Bulgaria
Capital: Sophia
Official language: Bulgarian
Religion: Bulgarian Orthodox (85%), Sunni Mulsim (12%), Christian (1.2%), Jewish (0.8%)
Ethnic Divisions: Bulgarian 85%, Turk 9.7%, Roma 5%, other 2% (including Macedonian, Armenian, Tatar, Circassian)
Time Zone Offset: No difference in time with Kiev , GTM +2
Climate
National cuisine
Official Holidays
Useful Things
Visa information
Transport
Banks, currency exchange
Sights
Climate
The average air temperature in spring +4°C…+12°C, in the summer is +12°C…+ 26°C, in autumn +12°C…+18°C, and in winter -17°C…+4°C. Spring is cold and rainy. The winters are cold with snowfalls. The average water temperature is from +22°C in June till +26°C in August.
National cuisine
Bulgarian cuisine has a huge advantage making it unique – it is influenced by Arabic, Turkish, Greek and Western European cuisines. Here you can taste such dishes as: Shopska” [´shopskə] – traditional Bulgarian salad made of tomatoes, fresh cucumbers and cheese. Often there is also onion, peppers, olives, parsley etc.; Tarator [tərə´tor] – this is a cold summer soup prepared from yogurt, water, cucumbers, garlic, dill, sometimes nuts, and a pinch of salt; Kebapche [ke´bapche] - a grilled meat stick with local spices; the taste is different from the kiufte. It is typical for the Bulgarian and Serbian cuisine; Zeleva chorba [´zeleva chor´ba:] – cabbage soup. It has nothing to do with the borshch soup. It’s prepared from the juice of cabbage pickles which needs quite a lot of time to get ready… there is also fat meat, rice and pepper. It is very delicious although quite strange for some foreigners because of the sour taste.
Original local red grapes - Mavrud and Melnik - provoke great interest among wine connoisseurs.
Bulgarian wine, which is exported to many European countries. It is very tasty, with various sorts, some of which typical only for this region. We recommend you Mavrud (this sort of wine cannot be found anywhere else) – a strong dark wine, suitable for red meat and cold winter evenings. Despite the good quality Bulgarian wine is not expensive and is very appropriate for a present from a holiday in Bulgaria. Rakia: similar to brandy. Usually most Bulgarians drink it in the evening, before or during the meal, accompanied by salad or pickles. It SHOULDN’T be drunk like tequila, but slowly, sipping, with delight. Most spread types: grape and plum rakia. We recommend you to try also fig and pear rakia, if you have the chance, which we find unusually aromatic.
Official Holidays
1 January – New Year’s Holiday
3 March – Liberation Day/Liberation from the Ottoman rule/ - National Holiday of Bulgaria
Easter - Velikden - Sunday and Monday according to the calendar
1 May – Labour Day
6 May – Gergyovden (St. George’s Day), and day of the Bulgarian Army
24 May – Sveti Sveti Kiril i Metodi / St.St. Cyril and Metodius/ - Day of the Cyrillic Alphabet and Bulgarian Education and Culture
6 September - Unification Day – unification of Bulgaria and Eastern Rumelia
22 September – Independence Day /Independence from the Ottoman Empire/
24, 25, 26 December – Koleda - Christmas Days
Useful Things
Stuff in hotels and restaurants’ are usually talked on Russian and English. Tipping is considered the rule of good tone and 5-10 % from an account.
The traditional Bulgarian souvenirs are wares of folk trades – beautiful Bulgarian embroideries, painting ceramic vessels, wares from the forged copper and iron, silver of handwork, carpets, and perfumes from Valley of roses.
Visa information
Effective from 2002 year Ukrainian passport holders need visas to enter Bulgaria. Visa application processing can usually take up to 7 working days.
Imports and Exports
Travelers may import up to 250 g of tobacco. Alcohol is limited to 1 liter of spirits and 2 liters of wine. Also travelers may import up 100 g of perfume.
The import and export of foreign and local currency is unlimited for non-residents but must be declared if it has a value in excess of 5,000 leva.
Transport
Important requirements
Driving licenses are valid in Bulgaria:
1. those issued by the states that have signed the Vienna Convention
2. Driving license must be certified translated
3. International driving license.
The minimum age for driving is 18 years. Traffic drives on the right. Speed limits are 120kph (75mph) on motorways, 90kph (56mph) on country roads and 50kph (31mph) in urban areas. You are obliged to use safety seat belts no matter where you sit in the car both inside and outside populated areas. Drinking and driving is strictly forbidden
The big international rent-a-car companies have agents in most of the towns, resorts and airports. Information about the rates is available at the hotels and travel agencies. On the center of Sofia it is better to go by tramway, bus or trolleybus, but not by car, because it is enough difficult to find a place for parking. Tro
lleybuses and busses work from a 5 morning till midnight, and tramways – till 1 a.m. Tickets you can buy at-stops, in news-stands and in a driver's cab. A ticket is necessary to be punched in the salon of bus, trolleybus or tramway. In the case of change the transport it is necessary to purchase other ticket. Inspectors from time to time check up the presence of tickets for passengers
Banks, currency exchange
The currency is the Lev (BGN). BGL1=100 Stotinok. On July 5, 1999 the lev was redenominated. Be attentive and do not accept old bank-papers and chinks of issue 1991 – 1998 years.
Bulgaria is largely a cash-only country and credit cards are only accepted at some upscale establishments. The import and export of the local currency is prohibited. Foreign currency can be imported and exported but must be declared upon arrival. Travelers should only exchange currency in hotels or exchange bureaus. On some occasions, travelers will be given a receipt - known as a "borderau" - when exchanging currency. These should be kept until departure.
. Some stores remain open later in the evening and operate on Saturdays and/or Sundays on a shorter schedule. Banks work hours are 0900-1500 Monday to Friday.
Sights
Bulgaria – it is not only sea and sun; it is also a history and culture, picturesque cities and museums, ancient monasteries and modern architecture.
Official language: Bulgarian
Religion: Bulgarian Orthodox (85%), Sunni Mulsim (12%), Christian (1.2%), Jewish (0.8%)
Ethnic Divisions: Bulgarian 85%, Turk 9.7%, Roma 5%, other 2% (including Macedonian, Armenian, Tatar, Circassian)
Time Zone Offset: No difference in time with Kiev , GTM +2
Climate
National cuisine
Official Holidays
Useful Things
Visa information
Transport
Banks, currency exchange
Sights
Climate
The average air temperature in spring +4°C…+12°C, in the summer is +12°C…+ 26°C, in autumn +12°C…+18°C, and in winter -17°C…+4°C. Spring is cold and rainy. The winters are cold with snowfalls. The average water temperature is from +22°C in June till +26°C in August.
National cuisine
Bulgarian cuisine has a huge advantage making it unique – it is influenced by Arabic, Turkish, Greek and Western European cuisines. Here you can taste such dishes as: Shopska” [´shopskə] – traditional Bulgarian salad made of tomatoes, fresh cucumbers and cheese. Often there is also onion, peppers, olives, parsley etc.; Tarator [tərə´tor] – this is a cold summer soup prepared from yogurt, water, cucumbers, garlic, dill, sometimes nuts, and a pinch of salt; Kebapche [ke´bapche] - a grilled meat stick with local spices; the taste is different from the kiufte. It is typical for the Bulgarian and Serbian cuisine; Zeleva chorba [´zeleva chor´ba:] – cabbage soup. It has nothing to do with the borshch soup. It’s prepared from the juice of cabbage pickles which needs quite a lot of time to get ready… there is also fat meat, rice and pepper. It is very delicious although quite strange for some foreigners because of the sour taste.
Original local red grapes - Mavrud and Melnik - provoke great interest among wine connoisseurs.
Bulgarian wine, which is exported to many European countries. It is very tasty, with various sorts, some of which typical only for this region. We recommend you Mavrud (this sort of wine cannot be found anywhere else) – a strong dark wine, suitable for red meat and cold winter evenings. Despite the good quality Bulgarian wine is not expensive and is very appropriate for a present from a holiday in Bulgaria. Rakia: similar to brandy. Usually most Bulgarians drink it in the evening, before or during the meal, accompanied by salad or pickles. It SHOULDN’T be drunk like tequila, but slowly, sipping, with delight. Most spread types: grape and plum rakia. We recommend you to try also fig and pear rakia, if you have the chance, which we find unusually aromatic.
1 January – New Year’s Holiday
3 March – Liberation Day/Liberation from the Ottoman rule/ - National Holiday of Bulgaria
Easter - Velikden - Sunday and Monday according to the calendar
1 May – Labour Day
6 May – Gergyovden (St. George’s Day), and day of the Bulgarian Army
24 May – Sveti Sveti Kiril i Metodi / St.St. Cyril and Metodius/ - Day of the Cyrillic Alphabet and Bulgarian Education and Culture
6 September - Unification Day – unification of Bulgaria and Eastern Rumelia
22 September – Independence Day /Independence from the Ottoman Empire/
24, 25, 26 December – Koleda - Christmas Days
Useful Things
Stuff in hotels and restaurants’ are usually talked on Russian and English. Tipping is considered the rule of good tone and 5-10 % from an account.
The traditional Bulgarian souvenirs are wares of folk trades – beautiful Bulgarian embroideries, painting ceramic vessels, wares from the forged copper and iron, silver of handwork, carpets, and perfumes from Valley of roses.
Visa information
Effective from 2002 year Ukrainian passport holders need visas to enter Bulgaria. Visa application processing can usually take up to 7 working days.
Imports and Exports
Travelers may import up to 250 g of tobacco. Alcohol is limited to 1 liter of spirits and 2 liters of wine. Also travelers may import up 100 g of perfume.
The import and export of foreign and local currency is unlimited for non-residents but must be declared if it has a value in excess of 5,000 leva.
Transport
Important requirements
Driving licenses are valid in Bulgaria:
1. those issued by the states that have signed the Vienna Convention
2. Driving license must be certified translated
3. International driving license.
The minimum age for driving is 18 years. Traffic drives on the right. Speed limits are 120kph (75mph) on motorways, 90kph (56mph) on country roads and 50kph (31mph) in urban areas. You are obliged to use safety seat belts no matter where you sit in the car both inside and outside populated areas. Drinking and driving is strictly forbidden
The big international rent-a-car companies have agents in most of the towns, resorts and airports. Information about the rates is available at the hotels and travel agencies. On the center of Sofia it is better to go by tramway, bus or trolleybus, but not by car, because it is enough difficult to find a place for parking. Tro
lleybuses and busses work from a 5 morning till midnight, and tramways – till 1 a.m. Tickets you can buy at-stops, in news-stands and in a driver's cab. A ticket is necessary to be punched in the salon of bus, trolleybus or tramway. In the case of change the transport it is necessary to purchase other ticket. Inspectors from time to time check up the presence of tickets for passengersBanks, currency exchange
The currency is the Lev (BGN). BGL1=100 Stotinok. On July 5, 1999 the lev was redenominated. Be attentive and do not accept old bank-papers and chinks of issue 1991 – 1998 years.
Bulgaria is largely a cash-only country and credit cards are only accepted at some upscale establishments. The import and export of the local currency is prohibited. Foreign currency can be imported and exported but must be declared upon arrival. Travelers should only exchange currency in hotels or exchange bureaus. On some occasions, travelers will be given a receipt - known as a "borderau" - when exchanging currency. These should be kept until departure.
. Some stores remain open later in the evening and operate on Saturdays and/or Sundays on a shorter schedule. Banks work hours are 0900-1500 Monday to Friday.
Sights
Bulgaria – it is not only sea and sun; it is also a history and culture, picturesque cities and museums, ancient monasteries and modern architecture.
Sofia. All sights of the capital are concentrated in a center of the city around the Sveta Nedelia Square, Narodno Sabranie Square and the two main boulevards. The Church of St George (Rotonda "Sveti Georgi") is an Early Christian red brick rotunda that is considered the oldest building in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria. It is situated behind the Sheraton Hotel, amid remains of the ancient town of Serdica. The Hagia Sophia Church (Църква „Света София“) is the second oldest church in the Bulfarian capital Soifa The Hagia Sophia Church is now one of the most valuable pieces of Early Christian architecture in Southeastern Europe. St Nedelya Church (Bulgarian: църква „Света Неделя“) is an Earsten Orthodox church in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, a cathedral of the Sofia bishopric of the Bulgarian Patriarchate. Sveta Nedelya is a medieval church that has suffered destruction through the ages and has been reconstructed many times
The National History Museum is a celebration of more than a thousand years of Bulgarian history. Fine ceramics, clothing and gold treasures from the Thracian period are on display. Religion has played a dramatic part in the history of Sophia with influences from Judaism, Christianity and Islam evident in the decorative synagogues, churches and a single mosque in the city. The Central Synagogue, the Russian Church of St. Nicholas and the Banya Bashi Mosque are three splendid examples. The Banya Bashi Mosque is the last surviving mosque in Sofia and was designed by Hadji Mima Sinan, designer of the amazing Blue Mosque in Istanbul.The Synagogue was restored after being bombed during the war and is the third largest in Europe. The Russian Church is a wonderfully coloured building designed in the traditional style of 15th century Muscovite churches. It is the most beautiful cathedral of Sofia.
Pleven. Pleven –is also city-history. Historical museum "Liberation of Plevny in 1877" located in the same house, where emperor Alexander II met with won an Osman-pasha. On the top of the hill, which is dominated over the city, another museum –is Pleven Epopee 1877, more commonly known as Pleven Panorama depicting the events of the Russian-Turkish War of 1877-78, specifically the five-month Siege of Pleven which made the city internationally famous and contributed to the Liberation of Bulgaria after five centuries of Ottoman rule. It was constructed in honor of the 100th anniversary of these epic events and was officially unveiled on 10 December 1977 and is one of the largest panoramas in the world today. The panorama expanded the already existing Skobeleff Park, which is located on the site where the battle took place. For the decoration 11 Russian and two Bulgarian artists were engaged to work on the paintings, plastics and architecture.
At present, Pleven's Epopee is the most recognizable symbols of the town of Pleven and a national landmark.
Today Plevna is a beautiful populous city the central streets of which are declared pedestrian areas
Plovdiv. Plovdiv is one of the oldest cities of Europe, being older than Rome, Athens, and Constantinople. The first traces of civilization at the place date from the Mycenaean period (8000 years ago). Known at the time as a Thracian fortified settlement named Eumolpia, in 342 BC it was conquered by Philip II of Macedon, father of Alexander the Great, who renamed it Philippoupolis (rendered in Latin as Philippopolis) in his own honor. It was later independent under the Greeks, until it was incorporated into the Roman Empire, under which it was also called Trimontium (City of Three Hills) and served as capital of the province of Thrace. Although Slavs probably settled in the area around the middle of the 6th century, it became part of the Bulgarian state in about 815.
The Roman amphitheatre was constructed at the time of emperor Marcus Aurelius (2nd Century BC). It was one of the most important public buildings of Trimontium, with impressive architecture and compelling magnificence. It was constructed to seat between 5 and 7 thousand people to enjoy spectacular performances.
Today the theatre is regularly used thought the summer season for all type of shows, concerts, bale and other performances.
The medieval streets of Old Plovdiva attract many artists which like the comfortable atmosphere of these places. More than 200 buildings of the Old city are declared the monuments of history.
Veliko -Turnovo is the historical significance as it is known as the capital of Medieval Bulgaria.
Now the old metropolis of Bulgaria is an administrative, economic and cultural centre. The picturesque setting and panoramic view of the town as well as its rich cultural and historical heritage wins Veliko Turnovo the recognition of a historical, cultural and tourist centre of Bulgaria. Tourism in Veliko Turnovo is one of the most significant trends in the economy of the country. The Veliko Turnovo region has a rich combination of prerequisites for the development of tourism: remarkable nature, historical and cultural memorials, unique architecture, many monasteries, marvelous natural relief, temperate climate, ecologically clean areas, mineral springs, and hunting farms. Every year the town is visited by thousands of tourists from Bulgaria and from abroad. The town is a symbol of Bulgarian statehood and a source of national pride.
Bourgas is the center of the tourism industry on the southern Bulgarian Black Sea coast.
In Bourgas there are many places of interest The District Museum of History, founded in 1925, is one of the most impressive tourist sights in the city. Today it houses an archaeological hall with a rich collection of items dating back to the old colonies along the Black Sea coast. The Ethnographic Museum is also of particular appeal to foreigners for its exhibitions of masks of koukeri, traditional costumes, ritual accessories, fabrics and embroidery. Among the church buildings, one may wish to visit the St. St. Cyril and Methodius Cathedral, which rises near the marketplace. The cathedral is interesting for its marvelous frescos and wooden altar. Another impressive sight of Bourgas is the Armenian Church located close to Bulgaria Hotel. It was built in 1855 by the local Armenian minority supported by Bulgarians. Finally, a philharmonic hall, an opera house, a drama theatre and a puppet theater are hosted in beautiful buildings and function during the entire season.
Bulgaria Embassy in Ukraine
Hospital'na Str. 1 Kyiv
phone (044) 235-52-96, 246-72-37, 246-76-72
fax (044) 224-9929
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it
Ukraine Embassy in Bulgaria
GK\"Ovcha Kupel\", 29, Borjana st.
Sofia
Bulgaria
Phone:
+10-359 (2) 955-94-78
Fax:
+10-359 (2) 955-52-47
Email: This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it
[Tags: Tours to Bulgaria]
Туры в Болгарию (Russian version)
