Country info for backpacking in Bulgaria

Currency

The Bulgarian unit of currency is the Lev (лев, abbreviated "лв", plural: Leva), comprised of one hundred Stotinki. The Lev is pegged to the Euro at 1.95583 Lev for one Euro. 1 Lev is roughly US$ 0.75 and UK£ 0.34. Shopkeepers and other businesses in Bulgaria will usually not accept foreign money. Bulgaria remains a largely cash economy - credit cards and other methods of payment are rare. In most cities there are many money exchange offices which are marked with signs that say "CHANGE". Most are legitimate, but some may rip you off. It is much safer to exchange your money at a bank. Banks apply little or no commissions, and generally offer good rates. Higher commissions may be applied to traveller's cheques. Old, dirty or very worn bank notes may be refused. Never exchange money out on the street. Beware of people on the street who offer high rates of exchange or who may ask you to make some change for them. Over the past years the ATM network in Bulgaria has grown considerably, making it relatively easy to obtain cash from the numerous ATMs in Sofia, as well as in all other major cities and resorts. The national credit/debit card circuit BORICA, to which all ATMs in the country are hooked up, accepts VISA/Plus, Visa Electron, MasterCard/Cirrus, Maestro, American Express, Diners Club, and a number of other cards.

Climate

Temperate; cold, damp winters; hot, dry summers

Terrain

Mostly mountains with lowlands in north and southeast highest point  Musala 2,925 m

History

A branch of the Slavs merged with the local Proto-Bulgarians, a Central Asian tribe, in the late 7th century to form the first Bulgarian state in the Balkans. In succeeding centuries, Bulgarian and the Byzantine Empires dominated South-East Europe, but by the end of the 14th century the region was overrun by the Ottoman Turks. Bulgaria regained its independence in 1878 largely due to the intervention of Russia, who clipped the wings of the declining Ottoman Empire in Bulgaria and elsewhere, and installed a minor German prince as a ruler of the newly independent country. The country's iconic heroes were all freedom fighters to a man: whether Rakovsky (Раковски), who mixed revolution and literature, Vassil Levski (Васил Левски) - the Apostle of Freedom, or Hristo Botev (Христо Ботев), poet and fighter. After a series of bloody and brutal Balkan wars, Bulgaria had the further misfortune to be occupied by the losing side in both World Wars, and fell within the Soviet sphere of influence and became a People's Republic in 1946. Communist domination was brought to a swift, but for many people illusory end in 1989; though Bulgaria went on to hold its first multi-party election since World War II, essentially socialist policies were pursued until hyperinflation and economic meltdown drove the old guard out of power in 1997. Today, reforms and democratization have brought Bulgaria into the NATO fold, with EU accession celebrated in 2007. During Communist times, the Black Sea was a favorite destination for travelors behind the Iron Curtain. Now, increasing numbers of western Europeans travel throughout the country and many have bought vacation houses near the Black Sea or in picturesque villages.

Holidays

Baba Marta (Баба Марта) (Grandma Marta), March 1. A very old Bulgarian holiday. People give each martenitsa (мартеница), a type of white-red yarn, as a symbol of health. March 3 (Трети март). The day Bulgaria celebrates its Russian-aided liberation from 500 years of Ottoman domination (1393-1878). 20th of April - 20 April 1876 is the official start day the greatest uprising of the Bulgarian people against the Ottoman rule. Gergiov den (Гергьов ден), May 6. St. George and official holiday of the Bulgarian Аrmy. Ss. Cyril and Methodius Day (Ден на Кирил и Методий), May 24. The day of St. Cyril (827-869), and St. Methodius (826-884), who created the Cyrillic alphabet. A beautiful holiday - with lots of flowers, music, and joy. Assumption Day - Golyama Bogodoritsa, August 15. There are big celebrations, especially in the main monasteries, with icons being paraded by the monks. Reunification Day (Ден на съединението), September 6. The day the two parts of Bulgaria, the independent North and East Rumelia (autonomous in the Ottoman Empire) were reunited, pejoni

Bulgaria is generally a safe country, and people are quite friendly. You should however behave according to common sense when you are outside of the main tourist areas, i.e. don't show too openly that you have money, don't dress too much like a tourist, watch your things, don't walk around the suburbs (esp. those of Sofia) at night, avoid dark streets at night. Stepping in a hole is a much greater danger in Bulgaria than getting robbed. Unlike a number of people from other former Eastern Bloc countries, Bulgarians do not feel anger or resentment towards Russians. Ask as many questions as you like. Bulgarians are a very patriotic people and tend to be very positive towards all their Slavic brothers. Many Bulgarians refuse to acknowledge the existence of a Macedonian nation, and they will insist that Macedonians are actually Bulgarians, and their language is a dialect of Bulgarian. However, Bulgarians do not show any hostility towards Macedonians, and the issue is not a very sensitive one, so you can ask people about it as much as you want. However, any traveller will notice that Bulgarians are incredibly friendly and seem very interested in talking to foreigners. Engaging in dialogue with these people is much advised and worthwhile. Certain beaches in Bulgaria may be off limits due to packs of wild dogs. These are relatively common all over Bulgaria, and are usually little more than a nuisance. However, they have been responsible for several deaths, so it is best to keep your distance.

Most food is quite safe to eat. Of course, try to avoid eating at places that are obviously not too clean. The water in Bulgaria is safe to drink from the tap. However, natural mineral water is cheap and widely available. Since Bulgaria is a mountainous country, natural springs are quite abundant and many villages have one or more mineral springs.