• Official Name - Republic of Bulgaria

Bulgaria is a small country of ancient culture, scenic beauty, friendly people, hospitality and warmth. Located in South Central Europe, it occupies the central part of Balkan Peninsula.
Bulgaria shares a border with Turkey and Greece to the south, Macedonia and Yugoslavia to the west, Romania to the north and the Black Sea to the east.

Geography Area: 110,994 sq. km. (slightly larger than Tennessee).

Major cities: Capital - Sofia (1.2 million). Others - Plovdiv (350,000), Varna (300,000).

Terrain: Bulgaria is located in South Central Europe. The terrain is varied, containing large mountainous areas, fertile valleys, plains and a coastline along the Black Sea. Bulgaria shares a border with Turkey and Greece to the south, Macedonia and Yugoslavia to the west, Romania to the north and the Black Sea to the east.

Capital: Sofia, lies in the western region of the country.

Climate: Continental - mild summers and cold, snowy winters. Demographics Population (July 2001 est.): 7,707,495. Growth rate (July 2001 est.): -1.14%.

Language: Bulgarian (official); A lot of young bulgarians speak english.

Time GMT: + 2. Bulgaria follows daylight saving time in summer.

Currency: Bulgarian Lev (plural Leva) Abbreviation: BGL 1 lev = 1.95583 Euros - Credit cards are not widely accepted except in larger hotels and restaurants that cater to foreign tourists. ATMs are widespread and take major cards.

Telephone: To call Bulgaria from the UK, dial + 359 plus the local number. Omit the 0 from the area code. (For example, to call Sofia from the UK, you would dial + 359-2 plus the local number; to call from within Bulgaria you would dial 02 plus the number.) Pay phones in Bulgaria take telephone cards available at kiosks and shops: orange phones take Bulfon cards and blue phones take Mobika cards.

Airports: Sofia is the main international airport. Varna’s airport is used in summer only.
Trains: Bulgaria is linked by train to Istanbul, Thessaloniki and Athens in Greece, Belgrade, Bucharest, and points on such as Budapest. Veliko Turnovo is on the route of the Orient Express from Bucharest to Istanbul.

Driving: Cars are allowed to cross any of the many border points to enter Bugaria. Any national drivers license is valid. Insurance coverage for Bulgaria is required, and can be arranged from home or purchased at the border.

• Tourism is one of the key sectors in Bulgaria

Due to the excellent geographical location, remarkably rich nature, divers? relief and moderate continental climate. During the last three years Bulgarian tourism has been advancing progressively.

• Rila, Pirin, the Rhodopes, Vitosha and the Balkan Mountains offer wonderful possibilities

for skiing and mountain tourism. The international resorts of Pamporovo, Borovets and Bansko allows one to enjoy some of the best skiing in Europe - with snow from Christmas to Easter.

• Bulgaria has more than 600 hot, warm and cold mineral springs

of varied physical and chemical contents, mineralization, curative gases, biologically active trace elements, temperature and curative properties that create excellent conditions for development of balneology tourism. A number of hotels with state-of-the-art equipment and skilled staff offer talasso-therapy, pearl baths, underwater massage, phyto-therapy, curative mud, inhalations, manual therapy, paraffin treatment, acupuncture, helio-prophylaxis, ozone and oxygen therapy, slimming procedures, balneo-cosmetics, etc.
Bulgaria has over 30.000 historical monuments from different historical epochs, 36 culture reserves, 330 museums and galleries all of which form an impressive base for the development of cultural tourism.

• A network of three national and nine nature parks,

a number of reserves and natural places are significant for the development of ecological tourism. Ecological routes offer special itineraries across exceptionally beautiful landscapes, including a system of facilities for reaching the most inaccessible beauty spots: gorges, steep rocks, and waterfalls.

• Many Bulgarian villages,

located in environmentally clean regions, have preserved their traditional outlook and genuine atmosphere for developing rural tourism. They are ready to open their hospitable doors to those willing to share the rich traditions and folklore, agricultural activities, preserved old crafts, and delicious and varied local cuisine.