15 Essentials: what to see in Bulgaria in 5, 6 or 7 days

After the recent trip through the country, I can tell you that Bulgaria It has been a pleasant surprise as a destination.

Before travel to Bulgaria, knew practically nothing about the attractions of the country, beyond the Rila Monastery, declared place Heritage awarded by the Unesco.

But now I can tell you that I have discovered very interesting sites, and a country where it is really worth doing a tourism trip.

In my case it was a eight day trip designed to measure awarded by the VB local agency, of which here I summarize how my experience has been good experience.

On this trip the objective at the time of its design was to make a route through the essential places to visit in Bulgaria, in a varied route in which the visit of the main destinations was not missing.

On this trip they alternated historic cities as Plovdiv y Veliko Tarnovo who have been outstanding protagonists in the history of the country.

As well beautiful and charming towns, which show you the image of the most rural Bulgaria, As is the case Bozhentsi, Bansko o Triavna.

Historical places like valley of the Thracian Tombs, and orthodox monasteries, in addition to Rila's, like those of Bachkovo y Sokolsky.

And, of course, natural regions with a special attraction that is part of the Bulgarian tradition, such as the Valley of the Roses, in the absence of a future trip to know the region of the Rila Lakes.

Best places to see and visit for tourism in Bulgaria

In order to plan your future trip to bulgaria I'm going to highlight you 15 attractive places that you should include in your route.

The best things to see in Sofia in Bulgaria

Of course, when you travel to Bulgaria you will fly to Sofia, but my first advice is that you spend as little time as possible visiting the country's capital.

You can get to know the most interesting places in its historic center in half a day, which, taking into account the schedules of your return flights, may even be good for you to visit on one of those days.

In your walk through the center of Sofia You will see buildings from the most diverse eras and architectural styles, such as classical buildings or the large buildings of gray communist architecture.

To highlight the 4th century church, the oldest in Sofia, located in the San Jorge Roundabout, the large central courtyard of the current presidential palace.

Very close is the great Banya Bashi Mosque, from the 16th century, a sign of the presence of the Turks in Bulgaria for several centuries, and in front, a large synagogue, the largest by its size that is preserved in the Eastern Europe.

Now, the great Sofia icon monument is St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, built in 1912 in memory of those who fell in the Russo-Turkish War (1877-1878) which led to the departure of the Ottomans from Bulgaria.

Visit the Rila Monastery in Bulgaria

El Rila monastery It is, without a doubt, that type of place that justifies a trip to a destination to know.

Lost in a mountain area, among leafy forests, and an hour and a half away Sofia, when you enter the fortified precinct of the monastery you will surely be impressed by the image you will see.

Although its origins date back to the 10th century, the current monastic complex was built in the 14th century and has become the Bulgarian spiritual center.

The fact that the Ottoman sultans themselves protected it during the long occupation of said country by the Turks will help you with its rise and importance.

All the mural paintings that cover the ceilings and walls of the church located in the large central patio that opens into the complex will surely focus your attention, as will the great decoration of the interior.

At monastery museum You will be able to see artistic objects from various periods in the history of the monastery.

Visit Bansko in Bulgaria

Not far from the monastery, an hour and a half to the south, you have an example of a mountain village located at the foot of the Pirin mountains, where one of the National Parks the country.

Is Bansko, pretty village where you will have good examples of country architecture, and a very visited place in winter as it is an accommodation center with hotels and resort for those who go to ski resortsi of said mountains.

There you will see examples of the fortified houses from the 18th and 19th centuries, with thick stone walls and small windows.

You can also visit a church with the characteristic Orthodox decoration, whose tower is separated from the main building, as is usual in most churches. bulgarian orthodox churches.

This was because during the occupation of the country, the Turks prohibited the construction of bell towers, which were erected after their expulsion.

Visit Plovdiv in Bulgaria

Although until now I suppose that, as in case, Plovdiv It was an unknown place, in the coming months we will have the opportunity to hear about this town because it has been declared European City of Culture 2019 awarded by the European Union.

I'll tell you what Plovdiv es one of the oldest cities in Europe since it dates back to 4.000 BC when the ancients arrived in this region of eastern Europe. Thracians coming from Asia.

And also him great roman theater which was brought to light during the communist era.

En Plovdiv You will see outstanding examples of the Turkish presence, such as the great mosque, but above all you must walk through the Old City that extends over two hills, where you will see houses from the 18th and 19th centuries in the style balkan baroque.

In this historic area you will also see small museums and diverse artisan shops.

Visit the Bachkovo Monastery in Bulgaria

Apart from Rila's, one of the orthodox monasteries what you can know in Bulgaria is the Bachkovo.

Located less than an hour south of Plovdiv, in the King's Valley, Bachkovo monastery It was founded in the 10th century, although during the first waves of the Turkish occupation it was destroyed.

Rebuilt at the end of the 15th century, its great attraction is the numerous wall paintings, most of them from the 19th century, although the artistic jewel of the complex is the old refectory where the monks ate, which preserves paintings from the 17th century.

You will also be struck by the 17th century golden iconostasis of the main of the two churches in the monastery.

Visit the Valley of Roses in Bulgaria

If you travel in May, you route through Bulgaria It will be incomplete if you do not visit the one known as Valley of the Roses, an area located north of the great plain where it is located Plovdiv, which is the place in the world where the most rose oil is produced.

Already at the feet of the Balkan Mountains, this valley in spring is covered with roses, which are collected for production rose oil following a tradition that dates back to the 17th century.

Known as the liquid gold, because it is more expensive than gold (a liter of rose oil costs between 10.000 and 14.000 euros), the clients of the distilleries in this valley are the most prestigious cosmetic and pharmaceutical brands in the world.

In your trip to Bulgaria in May You can see the fields covered in roses, and throughout the year you can visit one of the distilleries where they tell you about this liquid gold and they explain how it is produced.

Where and how to see the Thracian Tombs in Bulgaria

This area of ​​the region of Stara Zagora is also known as the Valley of the Thracian Kings Well, there are several concentrated there tombs from the Thracian era.

Is archaeological monuments declared Heritage awarded by the Unesco, which date back to the 4th and 5th centuries BC

As you circulate through the valley you can visit some of 10 graves which are cataloged and open to the public.

In these tombs, sovereigns of the Thracians or rich people were buried, along with the woman who was considered the favorite and, in the anteroom, her horse.

All of them have a different configuration, from the simplest to those with several rooms,

There were tombs in which the person for whom it was intended was not buried, as he had died somewhere far away, although the objects and gifts that the entire community gave as gifts were kept.

Two of the Thracian tombs that you can visit are Kazakhlak, which was found by chance in 1944 while shelters were being built.

And also that of Kostmatka, where you will see the original tomb, which is oriented towards the sun that entered to the bottom to illuminate the body.

How to Visit Shipka Russian Orthodox Church in Bulgaria

As you are heading from the province of Stara Zagora Until the Gabrovo crossing the Balkan Mountains by shipka port, when you start to ascend you find a great russian orthodox church.

This is the shipka church, of Russian architectural style with golden domes, which is part of the Shipchensky monastery founded by the Russians at the end of the 19th century.

The church was completed in 1902 in commemoration of the aforementioned Russo-Turkish War, whose bloodiest battles took place in the aforementioned port, and its construction was financed by the Russians.

You will see that it is a very beautiful building with a cross-shaped nave and three apses.

Visit the Shipka Monument in Bulgaria

Precisely also to commemorate these battles, since the shipka port You can climb to the highest point of the mountain where a great monument is located.

When you park the car, to get to the Shipka monument You will still have to climb a very wide and long staircase that will lead you to the tower-shaped monument itself, which houses a museum.

Around it you will see various trenches with cannons that were used in that war.

Rural architecture in Bozhensti in Bulgaria

If there is a town to recommend for being the best example of the rural architecture in Bulgaria, that is Bozhensti, considered as architectural reserve.

Located near the city of Gabrovo, and lost among mountains with lush forests, I can tell you that to a large extent, when you walk through its cobbled streets you will have the feeling of finding yourself in a mountain town in Asturias.

You will walk along paths between houses that in their construction combine stone with white half-timbered facades and slate roofs, which are distributed in the forest, on the mountainside.

Undoubtedly, Bozhensti is a fairy tale town About whose attractiveness I will give you the information that to access it you have to pass a barrier with a numerical control that in this way ensures that it is not invaded by tourists.

Craftsmen at the Etara ethnographic museum in Bulgaria

Along these same lines, outside the city ​​of Gabrovo is the Etara ethnographic complex, a place where in the form of a living museum you will see various examples of the Bulgarian rural architecture.

Founded in 1966, the base of this complex now widely visited by tourists are the traditional houses lined up next to a river, where several artisans They carried out various activities taking advantage of the power of the waters.

In addition to the houses and original workshops, you will also see a group of houses that emulate the rural architecture of the country, where other artisans have established themselves.

In this way in the Etara ethnographic museum You can see work from one of the most prestigious icon artists in Bulgaria today, to craftsmen of cutlery, wooden objects, carpets or bagpipes.

Sokolski Monastery in Gabrovo in Bulgaria

As well near the city of Gabrovo You can visit the Sokolsky monastery, which was founded from a small wooden church that was built in 1833.

It is located in a parque natural which protects a beech forest, and although it was initially a monastery for monks, in 1944 the nuns from another monastery that was destroyed by the communists were moved there.

Since then Sokolsky is a nuns monastery of which, currently, only one remains.

When you enter the premises you will see a beautiful garden with a circular stone fountain in the center of it.

But specifically you must go down to the little church next to said patio, which shows great decoration with a golden iconostasis and mural paintings on walls and ceilings.

Visit Tryavna in Bulgaria

Another very beautiful place, almost like a fairy tale, that you can visit in a trip through Bulgaria es Tryavna, a small city of barely 10.000 inhabitants, which is also very visited by tourists.

Located in this central region of the country, it is the best representation of the era of the Renacimiento Bulgarian of the 17th century.

En Tryavna You will see houses from the 17th to 19th centuries, and as you walk through its streets you will see beautiful architectural corners.

You can also visit a wood carving museum in an 18th century house, the Daskalova House, which is known and appreciated throughout Bulgaria for its wooden roofs.

La Tryavna Orthodox Church It dates from the 19th century, when it was built to replace the original from the 11th century that had been destroyed by the Turks.

It is worth visiting its interior because its iconostasis is, together with that of Rila monastery, the most famous in Bulgaria.

Visit Veliko Tarnovo in Bulgaria

Maybe you don't know, as it happened to me before travel to Bulgaria, if there is a city with a lot of history in this Eastern European country, it is Veliko Tarnovo.

Located in the north of the country, it was the capital of Bulgaria in medieval times, until the Turks arrived in 1394.

La Veliko Tarnovo Medieval was spread over three fortified enclosures located on the hills between which a river meanders, and on the main hill there was a Royal Palace.

The current of Veliko Tarnovo It occupies the hills where the Turks extended the city, and has a spectacular location on the river, so that in some way it can remind you of the city of Cuenca with their houses hanging.

In your visit of Veliko Tarnovo you should go looking for the best Panoramic views of the city from the various viewpoints located on the terraces of bars, restaurants and other establishments.

And you must also visit the old walled enclosure where the remains of the ancient Royal Palace.

Visit Arbanasi in Bulgaria

Very close to Veliko Tarnovo you find another little one town considered an architectural reserve, Arnabasi.

Also from medieval times, its origin is due to the wedding of a Bulgarian tsar with a Greek princess, who missed her country, so they invited her family and friends to come and live in the town.

Large houses were built there, so that now in the Arnabasi's visit you will see buildings from the 17th century that mix the traditional bulgarian architecture with the Greek.

En Arnabasi you can visit a great house from that time, the Konstantzaliev House, as well as the 16th century church, with a curious stone building with a flattened floor plan, without a bell tower.