The Pearl of the Black Sea
Written: Dec 25 '06
|
Product Rating:
|
|
|
Pros: Great food, Accommodations, and Prices
Cons: Transportation
The Bottom Line: Bulgaria is a hidden treasure and well worth a visit.
|
|
|
| mgscmwa's Full Review: Bulgaria |
Recently I spent two weeks in Bulgaria traveling to several cities and seeing the beautiful Bulgarian countryside. Coming from the United States to Bulgaria was a long flight and trip, but I can assure you it was well work the travel and time. Having a friend that is from Bulgaria was a distinct advantage and made it possible for me to see most of the highlights of this mountainous and visually spectacular country. The best way to describe the benefits of traveling to Bulgaria is to take it city by city.
Sofia, Bulgaria:
Sofia, the current capital city of Bulgaria, was the first stop on my country wide journey. Sofia is a large urban center, but strangely enough still retains some of its historical past scenery, buildings, and coble stone streets. Though there are many of the sterile concrete apartment buildings that one might expect to see in a past communist Eastern European country, they are mixed in with the ancient structures, and the urban modern structures. The combination provides one with a unique and fascinating visual experience. The downtown area or “City Center” is a bustling area. The ultra modern buildings and shops are much like those one might find in any modern large city. A couple of historical sites in Sofia are Alexander Nevski Memorial Church and the Rotunda of St. George. The Alexander Nevski Memorial Church was built in 1912 and built and dedicated to the Bulgarian people in remembrance of the War of 1877-1878 when Bulgaria won its independence from the Ottoman Empire. The Church is spectacular with gold overlaid roofs, marble floors and walls, and stunning chandeliers, painted frescos, and icons. The Rotunda of St. George is a great example of the mixture of old and new in Sofia. The Rotunda of the St. George was built in 4th century and stands behind the current Sheraton Inn in Sofia’s City Center district. The Rotunda has some excellent restored medieval frescos and other Byzantine ruins on site.
Pomorie, Bulgaria:
Pomorie, located on the Black Sea, is generally a summer resort city in Bulgaria. The city is basically only up and running 100% during the months of May through September. It is a fascinating small city of about 15,000 residents and a summer population that swells to nearly 200,000. But Pomorie has several interesting sites to visit other than the Black Sea Coast. This region including Pomorie is well known for there healing mud treatments. There are several Resort Spa hotels that offer a full mud bath treatment experience. There is also a third century Tharcian Tomb located just outside the city of Pomorie. Pomorie is also the home of an ancient monastery and a special Salt Museum. Pomorie is also the home of Black Sea Gold, which manufactures many of Bulgaria’s fine “spirits” including Rakia, a strong alcoholic beverage created from Bulgarian grapes.
Veliko Turnovo, Bulgaria:
Veliko Turnovo is located in one of Bulgaria’s mountainous regions near the center of Bulgaria. Veliko Turnovo was the previous Bulgarian capital city. It is a large city with many modern conveniences but with a look of the old also. There is a beautiful old castle/cathedral located on top of one of the highest hills. One must walk up the long cobble stone walk-way to reach the castle. The view of the rest of the city from the top of the castle was amazing. It was truly a gorgeous site.
Ruse, Bulgaria:
Ruse is like most of Bulgaria’s larger cities, it is a modern city surrounded by beautiful old site, buildings, and streets. Walking through the narrow cobble stone streets immediately takes one back hundreds of years to a past we can only imagine. One of the most spectacular sites in Ruse is the Danube River. The Danube is a beautiful river and Ruse has a beautiful river walk-way one can use to see the Danube up close. It is a wonderful site to stand on one bank of the Danube in Bulgaria and stare across to the opposite bank and the country of Romania.
Sliven, Bulgaria:
Sliven is the home of one of Bulgaria’s National parks and home to many preserved homes, churches, and schools from the Renaissance. Sinite Kamani National Park is nestled in range of mountains and a preserve for many rare animal species in Bulgaria. One can reach the height of the mountains and gaze down into the clouds below. The views are breath taking from a 360 degree vantage point. It is a truly stunning site.
There are many other ancient cities and villages located in Bulgaria, some like Nessebur and Sozopol, I was lucky enough to see. The entire country is speckled with beautiful old cities and stunning mountain views.
Accommodations:
There are many of the familiar brand hotels available in Bulgaria including; The Sheraton, Hilton, and Best Western to name a few. I believe one will find that local hotels (perfectly willing to allow you too see and examine rooms prior to renting) to be your best bet both financially and for service. Locally owned hotels are very accommodating and most will always have some English speaking personnel available for assistance. I stayed at one local hotel in Sofia, and the cost for a small apartment room (separate bedroom, den area, balcony, and one bath) was approximately $50.00 USD per night. It was an excellent price, great location, and the service was wonderful. Check on the possibility of using local facilities on your trip to Bulgaria.
Restaurants and Food:
Bulgaria has most of the popular fast food American restaurants, none of which I frequented on my trip, and a host of local restaurants serving traditional cuisine. In Bulgaria chicken, fish, lamb, and pork are the main meats of choice. Beef is available but not used as often in traditional Bulgarian dishes. My suggestion is to not be afraid to experiment and try traditional dishes. Waiters are extremely pleasant and more than glad to explain dishes, ingredients, and even the way the dishes are prepared. Most of the dishes are what I would consider to be very hearty and the helpings are more than generous! Every restaurant was extremely reasonable. Eating was certainly not a major expense. There are several dishes or mainstays in the Bulgarian cuisine that you can remember to order. One is the National favorite, Shopska (Shopska Salata). Shopska is a local salad made from cucumbers, green and red peppers, onion, and tomatoes topped with Bulgarian white cheese (Sheep cheese and Bulgarian type of feta) and Olive Oil. It is delicious and I think I had it with every meal! Banitza (strudel with cheese and or spinach) is often served at breakfast time. Krenvirshka (hot dog like sausage baked in a flakey pastry) is a nice quick food. Sarma is the common name of a grape or cabbage leaf and the name of a popular Bulgarian food. Sarma is some type of meat, rice, peppers, and onions rolled in the leaf of a soaked cabbage and then baked. It is delicious. Dessert, be prepared for some of the best Baklava you have ever eaten. It might be obvious to some readers that Bulgarian cuisine is similar to Turkish and Greek Cuisines. You would be very correct. Turkish and Greek cultures are entwined with Bulgarian culture and there are many similarities.
Transportation:
Transportation in Bulgaria is a little mixed. In the larger cities, taxis were readily available and the cost was surprising very small. I would hesitate to suggest renting a vehicle because the roadways resembled a NASCAR track, and the fog is often terribly bad for driving. The train system in Bulgaria is not bad, but the trains and cars are very old and not the most attractive. The trains (I did travel from Sofia to Burgas – seven hours) are rather comfortable if you travel first class. It does make for an interesting trip just to view the countryside. Buses are very cheap, and unfortunately they are just buses. Sofia has the only international airport requiring all foreign flights to land there first. Bulgaria Air is not a bad local airline, and actually is very accommodating. There are airports in Ruse, Veliko Turnovo, Varna, and Burgas that Bulgaria Air will service. Depending on how far in advance you can make your reservations, flights within Bulgaria can be as little as $30 USD to $150 USD. I must also warn you, you should not expect to fly directly into Bulgaria either. I got a very good flight for only about $750 USD round trip, with two stops going to and coming.
What else can I say about Bulgaria? It seems to a hidden jewel on the Black Sea. American travelers have not discovered this hidden jewel yet, but as Bulgaria moves into the European Union, perhaps more Americans will become more knowledgeable about this wonderful country. I am not sure I have been to a more welcoming and gracious country before. The entire experience was incredible and I would recommend traveling to Bulgaria to anyone.
Recommended:
Yes
Best Time to Travel Here: Anytime
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
mgscmwa
|
|
Member: Marc Simmons
Location: Tupelo, MS USA
Reviews written: 307
Trusted by: 43 members
About Me:
I am a professional educator and a film addict!
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.