Settlements

Cities

The largest cities in Bulgaria are: Sofia, Plovdiv, Varna, Burgas, Ruse, Stara Zagora and Pleven. In the eastern part of the country are located the Black Sea resort towns: Shabla, Kavarna, Balchik, Varna, Byala, Obzor, Nessebar, Pomorie, Burgas, Sozopol, Primorsko, Saint Vlas, Chernomorets, Tsarevo, Kiten, Aheloy and Ahtopol.

Cities with developed mountain tourism are: Samokov, Bansko, Dobrinishte, Chepelare, Smolyan, Elena, Troyan, Teteven and others.

In our country there are many cities with resort and spa functions: Bankya, Varshets, Velingrad, Hissarya, Sapareva Banya, Strelcha, Kyustendil, Devin and others.

The Danube cities of Vidin, Lom, Kozloduy, Oryahovo, Nikopol, Belene, Svishtov, Ruse, Tutrakan and Silistra are also of interest to tourists.

Many of the Bulgarian cities have preserved their Revival architecture: Kotel, Koprivshtitsa, Karlovo, Kalofer, Sopot, Elena, Tryavna, Bansko, Melnik (the smallest town in Bulgaria) and others.

In some of the cities there are preserved or restored architectural and ethnographic complexes: Plovdiv, (Old Plovdiv), Nessebar (Old Town - UNESCO), Gabrovo (Etara), Sozopol (Old Town), Dobrich (Old Dobrich), Zlatograd (Area complex) , Lovech (Varosha), Smolyan (Raykovo and Ustovo), Blagoevgrad (Varosha), Sevlievo (Ethnographic Complex), Malko Tarnovo, Veliko Tarnovo (Samovodska Charshia), Pleven (Revival Complex), Razgrad (Varosh) and others.

The old Bulgarian capitals: Pliska, Veliki Preslav and Veliko Tarnovo are also of great interest to tourists.

Villages

Bulgarian villages are known for their beautiful nature and hospitable hosts.

Many of them successfully develop rural tourism, which will give you the opportunity to get in touch with the Bulgarian way of life and culture, to become part of the Bulgarian traditions and customs, as well as to try traditional Bulgarian dishes prepared according to recipes preserved for centuries.

Along with the interesting stories and legends that every Bulgarian village is enriched with, here with all your senses you can learn more about contact with nature, tranquility, healthy food.

Some of the most beautiful Bulgarian villages are nestled in the heart of the Rhodopes - Gela, Shiroka Laka, Momchilovtsi, Orehovo, Smilyan, Arda, Dolen, Leshten, Kovachevitsa, Pletena and many others.

The are numerous villages in Stara Planina as well - Bozhentsi, Ribaritsa, Zheravna, Oreshak, Medven, Skandalo, the picturesque villages and neighborhoods in the Elena, Etropole and Teteven Balkans, etc. The village of Arbanassi will enchant you with its opportunities for rest and walk.

Another type of charm will be offered by the villages on the Black Sea coast - staying in them you can combine summer vacation with rural tourism. These villages are: Durankulak, Krapets, Tyulenovo, Kamen Bryag, Balgarevo, Shkorpilovtsi, Lozenets, Varvara, Sinemorets, Rezovo and others.

You can get in touch with the beauties of Rila Mountain if you stay in one of the local villages - Govedartsi, Beli Iskar, Mala Tsarkva or Dobarsko.

You cam also have a nice stay in the Strandzha villages of Bulgari, Kosti, Brashlyan, Mladezhko, and if you visit Strandzha in early June, you can also observe the ancient ritual of fire-dancing - dancing on lit up coals.

Resorts

On the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria there are many resorts of various functions. Along the Black Sea coast are the resorts: "Mermaid", "Albena", Kranevo, "Golden Sands", "Riviera", "Seagull", "Sunny Day", "St. St. Constantine and Helena ”,“ St. Elijah ”, Obzor,“ The Deer ”, St. Vlas, Duni, Nessebar, Ravda, Kiten, Pomorie, Primorsko, Chernomorets, Sozopol, Lozenets, Tsarevo, Ahtopol and Sinemorets.

The largest of the Bulgarian Black Sea resorts is Sunny Beach. It has a 5.5 km long sandy beach. Nearby is the resort "St. Vlas".

The villas built in the Elenite resort are in Mediterranean style, and the Duni resort is located in a pine forest by the beach.

Some of the hotels in the Black Sea resorts are open all year round and offer the opportunity for congress tourism. The beaches on the Black Sea coast are divided into large (over 100 thousand m2) - Durankulashki, Albena-Kranevo, Golden Sands, Kamchiysko-Shkorpilovski, Obzorski, Sunny Beach, Pomorie, Atanasovski, Aleppo, southern beach Primorsko; medium (from 50 to 100 thousand m2) - Krapets, Shabla, Sv. Konstantin, city beach - Varna, Asparuhovski, Shkorpilovtsi - south, Obzor - south, Irakli, Burgas, Kavatsi, Stomoplo, Nestinarka, Ahtopol, etc .; and small (from 10 to 50 thousand m2) - are located mainly on the southern Black Sea coast.

The Black Sea coast is also known for the healing mud deposits: Pomorie, Varna, Balchik, Shabla, Atanasovsko Lake, Taukliman. Also known are the mineral waters in Krapets, Tyulenovo, Rusalka, Kavarna, Balchik, Albena, Golden Sands, St. Constantine and Helena, Varna, Dolnokamchiyski, Eminski, Medovski and Burgas.

The mountain resorts of Pamporovo, Borovets and Bansko are also world famous. Pamporovo is located at 1650 m above sea level in the Rhodopes. The snow days are over 150, and the slopes with a length of 800 to 3800 m. In Rila at 1350 m above sea level Borovets is located. It has excellent tracks and the biathlon track is one of the best in the world. The fastest growing mountain resort in Europe is Bansko. Apart from having world-class ski slopes, there are over 140 cultural monuments in Bansko. The famous Bansko icon painting school was founded there. The mountain resorts that also offer great skiing conditions are: Malyovitsa, Panichishte, Batak, Beklemeto, Ribaritsa, Osogovo, Momchilovtsi, Chepelare, Kom-Berkovitsa, Uzana, Yundola, Belmeken, Bodrost-Kartala, Predel, Semkovo and Aleko.

Bulgaria also has excellent spa, balneal and wellness resorts: Hissar, Velingrad (the spa capital of the Balkans), Sandanski, Bankya, Kyustendil, Narechen, Pavel Banya, Kostenets, Varshets, Burgas Mineral Baths, Momin Prohod, Sliven Mineral Baths, Stara Zagora Mineral Baths, Haskovo mineral baths, Spareva banya, Banya, Teteven, Tryavna, Apriltsi, Kotel, Elena, Govedartsi, Dryanovo.