"Join the Balkanic Hora!" Bulgaria by Romanian_Bat

Bulgaria Travel Guide: 5,866 reviews and 16,829 photos

Hora on Ribnoto Ezero, Rila Mountains - Bulgaria

Sounds of the Rhodopes

Anyone looking in a guidebook can see that Bulgaria has them all, from mountains or seaside to old towns and cities. However this is not all. My greatest memory from this country is about Vesko's playing a traditional song from the Rhodopes on the bagpipe, while everyone else was dansing around him in one of those crazy, but nevertheless beautiful "horas". One of those moments in life where one forgets everything, the frost outside, worries or the frozen glacial lake underneath. One of those moments that bring back to me Sir Chris Bonington's words: "an absolute joy".

Imate Li Boza?

Deep in the Balkans: Tsarevets Fortress, V.Tarnovo

There is a thing that comes to my mind whenever talking about Bulgaria. It is called "boza" and I always join it with a piece of fresh "banitza". I like to walk down the street, enjoying my banitza and boza. In a way, it reminds me of home, in another way, it tells me so much about the country, its traditions and people. When eating what some people simply call "street food", images, memories of certain cities and towns come to me. A good reminder.

Time for Revival

Bulgarian Revival: Dimitar Georgiadi House,Plovdiv

Just like in most other sections of the Balkans, Renaissance came to Bulgaria in the 19th century, long after its peak of glory in the West. However this delay brought to surface superb and insolite shapes and forms of expression, being called the Bulgarian Revival (a term which I personally prefer in front of the Renaissance, as it does not refer to something which died and was brought back to life). I shall never forget a visit to Plovdiv on a cold autumn evening, in those quiet and deserted streets...

Find more information on some of my trips to Bulgaria in the travelogues.

Pros and Cons

Pros:A diverse country where the deeper one digs, the more he / she finds.
In a nutshell:Visit the country once to see its guidebook attractions and then return to discover its people.

Last visit to Bulgaria: May 2004
Intro Updated Jan 12, 2005
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Comments (5)

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craic May 25, 2007 at 10:40 PM

I am glad I am not your mother - I know I would worry about you.
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Jim_Eliason Jan 14, 2007 at 10:39 AM

Wow, cool mountain trek!
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delcity Sep 3, 2004 at 3:40 PM

majestically done travel log
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Andraf Jul 8, 2004 at 10:22 AM

De fiecare data cind iti citesc insemnarile ma apuca un dor de dus la munte ...
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Paperina Mar 20, 2002 at 2:15 PM

I really like your way of story-telling :-)) Interesting and