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Attractions Sofia Sofia`s city centre is an eclectic mix of architectural styles, largely rebuilt after WWII bombings and complete with a yellow-brick boulevard. The city`s compactnes and diversity make it a great place to get your bearings before heading off to discover the real Bulgaria. The central train station is on the north side of the city centre. From the station, bulevard Mariya Luisa runs south to Sveta Nedelya Cathedral, restored after a 1924 bomb attempt on Tsar Boris III in which 124 people (including most of the cabinet) were killed. The 14th-century church of St Petka Samardjiiska is nearby. The inconspicuous exterior gives no clue to the lovely frescoes in the dim, spooky nave. On the other side of the cathedral, is Vitosha bulevard, the fashionable avenue of modern Sofia. The National Museum of History is housed in the former residence of communist leader Todor Zhivkov. The eastern end of the city centre is dominated by the neo-Byzantine Alexander Nevski Church, a memorial to the 200,000 Russian soldiers who died in the fight for Bulgaria`s independence. Ploschtad Batenberg to the east is home to some fine gardens, a vast improvement on the ugly Georgi Dimitrov Mausoleum that used to dominate the area. Dimitrov was prime minister of Bulgaria from 1946 until he died in 1949. Until mid-1990, when his embalmed body was cremated, the public was allowed to file reverently past the deified figure while an honour guard looked on. Across ploschtad Batenberg to the north is the Former Party House, an oppressive Stalinist construction which was sacked and partially burned by demonstrators in 1990. It subsequently served as a cinema, bazaar and disco, but government business is once more conducted here. Mt Vitosha, the rounded mountain which looms on the southern outskirts of Sofia, is a popular ski resort in winter, while in summer a chairlift operates for the benefit of sightseers. Vitosha is accessible by local bus, making it an extremely popular Sunday outing for the locals, so take the trip on another day if you can. Neseb? In 510 BC the Greeks founded Neseb?r, ancient Mesembria, on the site of a Thracian settlement. It was once of great importance to Byzantium as a trading town, although many of the 40 churches built in Neseb?r during the 5th and 6th centuries are now in ruin. Neseb?r ceased to be an active trading post in the 18th century and today lives mostly from fishing and tourism. The town sits on a small rocky peninsula connected to the mainland by a narrow isthmus. Remnants of the second-century city walls rise above the bus stop, and stone and timber houses line winding, cobbled streets. Although there are private rooms and cheapish hotels on the peninsula, your chances during summer are better in the abominable resort of Sunny Beach, 10 minutes west of Neseb?r and 36km (22mi) north of Burgas. There are frequent buses between Burgas and Sunny Beach, and regular shuttles on to Neseb?. Rila Mountains The majestic Rila Mountains south of Sofia are a hiker`s dream. The classic trip across the mountains to Rila Monastery can be done in a couple of days, depending on your shoe leather and stopovers. Those packing heavy duty leg batteries can start at the ski resort of Borovets and climb Musala Peak (2925m), the highest mountain in the Balkan Peninsula, on the way to the monastery. Nestling in a narrow valley 119km (74mi) south of Sofia, Rila Monastery helped to keep Bulgarian culture alive during the long dark age of Turkish rule from the 15th to the 19th centuries. The monastery was founded by Ivan Rilski in 927 and served as a retreat for hermits; it was moved 3km (2mi) to its present location in 1335. The clock tower beside the church is all that remains from this period. In 1833, a fire destroyed the monastery, but it was soon rebuilt on a grand scale in the National Revival style. The magnificent church, with its three great domes, is lined with 1200 frescoes depicting donors and biblical figures. There`s also a gilded iconostasis depicting 36 biblical scenes. The museums here house religious art and artefacts as well as folk costumes and household implements. A couple of kilometres into the forest is the cave where Ivan Rilski lived and where he is now buried. According to a local legend, those able to pass through the hole in the roof of the cave have not sinned, and since you`d have to be Mack-sized to touch the sides, the legend is very popular. Veliko T?rnovo Veliko T?rnovo, capital of the Second Bulgarian Empire (1185-1393), is laced with history. The Yantra River winds through a gorge in the centre of the city and picturesque houses cling to the cliffs. The ruined Tsaravets Citadel, almost encircled by the river, was a vast fortress sacked by the Turks in 1393. The rebuilt Church of the Blessed Saviour at the top of the hill is great squizzing territory. You can look down on the foundations of the ruined Royal Palace, home to 22 successive tsars. Execution Rock is a daunting bluff directly to the north, where traitors were once pushed into the Yantra River. Because Veliko T?rnovo is a university town, it`s quite a lively place to lob for a few days. There are lots of bars on the uphill side of the main drag, and you only need to follow the clouds of cigarette smoke to work out where it`s all happening. It`s only a short roll down the cobblestones to a number of reasonably cheap hostels, hotels and restaurants. Koprivshtitsa Koprivshtitsa has been preserved as an open-air museum of the Bulgarian National Revival and even today is only slightly tarnished by Coca Cola and Marlboro. It was here on 20 April 1876 that Todor Kableshkov sparked an uprising against the Turks which eventually led to the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-78. These events are well-documented in the various house museums; but even without its place in history, the village would still be worth a visit if only to walk its winding cobbled streets and tarry on the stone bridges spanning trickling streams. You can stay in many of the old houses, some of which even have hot water! Rodopi Mountains Take a slow wander through the Rodopi Mountains, home to Bulgaria`s most isolated and ethnically diverse communities. The landscape takes in spectacular gorges and steep rocky slopes which open onto tiered fields and pine forests. The traditions of Bulgaria`s Slavs are strongest in the Rodopi, and it is here most of the Muslim population lives, those whose ancestors converted during the rule of the Ottoman Empire. During the communist period a 20km (12mi) exclusion zone was enforced along Bulgaria`s southern border, ensuring that the villagers in this region were isolated. Many travellers only get as far south as Bachkovo Monastery, 30km (19mi) south of Plovdiv. Smolyan, a large logging town 70km (43mi) farther south, is a good base for visits to the surrounding area. The ski resort of Pamporovo, 16km (10mi) north-west, is popular with package tourists from Britain and Germany, but day-trippers are also welcome. Twenty km (12.5mi) north-west of Smolyan is Shiroka L?ka, a scenic village of stone houses, meandering goats and chatting villagers striking casual poses with pitchforks and donkeys. The village is renowned for its traditional music, with a week-long festival taking place in mid-April. Varvara Varvara is a tiny fishing community 82km (51mi) south of Burgas. In winter it`s pin-drop quiet, but the village is transformed each summer when artists and alternative lifestylers from Sofia camp on the fields above the beach. The more established groovers have their own leaf and stick shelters which they repair each year. Private rooms are available in the village if you don`t fancy sleeping under the stars or bunking in with your new Bulgarian mates, and you can buy fish and vegetables from the locals. |
Property in Bulgaria - Info on Bulgaria - Attractions
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