Information on Bulgaria

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A summary of basic information on Bulgaria will help you plan your travels. Learn about different aspects of the country.

Country Profile
Bulgaria is a country bursting with ancient monasteries, churches, mosques, and Roman ruins, located in the very heart of the Balkan Peninsula. It is bordered on the north by Romania, on the east by the Black Sea, on the south by Turkey and Greece, and on the west by Yugoslavia and Macedonia.

Relief
More than half of Bulgaria is hilly or mountainous, its average elevation being about 480 meters. The great Balkan Mountains stretch across the country from the northwest corner to the Black Sea, where its coastline is littered with giant bays.

Climate
Bulgaria has a climate with chilly, damp winters and baking dry summers. From the middle of June to September, you can rely on sunny weather for walking and sunbathing. Skiers in Bulgaria enjoy a season that starts in the middle of December and lasts until late March. The average January temperature is around O°C. Average summer temperatures rarely exceed 30°C.

Population - 8,428,006

The language is Bulgarian. However English, German, French, and Russian are spoken in the country's resorts, hotels, and restaurants.

Information on Bulgaria Banks
Many local banks and bureau de change operate in the capital and across the country so that they are easy to find.

• Banking hours: 9 a.m.-3 a.m., Monday to Friday. Foreign-exchange offices are open until 6 p.m., and some around the clock.
• Currency exchange at the airport on arrival or departure, and in the larger hotels, is also possible. Do not exchange money in the streets or outside banks and bureau de change despite the bargain rate offered: you risk being cheated.

Bulgarian Currency - the lev (BGL) Currency Exchange - In banks and 24-hour change bureaus. The exchange rate is announced every day.

Credit Cards
Visa, Master Card, JCB, Diners Club, American Express, Access. They can be used for the payment of all standard services in hotels, restaurants, night clubs, shops, car rentals, plane tickets, etc.

Information on Bulgaria Telecommunications
The international dialing code for Bulgaria is +359, for Sofia +359 2, for Plovdiv +359 32. Direct telephone communication from Bulgaria to all countries is possible from Bulgarian Telecommunication Company phone booths or with phone cards. Information on Bulgaria phone calls, telegram, and Telex services in the country and abroad are also offered by the post offices.

Time Difference
Winter time: GMT +2 hours (October through March) Summer time: GMT +3 hours (April through September)

Alphabet - Cyrillic
Signs along international motorways, in airports, and resorts are written in Roman letters.

Religion
86.6% of the population is Eastern Orthodox, 13% are Muslims, Roman Catholic 1.7%, others 2.4%.

Information on Bulgaria State Government
Bulgaria is an independent state and the form of government is of the people's democracy. All citizens have equal rights as far as the law is concerned, disregarding sex, nationality, race, religion, education, occupation, social, and material status. In 1991, a new Constitution of the Republic of Bulgaria was approved. The Members of the Parliament are elected at free democratic elections. Simeon Saksckoburgotski, who is the ex-king of Bulgaria, has been the Bulgarian prime minister since July 2001.

Information on Bulgaria Official Holidays
January 1 - New Year
March 3 - Bulgaria's Liberation from Ottoman rule - the National Day
Easter - one week after the Catholic Easter
May 1 - Labour Day
May 6 - Bulgarian Army Day
May 24 - Day of Bulgarian Enlightenment and Culture and the Slav Script
September 6 - Bulgaria's Unification
September 22 - Independence Day
December 25-26 - Christmas

Capital
Sofia (population. 1,141,000)

Large Cities
Plovdiv, Varna, Veliko Turnovo, Sliven, Stara Zagora

Hotels
One- to five-star hotels. Advance booking is recommended. Major credit cards accepted.

Restaurants
Bulgaria offers a wide variety of cuisines. Along with traditional Bulgarian cuisine, many restaurants in and outside Sofia offer Italian, French, Greek, Chinese, German, Arab, Hungarian, Latin American, Indian, and Russian cuisines.

Electricity
Mains voltage 220 V/50 Hz, round two-pin plugs.

Information on Bulgaria Shopping
Vitosha Boulevard is Sofia's major shopping area. There are also a variety of shops along Graf Ignatiev and Rakovski streets.

Shops are open 9 a.m.-7 p.m., Monday through Friday; 9 a.m.-1 p.m. on Saturday. Some supermarkets are open 24 hours a day. Fresh food, fruits, and vegetables can also be bought from marketplaces open daily in the capital and in the country.

Information on Bulgaria Transport

Air Transport
Balkan Air Tour is the flag-carrier. It flies to more than 50 destinations in Europe, Asia, Africa, and America. Apart from scheduled international flights, there are charter flights for tourists in winter and summer. Domestic services are available to the Black Sea ports of Varna and Bourgas. Sofia Airport enquiries: 720 672 (international flights), 722 414 (domestic flights).

Charter companies operate flights from major UK and Dublin airports. In addition, Czech, Austrian, and Malev operate flights from UK to Sofia (1 change) on a daily basis from Dublin and UK.

Taxis
The Sofia Airport taxi cabs are recommended. Arrangements can be made in the arrivals' lounge and in the VIP lounge. Private taxi cabs charge higher fares.

The fare (especially for longer distances) is negotiable. Taxis in general in Bulgaria are very inexpensive with an average rate of 0.2 euro/KM. However, be careful with taxis in beach resorts, as the per KM rate can be as high as 2.0 euro/KM.

Car Hire
Major international rent-a-car companies have offices in the arrivals' lounge at Sofia International Airport, downtown Sofia, the country, and the holiday resorts.

• Bus 84 connects Sofia International Airport with downtown Sofia.
• Public transport in the capital consists of buses, trams, and trolley buses.
• Tickets can be bought from drivers or in advance from public-transport kiosks at most stops.
• Season tickets for 1 or 5 days or 1 month are recommended when more travel is expected.

Railways

• Express trains link the capital with big towns countrywide.
• Sleeping cars are recommended for night travel to more remote destinations like Varna, Bourgas, Rousse, and Dobrich.
• Tickets for all destinations and for sleeping cars can be bought in advance at the comprehensive Transport Services Centre at the National Palace of Culture.
• First-class compartments and seat reservation is preferable.

Tickets can also be bought from ticket-collectors in trains, but at a higher price. Do not leave your luggage unattended. For information on Bulgaria train service, dial Sofia Central Station, 31 111 through 120.

Private bus companies also offer connections to all the main cities and work out cheaper and faster than the corresponding train journey.

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