Bulgaria

Ty Treadwell

Mention Bulgaria to most people and the first image to pop into their minds will be a huge question mark, for it is a destination without a face. No famous Bulgarian landmarks appear on postcards and T-shirts; no well-known celebrities invite tourists to come and visit via flashy television commercials. This small country—with its abundance of history and culture—seems to do little to advertise itself, making this Eastern European land all the more special. Visitors have stumbled upon a closely guarded secret.

The overall flavor of Bulgaria is similar to that of Greece and Italy: rustic; earthy; and more Old Europe than new. This should not come as a surprise since the country occupies one of the longest-inhabited parts of the continent, with an 8,000-year history. Bulgaria has been in existence since 681 AD and, despite modern advances, those centuries of tradition still shine through the country's contemporary veneer in many places.

Most visitors arrive in the capital city of Sofia, which contains a small but adequate airport six miles away from the city center. Several modes of public transportation are available ,but taxis are still the best option for tourists. A cab ride from the airport to any destination near the center of town should cost no more than five dollars.

Sofia has an intimate feel, with plenty of trees and parks and a style of architecture primarily dating from the late-19th century, Bulgaria's renaissance period following its liberation from the Turks. Streets are narrow and shaded; cafés and outdoor restaurants are abundant; and other than a few lingering vestiges of its communist past, Sofia could easily be mistaken for one of a dozen Western European cities. The city’s younger denizens wear the latest fashions while most older residents dress nicely when spending a day in town, lending the city an interesting mix of modern sophistication and Old World charm.

The most eye-catching monument in town, the Alexander Nevski Memorial Church, is the best place to begin a your tour. The structure is overwhelming in size and grandeur, with exterior gold domes and interior dramatic frescos. The church occupies a square with sidewalks lined with outdoor vendors selling variegated wares, from antiques and World War II memorabilia to original paintings and handmade crafts. Hand-woven clothing and tablecloths make some of the best souvenirs, purchased from legions of grandmotherly Bulgarians sitting patiently in the shade behind tables piled with their handiwork. Haggling is common and accepted, but normally only when buying more than one item.

The majority of Sofia's attractions are located due west of Alexander Nevski Square and can be visited one-by-one as you walk down Tzar Osvoboditel Boulevard. The National Art Gallery and Natural Science Museum are here, along with the building commonly referred to as the Russian Church. Dedicated to Saint Nicholas, this is the only church in the city topped with the famous onion domes so closely associated with Russian architecture. The National Theatre, an ornate edifice fronting a park and several busy cafés, is down the street and is the ideal place to stop for a mid-afternoon breather.

Two blocks away lies Vitosha Boulevard, with its namesake Mount Vitosha looming in the near distance. This is where the majority of Sofia's upscale shops can be found, along with several of the city's best restaurants. Bulgarian food will not seem unusual to anyone familiar with the cuisine of Greece: you will find the ubiquitous stuffed grape leaves and moussaka, along with grilled pork, chicken and more versions of salads than you can imagine. The combination of Bulgaria's transitional economy and the strength of the dollar against the lev makes dining out incredibly cheap for travelers. Dinner for two in an elegant restaurant, including drinks and dessert, will rarely cost more than $25.

While most of Sofia's attractions are concentrated in the city center, one destination definitely warrants a short trip to the outskirts. The National Museum of History, housed in a former palace at the foot of Mount Vitosha, is one of the largest museums of its kind in the Balkans. It contains several fascinating exhibits, including the Rogozen treasure, an assortment of ornate silver vessels dating back to 500 BC. The museum's most ancient displays are from the Neolithic period of 8,000 years ago.

When it is time to leave Sofia and explore the rest of Bulgaria, renting a car is recommended. The country's railway system is extensive and first-class tickets cost practically nothing, but the trains can be slow and unpredictable. While Bulgaria has just one highway and most of the other roads have only two lanes, traffic is sparse and driving cross-country is a relaxing way to experience the country’s true nature.

East of Sofia, in the highlands area that occupies the center of the country, lies the Valley of the Roses. Although the roses bloom for only a brief time in the spring and do not constitute much of an attraction in themselves, the area is immensely important to Bulgaria's economy. Bulgaria produces seventy percent of the world's supply of rose oil, sold mainly to perfume manufacturers, which brings in nearly $50-million a year. Hand-carved wooden containers holding a tiny glass vial of the oil are available all over the country and make meaningful—and easy to pack—souvenirs.

Two important cities lie on either side of the valley, one to the north and one to the south. To the north is Veliko Turnovo, a former capital of Bulgaria most widely known for its unusual architecture. The town sits atop a hillside and its houses appear to be stacked on top of each other as they climb the hill in uneven rows. Even though Veliko Turnovo's stores and restaurants are predominantly modern, the town still possesses an old-fashioned ambience with cobblestone streets and medieval gates and towers. A few authentic artisans still have shops tucked among the stylish boutiques, including a potter and a coppersmith.

Plovdiv, just south of the Valley of the Roses, is Bulgaria's second-largest city; it predates Rome and Athens. The city is divided into two halves, one old and one new, each containing enough attractions to rival Sofia. The new section features an enormous pedestrian-only area lined with stores, restaurants and cafés and is home to several good museums. The old section of town is renowned for its stunning Revival-style architecture; visitors tend to simply wander the narrow streets gawking at the ornately carved and painted facades on the houses. There are also several ancient churches and a Roman theater currently used as a venue for plays and concerts.

Farther east is the Black Sea Coast, Bulgaria's busiest tourist region. Virtually unknown to Americans, this seemingly endless stretch of coastline, speckled with small resort towns, has been a vacation paradise for Europeans for decades. The entrepreneurial spirit that began slowly washing over Bulgaria after the fall of communism in 1989 is more evident here than anywhere else in the country, with thousands of restaurants and hotels from which to choose.

Varna is Bulgaria's third-largest city and the most active town in the northern portion of the Black Sea Coast. Because it is a busy port for naval and commercial shipping, it is common to pass visitors from all over the world strolling down its streets. In addition to the nearby beach resorts, Varna also makes a good base for exploring the Stone Forest, a geological oddity composed of hundreds of tall, stone columns determined to be nearly 50-million years old. The Stone Forest area is popular with hikers and other outdoor enthusiasts since it lies fewer than ten miles from Varna and can be easily explored in a day.

The towns farther south on the coast are smaller and more intimate, but have just as much to offer. Nessebar is one of the oldest cities in Europe and has been referred to as a living museum because of the diverse architecture left behind by its former Thracian, Greek, Roman and Byzantine inhabitants. More than 3,000 years old, the entire city has been added to the UNESCO World Heritage List to mark its importance. Just a few miles south is Sozopol, another town with thousands of years of history lingering amongst its buildings. Sozopol is now a haven for artists, writers and musicians and hosts several large festivals in July and August.

With so much to see and do in central Bulgaria and on the coast, the sparsely populated northern and southern regions of the country are normally bypassed by tourists; however, the southwest corner contains two attractions which should not be missed. The first is Rila Monastery, a masterpiece in every sense of the word. Another entry from the UNESCO World Heritage List, the monastery's buildings are a combination of graceful, curving architecture in vivid colors and patterns. The massive church’s porch is impressive, with intricate frescos by some of Bulgaria's greatest artists covering nearly every inch of the walls and the ceiling. With its beautiful mountain setting, Rila monastery draws nearly as many nature lovers as it does art lovers.

The second attraction in this region is Melnik, a village near the Greek border which is world famous for its winemaking. The tiny town is surrounded by sandstone cones and towering white cliffs—the Melnik Pyramids—which seem to be trying to hide Melnik's 300 residents from prying eyes. The town has been a major wine-production center since 1346 and, while they rarely appear on American menus, Melnik wines have been immensely popular in Europe for years; Winston Churchill declared them to be his favorite, importing them by the barrel so he would always have plenty on hand. Visitors can sample the various wines at local inns and taverns, but a unique experience is to journey up the hillside to one of several wine-tasting caves, where a glass poured straight from the cask costs only fifty cents.

With its proximity to Sofia, Melnik is a popular weekend retreat for many locals—and a fitting place for tourists to end their visit to Bulgaria. But on a cool, moonlit evening at an outdoor tavern with a clay pitcher of wine on the table and a star-filled sky, the reasons to stay in the country just a little longer might be too numerous to resist.

Ty Treadwell writes a monthly travel-advice column for the website Genie Knows. His work has also appeared in US Airways Attaché, Skylights and other publications.