Tourism in Bulgaria

Tourism in Bulgaria is divided into several areas, which include recreation and beach tourism, hunting tourism, winter sports and cultural tourism are. Since the late 1990s, especially mass tourism has developed very strongly on the Black Sea coast. 2011 Bulgaria was visited by about 8.5 million tourists.

  • 2.6.1 National Parks
  • 2.6.2 Nature Reserves
  • 3.1 bath Tourism / mass tourism
  • 3.2 Sport Tourism
  • 3.3 Cultural Tourism
  • 3.4 Religious Tourism
  • 3.5 Wellness Tourism

Facts and Figures

2006 visited until the end of September 4,267,461 foreign tourists Bulgaria. Among them were 491 897 German, 287 320 Romanians, 201 283 Russians, Czechs 118 531, 114 020 Poles, 81,708 Ukrainians, 54,549 Irish and 53,188 visitors from the United States. The number of visitors increased by 5.39% compared to last year. Over the first eight months of 2006, revenue from international tourism amounted to some 1.55 billion euros.

Destinations and sights

Destinations on the Black Sea coast

  • Acheloj
  • Burgas
  • Achtopol
  • Albena
  • Balchik
  • Byala
  • Djuni
  • Kawarna
  • Kiten
  • Kranevo
  • Losenez
  • Nessebar
  • Obzor
  • Pomorie
  • Primorsko
  • Rawda
  • Riviera
  • Rusalka
  • Sinemorets
  • Sun beach
  • Slatni pjassazi
  • Sozopol
  • Saints Constantine and Elena
  • Sveti Vlas
  • Chernomorets
  • Varna
  • Zarevo

Destinations inland

  • Sofia, Bulgaria's capital and largest city of the country
  • Plovdiv, the second largest city in the country, known for its picturesque old town
  • Veliko Tarnovo, one of the former capitals
  • Mountains: Rila, Pirin, Balkan, Rhodope

Winter sports areas

UNESCO World Heritage Site

Heritage

  • Rila Monastery: The monastery lies in the same Rila Mountain is located 117 kilometers south of Sofia, at an altitude of 1147 meters above sea level. It was founded by the hermit Ivan Rilski students in the 10th century. In the Middle Ages the monastery of many Tsars received rich gifts and became an important social and cultural center. The present form dates from the 19th century, when the monastery was rebuilt after a fire, and is a typical example of the Bulgarian Renaissance. The Rila monastery was included in the list of World Heritage Sites in 1983.
  • Boyana Church: 8 km south of the city center of Sofia, at the foot of Mount Vitosha is the 1979 recorded in the UNESCO list church. Originally conceived as a fortress it is for extensions today to a three-part church complex, which is known for a fresco from 1259. This is one of the most important examples of medieval Eastern European painting.
  • Rock Churches of Ivanovo: This group of churches, chapels and monasteries were added to the list of World Heritage Sites in 1979. They are located 22 km to the southwest of Ruse and 73 km ( straight line ) from the old Bulgarian capital Veliko Tarnovo away. It involves in natural caves carved into limestone and their extensions from the 13th to the 17th century. The Rock Church of the Virgin Mary is the central church and has the most beautiful frescoes.
  • Old Town of Nessebar: Situated on a rocky peninsula town of Nessebar was added to the World Heritage Site in 1983. It is located 27 kilometers (direct distance ) north of Bourgas on the Black Sea coast. The settlement history began about 3000 years ago with the Thracians, in the 6th century BC Nessebar became the Greek colony. Due to their proximity to the sun beach, the old town has become a magnet for visitors. Worth seeing are the remains of the Thracian fortifications, a temple of Apollo, the Basilica Stara Mitropolja, the medieval fortress and an archaeological museum. Today's cityscape is dominated by the typical for the Bulgarian Revival period wooden houses, in the place the 11 colored obtained from formerly 40 churches accents.
  • Rock relief of the Madara Horseman: The small village of Madara is about 18 km from Shoumen and 62 km from Varna ( air line). Nearby is the 100 meter high cliff, in the probably in the 9th century AD, the relief of a horseman was carved, fighting a lion. The rock relief Madara belongs since 1979 to the UNESCO World Heritage Site.
  • Thracian Tomb of Kazanlak by: About 30 km from Stara Zagora away in the middle of Rose Valley is the town of Kazanlak, is to be found in the immediate vicinity of the Thracian Tomb. It is dated to the 4th century BC. Inside the tomb, the best-preserved wall paintings can be seen from the Hellenic period in Bulgaria. The Thracian Tomb of Kazanlak of was added to the stock of the world cultural heritage in 1979.
  • Thracian Tomb of Sveshtari: The village Sveshtari located 42 kilometers northeast of Razgrad. The lying near Thracian tomb discovered in 1982 belongs since 1985 as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. It is characterized by unique architectural decorations, the Caryatids, where it is polychrome half-human, half- plant figures. The grave system is assigned to the 3rd century BC.

Natural Heritage

  • Srebarna Biosphere Reserve: There is a 900 -acre biosphere reserve on the border with Romania, about a kilometer south of the Danube and 19 kilometers from the town of Silistra. It is a breeding workshop for 99 species of birds, such as the Dalmatian pelican, a total of 233 different species come before, including many migratory birds. The protected area is not accessible to the public. A Natural History Museum provides information about the flora and fauna of the biosphere reserve Srebarna.
  • Pirin National Park: The National Park Pirin covers an area of ​​40,000 hectares at an altitude 950-2915 meters and is situated in Southwestern Bulgaria, south of Bansko. He belongs to the same Pirin Mountains and comprises the second highest mountain in Bulgaria, the 2915 meter high Vihren. The landscape is dominated by granite, old black pine trees and 176 funnel lakes. In the lower regions, there are more than 70 hot springs. Among the activities that are available within the park include skiing, mountain climbing and hiking. Also develop eco - tourism and wine to alternatives. The park receives annually 300000-500000 visitors.

Excavations

Nature Reserves and Parks

National Parks

The three National Parks in Bulgaria together have an area of ​​1920 square kilometers, ie 1.73% of the land area.

  • Central Balkan National Park ( Bulg Национален парк Централен Балкан, 71 670 hectares): The park extends over the middle and upper portions of the in- Central Bulgaria part of the Balkan Mountains. Here's more than half of the entire Bulgarian plant species to be found. The highest, the park belonging peak is Botev peak with 2376 meters. Possible activities include hiking and ecotourism, as there are also ten equestrian trails and four mountain bike trails in the Balkan National Park in addition to the many hiking trails. Visitors have a total of 1434 beds available, which can be reached over thirteen entrances to the park. In addition to road connections there are also numerous bus links to the surrounding towns.
  • Rila National Park ( Bulg Национален парк Рила, 81,000 hectares)
  • Pirin National Park ( Bulg Национален парк Пирин, 40,000 hectares): see section Summary Heritage above

Nature Reserves

Bulgaria has 10 nature parks covering a total area of ​​2891 square kilometers and thus 2.6 % of the country.

  • Bulgarka ( Българка, 21,772 acres ). The park extends over the northern slopes of the central Balkan Mountains, and has existed since September 9, 2002 Back to the park is forested to 80 % (of which 65 % Book ), include the Museum Shipka Busludja and the Open Air Museum Etara. In the animal world, among others, golden jackal, deer, deer, badger, pine marten, wolf, brown bear, golden eagle and white-backed woodpecker are represented.
  • Shumen Plateau ( 3930 hectares)
  • Persina ( 21 762 hectares)
  • Rila Monastery ( 27,371 hectares)
  • Rusenski Lom ( 3259 hectares)
  • Persina ( 6685 hectares): The Nature Park Persina located along the Danube and serves primarily to protect the numerous islands.
  • Sinite Kamani ( 116 136 hectares)
  • Beach Saddle ( 26,607 acres )
  • Vitosha ( 30,130 hectares)
  • Wratschanski Balkans ( 30,130 hectares)
  • Slatni pjassazi (1320 hectares)

Kinds of tourism

Beach tourism / mass tourism

  • Golden Sands ( gold beach )
  • Sunny Beach ( Sunny beach )

Sport Tourism

  • Alpine Trail Com- Emine

Cultural Tourism

Bulgaria offers numerous cultural treasures and archaeological sites. With the support of the European Union representative targets were recognized and encouraged in all parts of the country - this includes, for example, the project Rhodopes - in the footsteps of Orpheus and Eyridike.

Religious Tourism

The religious tourism, pilgrimage or tourism, focused on monasteries. As the newest center while the Sweti Joan prodrome monastery is in Kardzhali. In the monastery, which was one of the largest Christian Orthodox eparchies in the Medieval Centre, during excavations parts of the cross of Jesus were found. Parts of these relics will kept in the cathedral of Burgas.

  • Rila Monastery

Wellness Tourism

  • Sandanski
  • Pomorie
  • Hisarya
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