I like the way that the Rough Guide to Bulgaria neatly divides the tourist cake into big slices. On my countless visits this has been like a bible to me so I strongly recommend it for anyone considering visiting or purchasing property. Anyway, about this cake…….
Sofia - First impressions will often disappoint but scratch below the surface and you could easily fall in love with this place. It’s a manageable city, with reminders of the distant and more recent past everywhere you look. Within an hour of landing on the tarmac, you could theoretically be skiing in Vitosha hills with hardly a Brit in sight (if you want that kind of thing!). Really surprised at the number of boutique shops in the city centre, OK, Sofia is not Paris but certainly a city that’s on the up!
Bansko and around – Now, this region is certainly not a Brit-free zone. Home to the winter sports heartland of Bulgaria, with the well known ski resorts of Bansko and Borovets where countless own cheap, and more expensive properties. Once known for Bulgaria’s bandits and hermits this region is today famed for its beauty and one particular hermit called St John. He lived in a cave in the Rhodope Mountains and was the founder of what is today the most visited pilgrimage site in the whole of the country, the Rila Monastry. Definitely worth visiting, about 70 miles from Sofia. As for the beauty, the scenery is of a classic European landscape characterised by alpine lakes, forested valleys and Bulgaria’s highest mountain peaks. Not only a must for skiers in Winter, but also becoming a popular haunt for the hiking fraternity in Summer.
The Stara Planina – Two words that spring to mind - Bears and Eledwies. The ‘Stara planina’ which to the Bulgarians means the ‘Old mountains’ are renown for their flora and fauna and the whole range stretches across the middle of the country to the Black Sea coast in the east. No thanks to the annoying song from the ‘Sound of Music’, but most people will associate this protected European mountain flower with Austria, but the Bulgarians will tell you different. The Central Balkan National Park one of the largest and most valuable protected areas in Europe, is famous for it. It’s also known for its authenticity, this is the “Real Bulgaria” – it’s here where you will find many of the ancient forests, traditions and cultures of rural Bulgaria still intact. It seems to have survived the onslaught of the 20th Century……... but don’t be surprised if you see a farmer passing on the horse and cart fully armed with a mobile phone!
The Valley of the Roses and Sredna Gora - Sounds like it should belong between Yorkshire and Lancashire, but don’t think you’ll find much cricket played in these parts. Plenty of roses though over 7,000 different kinds in fact which is why the Valley is one of the biggest producers of rose oil in the world. Located in central south Bulgaria, immediately south of the Balkan range, it is best reached from the city of Zagora. The area occupies a long strip across the country which is probably the most direct route between Sofia and the Black Sea. In May and June each year, the Festival of Roses transforms the Valley into a breathtaking blooming horticultural spectacle. Un-missable. Unless you don’t like roses. The capital of the rose growing region is Kazanlak where rose picking rituals and folklore have not wilted. Non rose lovers may travel further south through the impressive mountain range of Sredna Gora. Oak forests, beech forests, hot springs, caves, and where people have lived since 5000 BC by all accounts. So expect the odd burial mound and of course, where there’s a spa, the Romans didn’t miss a trick – they established the walled spa town of Hisar in the region. But for Bulgarians, it is the troubled history of the area and not the indulgence of spas that float their boats. In the almost unpronounceable town of Koprivshtitsa, the 19th Century “April Rising” against the Ottomans started. Known for its authentic Bulgarian architecture and for its folk music festivals, Koprivshtitsa is one of the characteristic Bulgarian towns, still preserving the atmosphere of the 19th century National Revival period. A must see.