Bulgaria

Bulgaria is situated in the southeastern part of Europe, bordering Greece, Turkey, Romania and Macedonia. The climate is moderate continental with almost well distinguished four seasons. From June to September the weather is warm, suitable for vacation at the Black Sea coast, whereas in wintertime - December through March - you can enjoy winter sports and recreation at our skiing resorts in the mountains. The landscape varies from high mountains to valleys, hillsides to the Black Sea coast. The country has plenty of preserved old villages with their typical for the region architecture, lifestyle and natural surroundings. Local people are kind and open to tourist and their warm welcome has been the cause for many foreign visitors to come over again.

There are numerous spa centers in Bulgaria spread almost evenly around the country, including around the Black Sea or near the major cities. The relatively inexpensive spas are open for recreation all year long.

For the past few years Bulgarian entrepreneurs have even started offering alternative tourism, such as country tourism, horseback riding, mountain hiking, cave exploration under the supervision of experienced guides. For the past few years Bulgarian entrepreneurs have even started offering alternative tourism, such as country tourism, horseback riding, mountain hiking, cave exploration under the supervision of experienced guides.

BULGARIA IN FIGURES

Form of Government - Parliamentary Republic, 240 MP in one chamber, election once every four years
Official language - Bulgarian, alphabet - Cyrillic
Religion - East Orthodox Christians (83.8%), Muslims (12.1%), other (4.1%)
Area - 111,000 sq. km
Population - 7.5 million
Capital city - Sofia (1.4 million inhabitants)
Larger cities - Sofia, Plovdiv, Varna, Bourgas, Rousse
Currency - Bulgarian Lev (BGN), pegged to the Euro, Approximately 1 GBP = 2.80 BGN; 1 EUR = 2.00 BGN
International dialing code:
+359 -2 - for Sofia
+359-32 - for Plovdiv
+359-52 - for Varna
+359-56 - for Bourgas
+359-82 - for Rousse
Time - GMT + 2 hours
Electricity - 220V, 50Hz.
Weights and measures - the metric system
Air access - Five international airports. Over 60 regular international flights. Flights from Central Europe last between 1.5 to 2.5 hours
Entering the country - A valid international passport is all that is required for stays up to 30 days for visitors from the USA, Canada, EU, EFTA, CEFTA countries, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Macedonia, Serbia & Montenegro, Andorra, Monaco, Vatican, Malta, Israel, Tunisia, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand. Visitors from Great Britain upon presenting a British passport can automatically receive a 30-day visa at the port of arrival. Any stay exceeding 30 days requires a visa extension, which can be obtained either from the Bulgarian Embassy in London prior to travel or at the local Residency office for a small fee.
Public holidays - 1 January, 3 March, 1 May, Easter, 24 May, 6 September, 22 September, Christmas.