Bulgaria worth seeing – we introduce you to five top travel destinations
A journey through Bulgaria takes you from the capital Sofia via the centrally located Plovdiv and the southern Rhodope Mountains to the Black Sea coast.
The Bulgarian capital Sofia
A tourist trip to Bulgaria begins with a stay in the capital Sofia. Depending on your departure airport in Germany, you can reach Sofia Airport in western Bulgaria in one and a half to two and a half hours. Sofia Airport is located twelve kilometers east of the city center.
The outstanding sights in Sofia include church buildings, but also theaters and museums.
The National Archaeological Museum is located in the building of a former mosque from the 15th century. The museum shows, among other things, exhibits from different regional cultures that are thousands of years old - all the way back to the Stone Age.
The former Tsar's Palace is now home to the National Art Gallery, which primarily shows Bulgarian but also international works of art.
The Ivan Vazov National Theater, which opened in 1907 and impresses with its luxurious architecture and state-of-the-art technology, is considered the most important theater in Bulgaria.
Sofia's namesake is the St. Sophia Church (“Sveta Sofia”), the second oldest church building in the city. The St. Sophia Church was built in the sixth century AD in the Byzantine architectural style.
The Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Sofia - a monument to Bulgaria's independence
The Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, completed in 1912, is the largest church in Bulgaria and a major landmark in Sofia.
The Patriarchal Cathedral of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church commemorates the 20,000 Russian soldiers who lost their lives liberating Bulgaria from Ottoman rule in the Russo-Ottoman War (1877/1878). The cathedral was named after the Russian national hero Alexander Nevsky (1220 to 1263), Prince of Novgorod and Grand Duke of Kiev.
Bulgaria was part of the Ottoman Empire for almost 500 years - between the 14th and 19th centuries. Bulgaria only became independent in 1908.
Plovdiv – long-standing historical roots
Plovdiv, the historically important and second largest city in Bulgaria after Sofia, is located 130 kilometers southeast of Sofia.
The historical roots of the city, located in the southern Trakhian plain, go back thousands of years. The oldest traces of settlement that archaeologists have been able to find in the urban area date back to the sixth millennium BC. The city was re-founded on the site of a Thracian settlement in 341 BC by Philip II of Macedon, father of Alexander the Great.
The impressive buildings from Roman times include a horseshoe-shaped stadium, which is 150 meters long and had room for 30,000 spectators, as well as an ancient theater with 7,000 seats, which took ten years to uncover (after accidental discovery).
The Plovdiv Archaeological Museum displays exhibits from the region's prehistory and early history, from the Thracian, Greek and Roman periods as well as from the Middle Ages and the period of the so-called "Bulgarian National Revival".
The Bulgarian National Revival is a period of national unification of the Bulgarians under the 500-year rule of the Ottomans. This period was characterized by radical social, cultural and political changes.
The Plovdiv Historical Museum focuses on researching the history of the city from the 15th century onwards.
In the south of Bulgaria: natural wonders in the Rhodope Mountains
Among Bulgaria's many natural attractions are the so-called Wonder Bridges (Chudnite Mostove) in the Bulgarian Rhodope Mountains, which extend in the south of the country, 80 kilometers from Plovdiv.
The Chudnite Mostove are huge rock bridges that have been formed by natural erosion over thousands of years. The longest rock arch reaches a width of 100 meters. The highest arch is 50 meters high.
Burgas - a popular destination on the Black Sea coast
The port city of Burgas is located in the south of the Bulgarian coast on the Black Sea, 340 kilometers east of Sofia. The history of the city, which dates back to Thracian-Roman times, stretches back over 3,000 years.
The city of Burgas is not only known to travelers for its location by the sea and its proximity to popular sandy beaches. Burgas is surrounded by protected lakes, which are perfect for an excursion.
Ancient and medieval settlements provide a deep insight into European history. Regular music festivals attract visitors from many nations.
