Map of Bulgaria

Bulgaria geographical fact file

Geographic coordinates

43 00 N, 25 00 E

Area

Total: 110,910 square kilometres
Land: 110,550 square kilometres
Sea: 360 square kilometres

Bulgaria is roughly the size of the American state of Tennessee

Land Boundaries

Total: 1808 kilometres
Border countries: Greece, Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Turkey

Assenovgrad a Bulgarian Town

Assenovgrad:

Population 52,000 inhabitnats

Assenovgrad is a town some 19 kilometres from the city of Plovdiv that is steeped in history, has the sacred Bachkovo Monastery close by and dates back to the Thracian period. Assenovgrad is situated in the foothills of the Rhodope mountains and is cut into two halves by the Assenitsa river.

The Assenova fortress which is a historical monument that is mentioned during the History of Bulgaria as the home of the Bulgarian ruler Ivan Asen II is situated only two kilometres from Assenovgrad and dates back to the Thracian period.

Today assenovgrad is known as the "Town of brides" due to the large amount of Wedding gown makers and retailers in the Town, in Bulgaria Assenovgrad has become very famous for this one reason and also for it's wine production.

When I married my wife we visited Assenovgrad and had her wedding dress made there and I can say the quality was second to none and the prices were amazing.

Famous Bulgarians

Below is a list of famous Bulgarians and the reasons why

Khan Asparukh - Born in the first half 7th century AD

Son of Khan Khubrat and Founder of what is Bulgaria today

Vasil Levski - 1837-1873

Leader of the national revolutionary movement against the Ottoman empire for Bulgaria's liberation

Georgi Ivanov - 1940 -

First Bulgarian Cosmonaut

Veselin Topalov - 1975-Present

FIDE World Chess Champion

Hristo Stoitchkov

World famous footballer in the 1990's and captain of the Bulgarian national team

My Personal Bulgarian Experiences

I wanted to talk today about my own personal Bulgarian experiences, I love Bulgaria dearly, my heart lays deep within this beautiful country I have come to call my home (even though I'm in England). My wife is Bulgarian and we met on my first visit to this wonderful country in 2004, my love not only lays with the country but with the amazing people who live in Bulgaria.

The Bulgarian people are so hospitable and friendly, even though they don't have the money of you and I, they will always do what ever they can to make you feel welcome into their home. I have made many wonderful friends in Bulgaria and miss them all very much, they have become my best friends, even the ones who don't speak English when my Bulgarian was not so good we still managed to enjoy each others company.

The country is full of beautiful, untouched landscapes that would not look out of place in a pre human film. With mountains, natural springs, many rivers, grasslands and forests.

The traditions are the most wonderful I have eever seen, full of history and also a great way of seeing how the amazin people of Bulgaria share some great moments together with loved ones.

I wish to live in this great country one day, if the possibility arises (money always plays a part in these things).

Bulgaria is backwards

Bulgaria has many ways that are the total opposite to many other countries, why this is I do not know but it is quite interesting to see.

For example

In Bulgaria it is tradition to where your wedding bands on your right hand, although it is the same finger.

Bulgarians nod for NO and shake their heads for YES.

Traditional Bulgarian dance - The Horo

The horo is a traditional Bulgarian dance were everyone holds the hands or belts of someone next to them, form a line or circle and dances to traditional Bulgarian folk music.

The dances are normally made of a group of steps, an example would be stepping to the right three times (1+2+3) then kicking with your left leg then kicking with your right leg and stepping 3 times again while holding your neighbours hands.

The horo can be performed as a slow dance or a fast dance and sometimes you will find it can be a mix of slow and fast dancing in one song which is very enjoyable.

I danced many different horo on my wedding day which is a tradition. First I danced outside the block of my wifes family before going to the church, then when we got to our reception we started the first horo (of many).

If you have never watched or joined in a horo, I can tell you it is an enjoyable sight and dance to behold.

Martenitzi - The beginning of Spring

This is a Bulgarian tradition dating back as far as 681 AD, the tradition starts on the 1st March as it is the start of spring time.

The tradition is that on the 1st March every year the Bulgarian people give white and red tassles (martenitzi) to each other that they wear round their wrists. The martenitza (singular for martenitzi) are worn round the wrist until the person wearing it sees a stork or until they see the first blossom on a fruit tree.

Once the wearer has removed the martenitza after seeing a stork or the first blossom of a fruit tree they will tie it round a branch of a fruit tree which will then bring health and luck to the tree, hopefully meaning it will have a bumper crop that year.

Because this tradition is followed by most of the population, at the end of march you can see many trees with hundreds of martenitzi tied round the branches and it is a beautiful sight to behold, not only for the vision but for the years of tradition associated with it.

Leaders of Bulgaria

Bulgaria have a President and a Prime Minister.

Bulgarian President - Currently Georgi Purvanov

The Bulgarian President are elected every 5 years ad can serve with one re-election (meaning the President can serve for a total of 10 years).

As a President of Bulgaria the President serves as the head of state and the commander in chief of the Bulgarian armed forces.

Bulgarian Prime Minister - Sergey Stanishev

The Bulgarian Prime Minister is nominated by the ruling parliamentary group and is given a mandate by the President to form a cabinet

Bulgarian MEZE

I spoke briefly about meze in a previous post but thought I would explain more in detail about this great traditional snack. Meze is a selection of small dishes which are eaten with alcohol like Rakia or Bira (Bulgarian for beer), almost like a little buffet or appetizers.

You can find Meze in different countries from Serbia to Lebanon, although they are called by different names in some of these countries.

The Bulgarian Meze can be cheese, meat (normally sausages of different varieties), Egg with herbs on them, gherkins, salads and many other different varieties of foods. The main Meze that is eaten is Sirene which is a Bulgarian white cheese similar to Feta but with a different, smooth taste and sausages like Lukanka and Elena which are different meats mixed with various spices like red pepper, salt, cumin and garlic then left to dry for a few weeks.

It can also depend on what drink you are having to what meze you may eat, according to my father in law certain meze compliment certain drinks.

Religion in Bulgaria

The main religion in Bulgaria is Bulgarian Orthodox Christianity, it is believed that over 83% of the Bulgarian population are members of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church. The Orthodox monasteries in Bulgaria are held in high regard, many of the Bulgarian monasteries hold many significant religous artifacts like the Bachkovo monastery near Assenovgrad that holds the ashes of many Saints and a piece of the Cross that Christ was crucified on.

I have been Christianed as a Bulgarian Orthodox Christian and was married in an Orthodox Church, I must say the churches are beautiful places to be, they are full of icons and burning candles (the candles are lit in prayer for a loved one).

The Bulgarian priests have a full beard and have to be married before becoming a priest, only the monks residing in Bulgarian monasteries sacrifice the right to marriage in Bulgaria.

When the Bulgarian priests recite from the Bible they more or less chant with a compelling, beautiful sound.

Below you can see a picture of my Christianing, I am holding the candle.

Bulgarian Natural Springs

Bulgaria is abundant in hot isothermal water springs, there are well over 1600 springs ranging in temperates of 10 to 100 degrees centigrade. The water coming from the springs is clear and so well preserved from oxidants that you can actually drink it straight from the ground (some of you may not believe this, but I have drank water straight from the springs at the Bachkovo Monastery near Assenovgrad).

The isothermal water springs in Bulgaria are believed to be a great source of medicine against many illnesses such as cardiovascular, metabolic and those of the central nervous system although there is no scientific proof to approve or disprove these claims.

There are many mineral water companies who use the water from springs to bottle and sell to the public, the two mineral water companies I know of are Gorna Bania and Bankya. The water is probably the best water I have ever drank.

CHALGA - Bulgarian Music :o)

Chalga is a popular musci in Bulgaria, it originates from old Bulgarian folk music and is often classed as the Bulgarian pop music.

I love Chalga music and listen to it alot, one thing I can say is the Chalga "scene" in Bulgaria is extremely commercially expoited and the singers are all medically enhanced by one way or another (shouldn't that be two ways hehe), there is even one such singer called Azis a male who cross dresses to an outrageous level and has enhanced lips...and if you heard his music you would love it.

Most Chalga songs are about love, losing love, finding love, making love, everythnig about love.

Where ever you go in Bulgaria (besides the really small villages) you are sure to here Chalga music blaring out from a cafe or someones car, it seems to be the most followed music in Bulgaria and I for one agree it should be.

Chalga is number one :o)

It seems strange that in the communist era Chalga music was frowned upon because it was deemed to have no real place in a modern socialist state.

Bulgarian Currency - The Lev

Count 100 stotinki and you get a Lev, the Lev is the currency of Bulgaria and is issued by the Bulgarian National Bank.

The current Lev has been in existence since early 1999 when the government passed a package of laws to regulate the currency. The old Lev was changed at a ratio of 1,000:1 (one thousand old lev = one current lev), the Bulgarian National Bank distributed new notes and coins throughout 1999 and after 31st December 1999 the old currency ceased to exist.

1 Bulgarian Lev roughly =

64 American Cents
51 European Cents
40 British Pence

The average wage for a Bulgarian is roughly 300 Levs a month which is about

194 American Dollars
155 Euro
106 British Pound

I have to admit I am very fond of the lev and I always keep a one Lev coin in my wallet for luck.

A Village Secret - Kozarsko

Kozarsko is a little village not far from the city of Plovdiv. Kozarsko is the most beautiful village I have seen, it is surrounded by large hills which give a beautiful view from everywhere in the village and Kozarsko almost takes you back in time as you enter. There is a shephard who takes out the animals out to graze during the day and most people grow grapes. lemons and various other fruits and vegetables.

Once upon a time the population of Kozarsko was over 1,000 but nowadays with many people leaving to live in the cities the population has dropped to below 800.

Below are some more pictures of this beautiful village

Bulgarian History Part 1

The first traces of human life in Bulgaria dates back to the paleothic period which is between 20,000 and 17,000 BC, there are a few artifacts left of this time like flint tools and cave drawings.

The Thracians

Bulgaria moved away from tribal goups and formed it's first real community under the Thracians in 2,000 - 1,000 BC. At this time the Thracian race, which was believed to be the second largest race in this period after the Indians, commanded a huge region stretching from present day Romania to northern Greece and Turkey called Thracia.

The Thracians are one of the founders of the ancient European civilization as they flourished for 2,000 years by producing food, raw materials and other goods in abundance which they used for local needs and any surplus was sold through the southern trading routes they had estabilished in Turkey and further afield.

The Romans

The Thracians remained in the region until about 100AD when the Romans conquest for Thracia was accomplished. Under the Roman empire Thracia was split into two large regions called Moesia and Thrace. Like elsewhere in Europe the Romans started constructing towns and well designed roads which are still part of the European cities and roads of today.

Life was good for the Romans for many years until Barbarian invasions started wearing the Roman legions down, the barbarians destructive efforts caused the power of Rome to dwindle.

The Bulgars

The Bulgars, led by Khan Asparuh migrated to the region that was Thracia in the 7th century AD. There is many debates over the exact origins of the Bulgars, even to this day, although some believe they originated from what is now present day Afghanistan. The Bulgars, under Khan Asparuh formed the first Bulgarian state about 681AD. The new Bulgarian state flourished to become a significant European power in the 9th and 10th Centuries.

Bulgarian Name Days

Name days are celebrated in Bulgaria, the name day is the celebration of the life of a saint. Anyone with the name of this saint celebrates the day like you would celebrate a birthday. Below is a calendar of all the names and the days they are celebrated.

A few name days dates change slightly every year depending on the date of the Orthodox Easter. Also you will notice some LUCKY people get to have more than one name day in a year, unfortunately my name is Guy and this is not on the name day list :o(

January

1 Vasil, Vasilena, Vesela, Vesselin, Veselina
6 Bogdan, Bogdana, Bogomil, Bogomila, Iordan, Iordanka, Teodosii
7 Ioan, Ioana, Ivan, Ivanka, Ivayla, Ivaylo, Ivet, Kaloian, Kaloyan, Vanya, Vanyo, Zhan, Zhana
12 Tanya, Tatyana
17 Andon, Anton, Antonia, Dona, Doncho, Donka
18 Atanas, Atanaska
20 Efimir, Evtim, Evtimiya, Momchil
21 Maksim
25 Grigor

February
1 Trifon
3 Simeon
6 Svetla, Svetlana, Svetlomir
10 Haralampi, Valentin, Valentina
13 Evlogi

March
1 Evdokiya, Marta, Martin, Martina
4 Gerasim
10 Galina
11 Bozhidar , Bozhidara , Dora , Teodor , Teodora , Todor
13 Nikifor
17 Alexi
22 Rosen, Rositsa
23 Lidiya
25 Blaga, Blago, Blagovest, Blagovesta, Blaguna, Evangelina, Mariyana
28 Albena, Boyan, Boyana, Boyka, Boyko

April

15 Lazar , Lazo
16 Bozhan , Bozhana , Violeta , Vurban , Vurbana , Yasen , Yasna , Yavor , Zdravka , Zdravko
18 Viktor, Viktoriya
23 Velichka , Velichko , Velin , Velina
25 Marko
30 Toma , Tomislav , Tomislava

May
1 Ermen, Ermena, Maya
2 Boriana, Boris, Borislav, Borislava
5 Irina, Mira
6 Georgi, Georgiya, Gergana, Gyuro
11 Kiril, Kirila, Metodi
21 Elena, Konstantin, Kosta, Kostadin, Kostadinka, Lenko, Stoyan
30 Emiliya

June
1 Spas , Spaska
5 Doroteia
7 Valeri, Valeria
22 Goryan, Goryana
24 Enio, Yanita, Yanka, Yanko
25 Asen , Chavdar
26 David
29 Kamen, Pavel, Petar, Petra, Petrana
30 Apostol

July
1 Damyan, Damyana, Kozma, Kuzman
7 Nedelcho, Nedelya, Nedyalka, Nedyalko
11 Oleg, Olga
15 Vlada, Vladena, Vladimir
16 Yulian, Yuliana, Yuliya
17 Marin, Marina
18 Emil, Emilian
20 Ilina, Iliya, Iliyana, Ilko
22 Lena, Magda, Magdalena, Miglena
25 Ana, Yana
26 Paraskeva
27 Dobra, Dobri, Dobrina, Dobrinka, Pancho, Panka
29 Kalin

August
8 Emil, Emilian, Emiliya
15 Mariya
20 Samuil
26 Adrian, Adriana, Adriyan, Adriyana, Natali, Nataliya
29 Anastas, Anastasi, Anastasiya
30 Aleksandar, Aleksandra

September
1 Simeon, Simona
5 Elisaveta, Hari, Zahari
14 Krustan, Krustina, Krustyo, Stavri
16 Lyudmil, Lyudmila
17 Lyuba, Lyuben, Lyubomir, Lyubov, Nadezhda, Nadya, Sevda, Sofiya, Vera, Vyara
25 Sergei

October
14 Pencho, Penka, Petka, Petko
18 Zlata, Zlatan, Zlatka, Zlatko, Zlatomir
26 Dimitar, Dimitrina, Mitko
27 Nestor

November
8 Angel, Gavrail, Gavril, Mihaela, Mihail, Ognyan, Ognyana, Plamen, Plamena, Rada, Radka, Radko, Rafail, Raia, Raika, Raina, Rangel
11 Minka, Minko, Viktor, Viktoriya
14 Filio, Filip, Filipa
16 Matei
23 Aleko, Aleksandar, Aleksandra
24 Ekaterina, Katerina, Katina, Katya
25 Kliment, Klimentina
26 Stilyan, Stilyana
30 Andrei

December
4 Varvara
5 Sava, Silva, Silvana, Silviya, Stanislav
6 Nikola, Nikolai, Nina
9 Ana, Anna, Anushka, Nusha
14 Snezhala
17 Dana, Danail, Danaila, Daniela
20 Ignat
24 Evgeni, Evgeniya
25 Hristina, Hristo
26 Iosif
27 Stanimir, Stanka, Stanko, Stefan, Stefka, Stoycho

Beautiful Varna

Varna is a beautiful city on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast, Varna is one of the major ports in Bulgaria and is the third largest city in Bulgaria after Sofia and Plovdiv. Varna is the Bulgarians choice of summer resort, it has two beautiful beaches, many bars, cafes and restaurants a beautiful city garden and is full of history.

I have personally been to Varna twice to visit my wifes baba (grandma), I adore the city so much. In the summer you have temperatures of 40 degress upwards and the people are friendly and hospitable just like the rest of Bulgaria, and unlike the golden sands resort which is built specifically for foreign visitors Varna is full of character which sets it apart from many other sea side cities and towns.

There is an archaeological museum in Varna which holds some of the oldest gold in the world which is called the "Gold of varna" and there is also a beautiful old cathedral called the Dormition of the Theotokos.

Below is a photo I took of the Dormition of the Theotokos cathedral

Rakia - Bulgarian Spirit

Rakia is an alcoholic drink that is found in the Balkans and is also classed as a national drink in Bulgaria. Rakia is made by distilling fermented fruits, Rakia can be made from many fruits like plums, grapes, apricots, pears and figs, I have only tried grape and fig rakia myself as they are the two my father in law makes. Rakia can be bought from the shops and is generally about 40% alcohol in volume but alot of the home made Rakia is alot stronger with about 60% alcohol.

Bulgarians tend to drink Rakia with traditional Bulgarian salads, normally you would drink your Rakia with your salad and then with your main course you would choose another tipple. While you are having your different meals you will often find small dishes of different appetizers on the table to pick at, these are called Meze and are there to compliment you Rakia.

Bulgarian Real Estate

Bulgaria is a beautiful country located in the Balkans (southeast Europe). With the Black Sea taking up the whole east coastline and temperatures higher than the Mediterranean it is fast becoming the place to holiday.
There is also another side to Bulgaria people don’t know about, a secret held close that has only just become exposed. Bulgaria is one of the cheapest countries in Europe for real estate. There has been a large increase in the British media about this goldmine but it still seems a lot of people have not jumped on this proverbial bandwagon.

Bulgaria has a lot to offer any potential buyers. Over the last few years the Bulgarian economy has gained strength and with Bulgaria soon becoming part of the EU this is the perfect time to cash in.
With prices as low as $12,500 for a detached house with upwards of 1,000 square meters of land and the possibility of purchasing properties even cheaper on Ebay.co.uk Bulgaria has become a developer’s playground.

Because of the Bulgarian economy growing in strength, investment is increasing dramatically with large companies moving business into the area. Due to this the prices will rise and the boom will disappear. Although the prices are slightly higher by the sea there is ample opportunities elsewhere in Bulgaria due to the mountainous regions to the west. These regions boast great skiing resorts in the winter and also natural hot springs, which are fast becoming known as the cheaper version of the Alps

The City of Plovdiv

Plovdiv is the second largest city in Bulgaria and is situated at the foot of the Rhodope mountains.


The most interesting fact about Plovdiv is it's history, Plovdiv is one of the oldest cities in Europe if not the world, Plovdiv is even older than Rome or Athens. Although the Thracians were the first settlers in Plovdiv, it was Phillip the second of Macedon (Alexander the Greats father) who conquered Plovdiv and named it Philippopilis who made Plovdiv an important city in history. The Romans later conquered Plovdiv and named it Trimontium which means city of the three hills.


Nowadays Plovdiv is a bustling city full of cafe's, museums, archeological sites, churches, mosques and many different cultural events. Plovdiv is a beautiful city that has many wonderful qualities making it not only a historical monument to Europes past but also a city full of new, upto the minute cafes and bars that make it a vibrant and interesting city to visit.

Roman Amphitheatre in Plovdiv, Bulgaria

This is one of the most beautiful ancient sites I have seen. The Roman Amphitheatre in Plovidv was built with a seating capacity of almost 7,000 in the 2nd century AD under the rule of the Roman Emperor Trajan (98-117 AD) as part of the Acropolis of Trimontium.

The Roman Amphitheatre in Plovidv was only found in the early half of the 1970's due to a landslide, because of this it has been greatly preserved and is one of the greatest attractions in the city and is still used for plays and concerts during the summer months to this day.

Below you will see a photo of the amphitheatre I took on my first visit to Plovdiv in October 2004.

Bulgarian Alphabet

The Bulgarian alphabet is the Slavic alphabet and has been used in Bulgaria since 855AD

The Bulgarian alphabet differs greatly from the latin alphabet because it has alot more letters and contains sounds that cannot be found in the latin alphabet of today. You will notice alot of the letters are sounds which are made up of groups of latin letters and the Bulgarian alphabet does not have letters that sounds like X or Q.
When pronouncing the Bulgarian alphabet you use shorter, harder pronounciation compared to the latin alphabet as you will see below.

The Bulgarian Alphabet


LETTER PRONUNCIATION
A a (Like a in bath)
Б б (Like b in boat)
В в (Like v in victory)
Г г (Like g in great)
Д д (Like d in dent)
Е е (Like e in let)
Ж ж (Like s measure)
З з (Like z in zipper)
И и (Like i in hit)
Й й (Like y in yes)
К к (Like c in cold)
Л л (Like l in love)
М м (Like m in mother)
Н н (Like n in never)
О о (Like a in ball)
П п (Like p in power)
Р р (Rolled like a Scottish r)
C c (Like s in supper)
Т т (Like t in tell)
У у (Like oo in boot)
Ф ф (Like f in fever)
Х х (Like h in hot)
Ч ч (Like ch in chat)
Ц ц (Like ts in cats)
Ш ш (Like sh in cash)
Щ щ (Like sht)
Ь ь (Like ea in earings)
Ю ю (Like you as in the word you)
Я я (Like you in young)

The Maritza River

The Maritza river flows from deep in the Rila mountain which is situated in western Bulgaria. The Maritza river is 480 kilometres in length and once it has ventrued through the mountain it moves east through many Bulgarian cities and towns like Pazardzhik, Plovdiv and Svilengrad.

While meandering through Bulgaria the Maritza river forms a large focal point as it cuts through the centre of the second largest city, Plovdiv. While flowing through Plovdiv the Maritza river has many bridges running across it and also well known buildings like the Plovdiv International Fair and the four star Maritza hotel. You can usually see many fishermen on the banks of the river during most days.


The Maritza river is very important for irrigating grasslands and power production but has no use in a commercial capacity as the river cannot be navigated by boat.

Once the river has passed through Bulgaria it carries on it's journey into Turkey before finishing at the sea.

About Bulgaria

Bulgaria is a beautiful country found deep in the heart of south east Europe, with neighbouring countries of Greece and Turkey and also the Black Sea on it's east coast. Bulgaria is full of beautiful untouched landscapes from mountains to grasslands. Not only is Bulgaria beautiful on a geographical level, it is also full of history and wonderful architecture dating back to the time of the Thracians and Romans.

Although Bulgaria is only half the size of the UK and has a population of roughly 7.5 million which is lower than the population of London it has started to become noticed for its strengthening economy and growth as a tourist destination.

The Bulgarian people may not have the money that we have but I can tell you they are the most hospitable, caring people I have ever met.

This blog has been set up by myself because I have a strong love for Bulgaria and wish to share my thoughts and knowledge about this great country so please bookmark this page to find out more indepth about everything there is to know about Bulgaria from traditions and religion to geography and cuisine.