Bulgaria joined Europe, with Romania in 2007, and was formally part of Communist Eastern Europe. Bulgaria is located just above Turkey and mainland Greece so it benefits from a typically Mediterranean climate. It is easily reached from most UK airports and its major airports are Sofia (capital and snow destinations) Varna (Northern Black Sea coastal resorts including Golden Sands) Bourgas (Southern Black Sea coastal resorts including Sozopol, Nessebar and Sunny Beach). The flight time from the UK is about 3 hours 15 minutes.

My Local Airport - Bourgas

Transfer Time - 60 Minutes

Time Zone GMT +2 hours

Currency – Bulgarian Leva and Stotinki’s (called stinkies)! Though they are about to embrace the Euro.

Weather – Bulgaria has over 300 Sunny Days every year, and though the extremes of temperature can be high in summer and low in winter both the heat and cold are not extreme or oppressive. The country is covered with thousands of lakes great for nature lovers and bird watchers. Storks are protected and are commonplace in most villages and arrive in early summer to nest on the lamp posts!

Bulgaria used to be called ‘The garden of Russia’ and the country is very green and lush, parts of which look and feel very like the UK. One thing which attracts so many British to settle here. The soil is very fertile and everything grows prolifically including the weeds!

If one ventures out of the usual tourist destinations and heads in to the interior of the country you will immediately be struck by the apparent neglect all around but don’t be fooled, as I was, and look beyond the faded and peeling facades. Consider how the UK may look if nothing had been painted for over twenty years, and suddenly, you start to ‘get it’  and understand !

Bulgarian people are warm, fun loving, generous and friendly!

Oh yes and the landscapes and light are stunning too for painting, if these faded facades were in Venice, Bulgaria would be full of, camera clicking hordes.

So it’s our little secret ok ! It’s like the UK in the 60’s with community spirit, great food, beautiful people and room to move, and very few rules ! Your even lucky if you have an address here! Bulgaria is the Size of the UK, but with only the population of London!

Things you may not know about Bulgaria..........

Bulgaria has a rich cultural history and was known as the crossroads between Asia and Africa

The inventor of the first Electronic Computer John Atanasoff was Bulgarian !

Both Spartacus and Orpheus were Bulgarian !

See you soon!

SEASONAL PROGRAM

To help you decide when to come to Bulgaria please see below for some ideas about what you may see in any given month, obviously with Nature nothing is guaranteed.

JAN - CLOSED

FEB - CLOSED

MARCH - 01/03 BABA MARTA DAY / MARTINETZA DAY

ARRIVAL OF STORKS,SWALLOWS AND NIGHTINGALES

APRIL - SPRING HEDGEROWS INCLUDING POPPIES AND OIL RAPE SEED FIELDS

MAY - 01/05 LABOUR DAY 06/05 ST. GEORGE'S DAY

JUNE - SUMMER FIELDS INCLUDING SUNFLOWERS

JULY - 04/07 U.S INDEPENDANCE DAY

RIPENED CORN FIELDS AND SUNFLOWERS FIRST HARVESTS

AUGUST - SPIRIT OF BOURGAS MUSIC FESTIVAL

SEPTEMBER - 06/09 BULGARIAN UNION DAY

SOZOPOL NATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL END AUG - BEG SEPT

OCTOBER - START OF AUTUMN

NOVEMBER - AUTUMN

DECEMBER - WHITE CHRISTMAS

The Weather is generally very nice most of the year with 300 Sunny Days each year. Spring and Late Summer/Early Autumn are lovely times of the year. The hottest months are July and August when people work around the hottest parts of the day. And usually have  a siesta in the afternoon.