Happy first day of spring!

Yesterday, 20 March, was the day of the March equinox and the first day of spring in the Northern Hemisphere. Prompted by the warm and sunny weather we’ve had these days, trees are blooming all over Bulgaria. And according to an ancient custom, Bulgarians are tying the red-and-white yarn adornments they gave to each other on 1 March to the branches of the first blooming tree they see.

The unmistakable red-and-white items are called martenitsi (singular мартеница, martenitsa) and are an important part of Bulgarian identity… though few Bulgarians are aware that similar customs are part of the traditions of Romania, Macedonia and other places in our region too.

Listen to the captivating Bulgarian History Podcast!

Did you know that Bulgaria’s decisive help saved Constantinople — and most likely all of Europe — from Arab conquest in the 8th century? Eric Halsey knows and wants to tell you about it.

bghist-logoEric, an American from the suburbs of Washington, D.C., fell in love with Bulgaria so much that he is dead set on living in and exploring the country. Together with his Bulgarian partner Martin Christov, Eric records and publishes The Bulgarian History Podcast: a fascinating series providing an insight into Bulgaria and the Balkans’ dramatic history.

Eric and Martin aim to both increase knowledge of Bulgarian history as well as to get people to think more critically about it — after all, truth is a relative concept, especially in Balkan historiography. This makes the Bulgarian History Podcast perfect for English speakers who want to know more about our region’s volatile past.

With six episodes already released and many more to come, Eric’s podcast provides for captivating and informative listening. Give it a shot and learn about Bulgarians’ arrival to the Balkans and their epic wars with Byzantium!

High in the mountains, the Rila Monastery is a Bulgarian culture treasure trove

9 fascinating UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Bulgaria

UNESCO World Heritage Sites are among the most attractive hotspots for tourists in Bulgaria. While some of them are well-known and appreciated by thousands of people each year, a few of the sites are surprisingly somewhat off-the-beaten-track and away from traditional tourism regions. A rare chance to see another side of Bulgaria and amaze yourself!

For its relatively compact territory, Bulgaria has a large number of World Heritage Sites protected by UNESCO. Seven of these are cultural, showcasing Bulgaria’s history from the time of the Thracians through the Middle Ages to the Ottoman period, and two of them are nature reserves conserving two very different natural habitats.

Check out Bulgaria’s 9 breathtaking UNESCO World Heritage Sites below!

1. Nesebar: an ancient city-state with mesmerizingly elaborate architecture

Ancient Nesebar's unique architecture and seaside location make it a tourist favourite

Ancient Nesebar’s unique architecture and seaside location make it a tourist favourite

Nesebar’s old town is a near-island in the Black Sea, connected to the Bulgarian mainland only via a narrow isthmus. Founded by the Thracians in time immemorial, Nesebar (Messembria) was an influential colony of the Ancient Greeks and a wealthy port that changed hands between Bulgarians and Byzantines in the Middle Ages.

Nesebar’s valuable ancient heritage is very much alive. The old town is a stunning collection of antique towers and fortifications, intricately designed medieval churches in a unique style and even a curious wooden windmill.

Unfortunately, Nesebar’s proximity to the huge summer resort Sunny Beach means the ancient city is crowded in summer. Avoid the lines and pay a visit out of season for a serene and mysterious cultural experience.

  • How to get there: Nesebar is not far north of Burgas, the terminus of the Trakia motorway from Sofia. There are regular direct buses from Sofia both in and out of season.

2. Rila Monastery: the beacon of Bulgarian spirit

High in the mountains, the Rila Monastery is a Bulgarian culture treasure trove

High in the mountains, the Rila Monastery is a Bulgarian culture treasure trove

High in the foothills of the Rila Mountains lies the legendary Rila Monastery. Surrounded by thick stone walls, the monastery has survived for more than a millennium since its foundation by the hermit John of Rila, Bulgaria’s national saint, in the early 10th century. Ever since, the monastery has been one of the most influential centres of Bulgarian culture and art.

The Rila Monastery’s elegant main church and living quarters mostly date from the 19th century. With their unmistakable striped decoration and gentle arches they are lauded as a masterpiece of the Bulgarian National Revival style. The oldest building in the complex is the monumental stone Tower of Hrelyo (Hrelja), built by a local lord of Serbian origin in the 14th century.

The monastery’s surrounding forest is a protected area worth a hike and many trails lead from it into the higher parts of Rila, including the sharp pyramids of Malyovitsa.

  • How to get there: There’s a direct bus line from Sofia to the Rila Monastery leaving every day at 10:20 from Ovcha Kupel bus station (take the 5 tram from behind the Sofia Court House near Serdika metro station to get there). Alternatively, you can catch the more regular buses to the town of Dupnitsa and hop on another one to the monastery from there.

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Gorgeous snowy Vitosha in March

Gorgeous snowy Vitosha in March

One of Vitosha’s ‘stone rivers’ up in the Bistrishko Branishte biosphere reserve.

With a combination of pleasant spring weather and fresh snow from Monday’s snow storm, Sofia’s very own mountain Vitosha was absolutely stunning this weekend. The skiing and snowboarding conditions seemed to be perfect on the Aleko ski runs as well!

Enjoy a delightful spring week and check out some other things to do in the Bulgarian capital!

Reasons to follow this blog

3 reasons why you should follow this blog

If you’re run into kashkaval tourist coincidentally, you may be wondering what this is all about. And no coincidence, for a Balkan person it’s very easy to just keep on rambling about different things and to deviate from the topic of conversation into “spicier” topics like football, politics and, yes, sex.

To keep this blog structured – both for your easy reading and for my own mental health – here are a few reasons why you would keep on following this blog.

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Seawolves of the Black Sea coasts

Bulgarian film company Agitprop’s latest documentary, The Last Black Sea Pirates (directed by Svetoslav Stoyanov and Vanya Rainova), promises to be another engaging story brilliantly capturing the Balkan spirit. Unsurprisingly, it has been one of the highlights of the currently running Sofia International Film Festival.

In recent decades, the Bulgarian Black Sea coast has undergone a very disputed gentrification into a mass tourism hotspot. However, isolated bays still harbour colourful fishermen who spend their days drinking and dreaming of lost treasures.

The film debuted in April 2013 in Switzerland. Its Bulgarian premiere was on 11 March 2014 at Lumière Cinema in Sofia. The next screening is at the House of Cinema (37 Ekzarh Yosif Street, opposite the Central Market Hall) at 4 pm on 17 March.

16 Bulgarian food classics you cannot afford to miss

Bulgarian food is tasty, fresh and hearty. Bulgaria is famous for its quality vegetables and dairy products and its variety of mild spices. Pork and chicken are the most common forms of meat, though seafood, fish and veal dishes are also popular and lamb has a special traditional place in Bulgarian cooking.

While many of the staples of Bulgarian cuisine you would also find in Turkey, Greece or Serbia, in Bulgaria each of those has its own local flavour to set it apart from the Balkan neighbours’ version. From hearty salads through delicious pastries to grilled meat classics, here’s 16 Bulgarian dishes you absolutely must try during your stay in the country!

1. Baked extravaganza: banitsa (баница)

Baked extravaganza: banitsa (баница)

Baked extravaganza: banitsa (баница)

This piece of greasy pastry deliciousness can be purchased in bakeries all over the country. Its standard variety includes a filling of feta-like white cheese (сирене, sirene), though varieties filled with onions, cabbage, spinach, mushrooms or pumpkin can also be found. For your sweet tooth, you can also try banitsa with apples and walnuts. Banitsa in any of its forms is an inseparable part of a traditional Bulgarian breakfast. Combine it with the thick fermented wheat drink boza for a quintessential Bulgarian experience.

Holiday tip: careful when chewing your piece of banitsa at Christmas or New Year’s Eve! On those dates, banitsa is filled with lucky paper charms which are sometimes easy to chew through. The luckiest piece will contain the coin which means you’ll enjoy a very successful year ahead of you.

  • Standard price: 1.50-2 BGN (1.25-1 €)

2. King of the grill: kebapche (кебапче)

King of the grill: kebapche

King of the grill: kebapche

The Bulgarian cousin of former Yugoslavia’s famous ćevapčići and Romanian mititei, a kebapche is the perfect side dish to a glass of cold Bulgarian beer on a summer day. Though Bulgarians may argue about that, whether the beer is a Kamenitza or a Zagorka makes no big difference. The important part is that the kebapcheta are at least three and include some kind of sides, usually French fries with grated sirene cheese on top, to make the classic “three kebapcheta with sides” (тройка кебапчета с гарнитура, troyka kebapcheta s garnitura).

The dish itself is an elongated piece of grilled minced meat, comparable in shape and size, though not in contents, to a hot dog. As with the smaller ćevapčići that you can taste in Serbia, the meat is usually a mix of pork and beef, though it can be solely pork just as well. A beef version exists, but is uncommon and will normally be labeled as such. Typically, spices like black pepper and cumin will be added to the meat, for a mildly spicy taste.

  • Standard price: 1-2 BGN (0.50-1 €)

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8 tourist activities to make the most of the capital Sofia

You may have wandered into Sofia as part of a wider European trip or a tour of the Balkans. While Sofia is by no means Bulgaria’s top holiday destination, it is nevertheless a very pleasant and green capital city with plenty of tourist attractions to explore. Sofia can serve as a great introduction to Bulgaria and can give you a very good idea of what Southeastern Europe look and feels like.

So, what are the top 8 places to visit and things to do for visitors of Sofia?

8. See a controversial Soviet monument turned street art canvas

In pace with the times

In pace with the times. Photo credit: Ignat Ignev, Wikipedia

In recent years, the Monument to the Soviet Army (just off the Sofia University metro station) has made headlines all over the world with the multiple graffiti makeovers it has been given by anonymous Bulgarian street artists. In 2011, some of the main statues of Soviet soldiers were repainted as American comic book and pop culture heroes (including Superman, Captain America, the Joker and Ronald McDonald). This art action was a clever hint at the changing fashions – once culturally tied to the Soviet Union, today Bulgaria looks west for its cultural influences.

Other makeovers have been even more politically charged – Guy Fawkes masks were followed by Pussy Riot balaclavas and an apology to the Czech Republic for the Bulgarian participation in the Prague Spring. Most recently, the monument was used as a canvas to support the Ukrainian Revolution.

7. Feel the cosmopolitan spirit of Vitosha Boulevard

Vitosha Boulevard is lined with boutique shops and stylish cafés

Vitosha Boulevard is lined with boutique shops and stylish cafés

Vitosha Boulevard is Sofia’s main shopping street. A pedestrianized thoroughfare, its main part runs from the Saint Nedelya Church to the grand National Palace of Culture. Vitosha Boulevard is lined with comfortable cafés to sit in and engage in some people watching. If you’re hungry, you can have lunch or dinner at an Irish pub, an Italian restaurant or a Chinese fast food place.

Not far from Vitosha Boulevard, along Graf Ignatiev Street, is Slaveykov Square, well known for its open-air book market. Browse the dozens of stalls selling all kinds of literature in a multitude of languages, from romantic novels to political and scientific volumes.

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Lake Elena in all its glory en route to the summit

Conquer the Alpine pinnacle of Malyovitsa on a heroic hike in Rila

In this series I present amazing hikes in the Bulgarian mountains – all of them personally tested and tried – to enjoy the most unforgettable trekking experience in Bulgaria!

Rila, located in the southwest of Bulgaria, is the highest mountain range in the Balkans and all the way from the Alps to the Caucasus. Rila is relatively compact and very walkable even for inexperienced tourists, with a large variety of entertaining trails to choose from.

It is no coincidence that Rila’s name means “well-watered mountain” in the ancient Thracian tongue – the mountain range is abundant in groups of scenic glacial lakes, mighty waterfalls and hot mineral springs (including a boiling geyser!) to discover.

  • In a nutshell: single-day summit hike, 6-8 hours there and back
  • Getting to the starting line: In summer, plenty of buses go to Samokov and then to Malyovitsa from South Bus Station (avtogara Yug, автогара Юг) in Sofia. If no direct buses are available, you should get to Samokov and arrange transport from there (some 25 km away).
  • Accommodation: not necessary, but there are options at Samokov, Govedartsi, Malyovitsa Ski Centre and Malyovitsa Hut
The forested foothills of Rila from above Malyovitsa Hut

The forested foothills of Rila from above Malyovitsa Hut

The Malyovitsa ridge doesn’t rank among Rila’s highest parts, but with its 2729 metres (8953 ft), it’s quite a challenge nonetheless. What it impresses most with, however, are the steep pyramidal peaks of the eponymous Maloyvitsa and its little sister Little Malyovitsa – the former one a proper ascent you can pride yourself on.

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