Tourism in Bulgaria

Bulgaria, a hospitable country with rich historical and cultural heritage, and spactacular natural landscapes, is one of the most visited tourist destinations in Europe. To illustrate: while in 2006 the country hosted an estimated 7 million foreign visitors, to date, in 2007, the visitors count 5 million . The tourists enojoy diversity of recreational possibilities - historical cities and towns, luxurious summer beaches, highly-developed mountain ski resorts. New types of tourism, such as - cultural and architectural-historic tours, eco-tourism, and adventure tours, complement and expand the more traditional range of services available to the foreign visitors.

Traditional Tourism

In both summer and winter, the tourists enjoy the best that the country offers: a unique blend of spectacular natural landscapes, historic ambiance, and warm Bulgarian hospitality. Winter tourist centers, such as Borovetz, Bansko, Pamporovo and Vitosha are picturesque and popular ski resorts. The Bulgarian summer resorts along the Black Sea coast, include popular destinations, such as the summer resorts: Sozopol, Nessebur, Golden Sands, Sunny Beach, Sveti Vlas, Albena and St. St. Constantine & Helena.

Tourism, as an industry, has been a traditional and important source of economic growth. Over the past decade, the country has become increasing popular as tourist destination, resulting in significant economic growth. A meeting place for the former "West" and the former "East," now Bulgaria provides an amicable common ground for them both: some guests, such as the germans, russians or scandinavians favoure the summer beach resorts, while winter tourism, and the ski resorts are the favorites of the british.

Emerging Forms of Tourism

In addition to the traditional forms of tourism, new emerging types of tourist activities, such as "ethno-tourism" and "architectural-cultural" tourism, are increasingly gaining ground, catering to smaller market niches and specialized tastes. These are new types of tours, which involve interaction with and living amongst the local people, in small and picturesque mountain villages. Although far from five star hotels and luxury shops, these tours have become increasingly popular.

For the more adventurous, active recreation, involving mountain hiking and bike tourism, provides closer and more immediate connection with nature. Climbers like scaling the granite mountains of Rila, Pirin and the Balkan. Hikers enjoy the charm of the mountains of Vitosha and the Rhodopes - the latter being the mythical birthplace of Orpheus. Mountain biking, and bicycle racing are also popular recreations, and Bulgaria is one of only six countries to annually host the official 1,200 km Randonnees - ultra-marathon bicycle rides patterned after Paris-Brest-Paris.

Cultural and Historic Tourism

Situated at the crossroads of the East and West, Bulgaria has been home to many civilizations - Thracians, Slavs, Romans, Byzantines, Proto-Bulgarians, and Ottomans, yet the visitors enjoy experiencing not only the rich historical heritage, but also the richness of the living Bulgarian culture.

Although Bulgaria is rich in historical artifacts, many of the museums and monasteries still need to be properly advertised and maintained, and some of the most interesting heritage sites may not be easily accessible, due to poor infrastructure. Yet, some visitors regard such "underdevelopment" as desirable - those who prefer to experience history first-hand rather than look at artefacts behind glass.

Popular Destinations

• Summer Resorts
  • Albena Ahtopol Balchik Dyuni Elenite Golden Sands Kiten Lozenets Nessebar Obzor Pomorie Primorsko Riviera Rusalka Sinemorets Sozopol St. Constantine St. Vlas Sunny Beach Tsarevo

• Winter Resorts
  • Bansko Chepelare Borovetz Pamporovo Uzana Vitosha

• Rural Tourism
  • Arbanasi Bozhentsi Kumani Ethnographic museum Etara Shiroka Laka Tryavna Zheravna Orehovo Madzharovo

• City Tourism
  • Sofia Varna Burgas Plovdiv Rousse Kardzhali

• Hiking
  • Balkan Mountains Pirin Mountains Rila Mountains Rhodopi Mountains Strandzha Mountains Sakar Mountains Vitosha Mountains

• Paragliding
  • Central Balkan Mountains

• Monasteries
  • Rila Monastery Rozhen Monastery Bachkovo Monastery
  • Drianovo Monastery Pomorie Monastery
  • Sokolsky Monastery Troyan Monastery The Assumption Monastery in Kardzhali town

• Most Picturesque Bulgarian Villages (per National Geographic, January 2005)
  • 1. Orehovo
  • 2. Narechen

External links

• National Museum of History
• Ecotourism
• Official Bulgaria Tourism Website