A Guide to Bulgaria

Bansko Sunny Beach

Bulgaria is situated in south-eastern Europe and occupies the central part of Balkan peninsula on both sides of the Balkan Range. It is a diverse and picturesque country rich in culture and history.

Almost half of Bulgaria is made up of mountains. The beautiful snow-capped mountain ranges of Rhodope, Rila and Pirin are where you will find spectacular alpine formations of caves, glacier valleys and lakes and this is an area popular with hikers and climbers. The town of Bansko lies at the foot of Pirin Mountains and is Bulgaria's premier ski resort. Over recent years huge investment in the area has created the best and most modern ski centre of all Bulgarian ski resorts with many new hotels and resort facilities under construction in the area. Bansko has the best snowfall and the longest ski season (15 Dec - 15 May) in Bulgaria and 44 techno-alpine snow cannons cover most of the slopes ensuring the ski season lasts as long as possible.

Bansko, once a quiet medieval town, boasts an abundance of historical sites and comes alive at night with a variety of night clubs, traditional taverns and restaurants, many with live music.

By contrast, Sunny Beach is the largest Bulgarian sea resort and is situated on a wide semi-circular bay along the southern part of the Black Sea Riviera just north of Bourgas. Regarded as the best beach along the coast it is backed by natural golden sand dunes and naturally protected by the Balkan mountain range to the north. With its warm Mediterranean climate, clean and calm waters and safe swimming, it is a perfect all-round holiday destination.

The resort offers a wide variety of activities include windsurfing, sailing, waterskiing, parasailing, beach volleyball, golf, horse riding, climbing, cycling and tennis, and there are also fitness centres, swimming pools and spa treatment centres.

Nightlife is varied with over 130 restaurants and taverns catering for all tastes as well as nightclubs, discos, casinos and folk-style venues offering a wide variety of acts and entertainment.

Average Temperature:

Currency: Lev (BGL)
 
Time: GMT + 2

Getting There:  Bulgaria is about three hours' flying time from most UK airports. Budget airline Wizz Air has recently begun flying to the country. The major airports for each region are Bourgas for the Black Sea resorts and Sofia for the Pirin mountain resorts of Bansko and Raslog.