Going through the photos I was surprised to see my last proper trip abroad was 2 ½ years ago in 2018. For some reason that was longer ago than I remembered but it was an all-domestic affair in 2019 and then in 2020, well you know the rest. This trip to Bulgaria marked the first time I had travelled to Eastern Europe and I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect as some countries have advanced more than others since the fall of the Iron Curtain.

As soon as I touched down in Sofia, I could see straight away that I was in a much poorer country than the one I left, with a feeling that I had travelled back in time thirty years. It was a bit of a novelty to see working pay phones dotted around at train stations and to say the trundling trams looked out of date would be a bit of an understatement (though saying that some of the Northern line trains out of Manchester aren’t much better!).

The city had a real mix of architecture. What quickly grabs your attention are the mightily impressive Orthodox Christian churches that are radically different from the ones in Western Europe on the outside and much more ornate on the inside. Thankfully, these buildings have continued to survive despite the church coming under continuous threat and harassment under the old communist regime. Most of the of the city however is unfortunately dominated by ugly Soviet era buildings made entirely out of concrete, which can be quite jarring when you see them either next to the beautiful old architecture or modern buildings. Sofia is definitely a city for people who favour brutalist architecture.

A great way to see the best bits of the capital are the free tours that run every day (or at least they did before Covid) covering different aspects of the city. I did the general tour that takes your around the best historical sites, and the food tour where you get to sample lots of different traditional Bulgarian food. The food tour was great fun but do bear in mind that they eat a lot of meat & dairy here, so if you don’t then your options will be limited as to how much you can try. The tours themselves are in English and they don’t cost anything to join but make sure to leave a tip for your guide.

Travelling around the city is easy enough either on foot or on public transport. Whilst the trams are old there is a fun novelty factor for travellers like myself having to use the onboard hole puncher to mark on my ticket how long I’d been on the tram for the ticket inspector. What does make life a lot easier than it would have been in the past is the relatively new metro system that was on initially opened in 1998 and has been steadily expanding ever since. Amusingly it started out as a way one ride which can’t have been much fun if your destination was a few stops the other way.

For a car enthusiast like myself it was great to spot the occasional Soviet era car which were so derided in the west at the time for being so poorly built. I’m still kicking myself that I didn’t take a proper photo of a Trabant, perhaps most (in)famous of these cars. Most other cars were mostly old Mercedes or other European cars that could easily be imported, though judging by the state of them they clearly don’t have to pass a UK style MOT.

Cross country trains are a very old-fashioned affair with train compartments that wouldn’t look amiss on the ride to Hogwarts. Though travelling when we did, they were quiet, comfortable and there was almost this romanticism about them that’s lacking on the sterile modern trains I am used to sitting on back home. It gave a real sense of adventure to where you were going, though perhaps the locals who use it regularly might wish for air conditioning in the summer.

I had the opportunity to spend a day in the city of Plovdiv which is considered by many to be Bulgaria’s most beautiful. Expanded greatly by the Romans, the difference between here and Sofia is stark to say the least. Gone are the concrete monstrosities of the capital and the whole city is covered in attractive looking buildings that must have been more typical before the Soviet takeover. It had a friendlier feel as well, at the time it was gearing up to be the European capital of culture, the staff in cafes and restaurants spoke better English and the city was just cleaner. The highlight for me was seeing a real Roman Amphitheatre which is still used today for outdoor concerts and shows. A day trip at least here is highly recommended.

Finally, the one thing you really shouldn’t overlook is the impressive countryside with a third of the nation covered by mountains and forest, often quite close to major towns or cities. If I came back to Bulgaria this is what I would explore with a hire car for extensive hikes and wildlife watching (as well as driving some of the fantastic winding mountainous roads). Driving around also allows you to visit remote or hidden spots, whether it is the ever-impressive Rila monastery or simple a roadside restaurant in the mountains which give impressive views whilst you sit and eat your meal.  

Bulgaria is a country well worth visiting and many people often do it winter for skiing or to hit the beaches on the Black Sea in summer. It is attractively cheap as it doesn’t use the Euro, and handily prices have the same numbers as in the UK but with a single Lev being worth less than 50p, you don’t have to worry so much over how much you are spending. Taxis were also scarily cheap if you don’t get the scam rides in the city centre that the free tour guides warn you about.

So next time you are thinking of visiting the Alps or the Pyrenees perhaps give Bulgaria a go for somewhere much cheaper and a bit different, off the beaten path. Once you get over the confusion that Bulgarian’s shake their heads to say yes and nod to say no you will have a great time. Have you been to Bulgaria before or want to head there soon? Let me know in the comments down below.

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