Bulgarian
Dreams > Bulgaria
Tourist Information
"Legend has it that
when God was giving lands to the peoples of the world
he forgot the Bulgarians. To set things right he took
a piece of Heaven and gave it to them."
Situated in Southeastern Europe, Bulgaria occupies
the northeastern part of the Balkan Peninsula. The country’s
total territory is 111,000 sq. km. It has a 378 km borderline
with the Black Sea to the east. Bulgaria also neighbors
Macedonia and Serbia and Montenegro to the west, Romania
to the north and Greece and Turkey to the south.
Bulgaria possesses a varied relief, in the altitude
range from 0 to 2,925 m. Its territory includes part
of the lower Danube Plain, The Balkan Range –
part of the Alpine-and-Himalayan chain, part of the
Thracian lowland and to the south – the mountain
structures of the Macedonian-Thracian massif. The predominant
climate in Bulgaria is moderate and transitional continental
with plenty of sunlight days per year. There are four
seasons, with warm summer and snowy winter. The average
yearly temperature is 10.5 °C.
The Bulgarian mountains which occupy half of the country’s
territory, are easily accessible, and are a prime destination
for both winter and summer tourist activities, including
skiing, hiking, fishing, canoeing. The major mountain
ranges are Rila, Pirin, Rhodope and Stara Planina. Mussala
peak in the Rila mountain range is the highest point
on the Balkan peninsula.
Much of the Black sea coast is covered by long beaches
with fine white sand. The sea itself is non-tidal, less
salty and warmer than the Mediterranean. The tourism
sector has flourished in recent years and holds a firm
lead in the Bulgarian economy.
Varied Landscape
The country offers a mixture of quiet rural scenery
and villages that have preserved their unique spirit
of old times, and modern cities pulsating with the rhythm
of growing business activity and ever changing fashions.
Regardless of your mood and interests, you will always
find something intriguing and fascinating in this small
piece of land.
Hot Mineral Spas
Bulgaria is famous for its natural hot mineral water
springs – 1600 of them altogether. They present
excellent opportunities for health tourism. The country
is very rich in ancient monuments and artifacts from
different epochs in its 1300 year old history and beyond.
Thracians, Romans, Slavs, Greeks and Turks have left
their mark and heritage to be appreciated by locals
and tourists alike. The country has 9 UNESCO World Culture
Heritage sites. Numerous monasteries, churches and mosques,
some having hundreds of years of history, present a
compelling attraction to every tourist.
Politics
Bulgaria’s political system is a parliamentary
republic. After the fall of communism in 1989 the country
has started on the road to democratic reforms and has
achieved significant progress in recent years. It has
a sustained GDP growth of 4.8%, a stable political system
and highly trained workforce. As of March 2004 the country
is member of NATO and is invited to join the European
Union in 2007. |
