

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Hi, Jackie! Thank you for the kind words about Bulgaria. Your positive attitude is admirable!:)) By the way, today it was like 20 degrees here! So, Spring is on it’s way 😛 Greetings from us and from Sofia!

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    1. Hey Bruce! Thank you a lot for the very kind words you’ve shared on the reblog. I’m really glad that you enjoyed reading the post about Bulgaria and the fact that you seem to share the same love for our country!:)) I wish you to successfully plan your trip to Bulgaria and visit again soon! Greetings from Sofia!

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  24. Love your list and your sense of humor. “It doesn’t matter if we win or lose…” and “It’s just that when we are seen in the hood we like to look bad, yo.” gave me some good laughs. My wife and I were privileged enough to visit Bulgaria for too-short of a stay but I’m thankful our caring hosts introduced us to so much that is on your list including the tomotoes, rakia, cucumber soup, the rich history and culture, Bulgarian yogurt, rakia, beautiful outside markets, some standard yet confusing yes-so conversations, learning the Cyrillic alphabet, the countryside scenery, the warm living room conversations. One thing you didn’t mention but was certainly memorable to a foreigner was the topless adverts in public places including schools! We didn’t hear any dirty jokes so I guess we’ll have to come back!

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  29. If you were here and don’t heard everywhere ” f*ck your mother and f*ck me ” You actually weren’t here. But yes i’ve worked in Sunny Beach for 3 years and everybody i met , told me that they love Bulgaria. From our women/men to our cheap stuffs. And something that you forget to write is that we like to party , WE LOVE TO PARTY. And we know how to make every moment unforgetable.

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  32. been going to Bulgaria,for 10yrs now. it is the most Beautiful place in the world.the Bulgarian people that i have met have very little , but will share what they have got with you,and are very Friendly also .I love everthing about Bulgaria ,it is my Heaven !!

    Liked by 2 people

  33. Hey,
    It’s a nice token of appreciation to your lovely country.
    The trouble is, and you can see it all over the the ex socialist commonwealth, is that we’re all boasting localised variants of what is essentially Ottoman cuisine and beautiful girls as our greatest national treasures…
    Same story, in all of our economically raped, Orthodox Christian, little corrupt political hell-holes.
    Regards from the neighbourhod.

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  34. You forgot about the metalheads 😉 one of the few countries with a lot of old school metalheads 😀 pretty awesome to see 😀

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  35. My children are half Bulgarian (the good half) and I’ve been there probably a half dozen times. And yes, you are right, the women are beautiful! My first thought of Bulgaria was that anything can grow in the fertile land. My second impression was how quickly I was accepted as family. Obicham Bulgaria!

    Liked by 1 person

  36. I was in Bulgaria( Sofia and Plovdiv up to Za green mountains) for a summer school last year at Plovdiv University. Woouuu, 84 reasons you listed is just a summary. There is along more. Real fantastic and a Country with pretty humane people, history, nature and Lovely. I compare it to Costa Rica and Uganda my Country. Peace to you all.

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  38. I spent a year living in Nedelino in the Rhodope mountains in south-central Bulgaria. The tomatoes are so fresh and the chubrica spice is often in my dreams (I am almost out of what I took with me from my last visit). Definitely the nature is magnificent (the seven lakes hike is awesome) and the monastaries breathtaking (especially Rila), but the people are what keep me coming back. I was invited into people’s homes quite often and shared many a rakia over amazing food and meals that could last up to 7 hours. The people are warm and gracious, and I never felt threatened in all the time I lived there (now–the street dogs in general were good, but I was chased once by a pack of them so maybe a little threatened). I try to go back and visit every few years because the people and food make it a wonderful place! I highly recommend anyone reading this blog to plan a visit before it becomes even more discovered. You won’t regret it!

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  39. #85 – No chance of running into Nigel Farage!!

    Simply love everything in this post. I have signed up. Was just there in September – and last year. Will be happy to move from Los Angeles to Samokov, Burgas, or some small village.. but must learn the language first. (language of my father)

    The food here in LA is nothing in comparison – even when I try to cook, the ingredients are not as good, but I have been saying this for years, since I began my adult pilgrimages to BG in 2005. This year I brought back Chubitza, tons of rose oil face cream – so cheap – we are getting ripped off here in the US. Oh and salt from the Black Sea. My ‘sister’ and I made roast peppers on the outside fire in Samokov and she prepared them in sealed jars for me to bring home. Now they are all gone 😦

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  41. Great information. Very witty indeed. I am now motivated to learn Bulgarian and hopefully get a chance to visit or live in Bulgaria someday.

    Greetings from Baja California!

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  43. Most of these are lies! Sofia is durty and aweful place, I know it because I’m born here and I still trying to live here more than 30 years. I live in the center and believe me, the tourists must not see beggars with carrion flesh just metters away from the presidential residence.
    Sunny beach is Sodom and Gommor on earth but full with drunken English teenagers who gets drunk almost for free and vomit on the street! It’s a place made of concrete. Do you want that?
    And already there’s no untouched by hand beaches. Soon they will be the same as Sunny beach and also we got a law which ban you to put your tent on uninhabited beach…
    The true is that here we have some beautiful women (as in other places in the world) but ours are not fat as pigs and they put some make-up. The other true – here is cheap because people are poor. Poorer even than Albanians and Macedonians.
    I could say more and more the that’s makes me sad.
    But anyway, enjoy our beautiful and cheap girls at Sunny Beach!

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  44. Most of the points are true, but I agree with the last post, Sunny Beach is not a nice place excepting if you are a teenager looking for cheap alcohol and party… I would mention many other places in Bulgarian coast instead of Sunny Beach: Sozopol, Nessebar, and of course many much places inside the country as Koprivshtitza, Bozhentsi, Veliko Tarnovo, Arbanassi, Bansko and many many others, each of those villages and cities are a good reason to love Bulgaria!!!

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