Plovdiv! A fantastic town, from a tourist’s perspective.
The sit-down dinner in Sofia … Rakia (Strong, traditional fruit brandy, with 40%+ alcohol content, made by fermenting and distilling fruits, this one from Apricot). Bulgarian yogurt (With berry jam). Wormwood wine (“Pelin”, infused with fruits and herbs. They claim 24 herbs). Banista (One of the most traditional foods in Bulgaria, a pastry, served with, yes, Yogurt!). Kyufte (Meat patty made out of minced meat (Pork and Beef), onions and spices. It was Yum!).
What I did not like …
Sofia, to be frank, was a bit underwhelming for me, especially compared to Budapest Etc.
Location in the World map …
Some interesting tidbits about Bulgaria …
One of Europe’s oldest countries with an unchanged name from 7th Century!
Birthplace of Cyrillic Alphabets (Russian/Ukranian/Etc.), based of Greek Alphabets.
World’s leading producer of Rose Oil, 85%!
Sofia, founded over 7000 years ago, is one of Europe’s oldest cities!
Bulgaria is the birthplace of Yogurt.
Bulgaria has a long Black Sea coast.
Bulgaria ranks 3rd in Europe, after Italy and Greece, in terms of Archeological Monuments.
Bulgaria has the oldest golden treasure. The discovery, known as the Varna Necropolis, was made in 1972 during excavations near the Black Sea coast. The Necropolis is an ancient burial site that dates back to the Chalcolithic period, specifically around 4,500 BC.
Plovdiv is Europe’s oldest inhabited city. Settlements in the area date back to the Neolithic period, with evidence of human presence from around 6,000 BC.
Bulgaria is 4th in the World in per-capita University education.
Bulgarians nod no and shake their heads for yes.
Capital: Sofia
Largest City: Sofia
Population: 6.4M (Sofia has 1.4M population)
Language: Bulgarian (13% speak English. Younger population does speak English)
Religion: Orthodox Christianity (63%)
Currency: Bulgarian Lev (1 BGN == 52.4 INR)
GDP: 107 Billion USD
National Animal: Lion
Timeline:
Byzantine Empire > Ottoman Empire > 1908: Bulgaria declares itself an independent nation > 1914-1918: WWI (Bulgaria aligns with Germany) > 1944: Soviets take control > 1990-1991: Separation from USSR > 2004: Bulgaria joins NATO > 2007: Bulgaria joins EU.
My 1st impressions:
There was a huge traffic jam, right on the bridge over Danube (I keep meeting Danube again and again!), at Ruse, Bulgaria.
In the town of Ruse, at the Romanian-Bulgarian border, the damn restroom takes only (!) Bulgarian Lev (BGN) and there was ZERO way to change currency. My bladder got a nice stress-test!
My Experiences
Danube looks way wider here at Ruse, Bulgaria. It was a cloudy and rainy journey to Varna, Bulgaria.North-East Bulgaria …Folk Dance … On a local channel here. It is real lousy weather in Varna, Bulgaria 🌧️ It did impact some of my plans 🙁 Well 🤷♂️ When life gives you lemons … 😁 Onward …When it said “Bus” in the ticket, this is not what I expected 🙂 But it was a smooth ride, except that traffic jam at the border. Varna, Bulgaria.Central Train Station. A very basic station. Other than a couple of vending machines, no food options inside (There is a Cafe/Bakery right outside). Tried the vending machine coffee and as expected, it was terrible. Varna, Bulgaria.Most of the structures meant for vendors were empty. Central Train Station. Varna, Bulgaria.Another old-looking BDZ train … Varna, Bulgaria.Bulgarian trains do not look that modern. They are quite slow as well, atleast my train was. This one took off right after I took this photo. Varna, Bulgaria.Varna Port, on the Black Sea, is the largest port in Bulgaria. Varna, Bulgaria.Port of Varna. Tried to enter, but the guards shooed me away 🙂 Varna, Bulgaria.The Roman Thermae are a complex of Ancient Roman baths in this Black Sea port. Under the Roman Empire, Varna was known as Odessus. Varna, Bulgaria.Archeological Museum. This is where they keep the “Gold of Varna”, the oldest gold treasure in the World. Varna, Bulgaria.“Dormition of the Mother of God Cathedral”, Varna, Bulgaria. Wow, that is a mouthful 😁 Third largest Cathedral in Bulgaria. From 1886. I was supposed to reach Varna at around 2pm. But the bus company cancelled on me and the alternate bus I booked, brought me to Varna only after dark … Had to explore Varna in the dark and also missed out on the oldest gold treasure in the World (“Gold of Varna”) in the Varna Archeological Museum.Clock Tower, Varna, Bulgaria. During the “Night Exploration” of Varna 🙂Nebet Tepe. Tepe is one of the hills of Plovdiv where the ancient town Philippopolis was founded. Plovdiv, Bulgaria.While walking around ths Old Town, I smelled Ramen! Could not resist … Had a wonderful Chicken Ramen here. Plovdiv, Bulgaria.Ancient Roman-style amphitheater restored and nowadays hosts various performing arts events. From 117 AD. Part of the ancient Roman city of Philippopolis. Plovdiv, Bulgaria.Bulgarian flag in full glory … Near Sveta Bogoroditsa Church. Plovdiv, Bulgaria.“Sveta Bogoroditsa” Church … Plovdiv, Bulgaria.Beautiful flowers in front of Djumaya Mosque .. Plovdiv, Bulgaria.Djumaya Mosque … Very beautiful. From the Ottoman Empire era. Plovdiv, Bulgaria.Remains of the ancient Roman stadium built in the first century AD that seated up to 30,000 spectators. Part of the ancient Roman city of Philippopolis. Plovdiv, Bulgaria.A huge waterbody with a fountain. Tsar Simeon Garden Park. Plovdiv, Bulgaria.Tsar Simeon Garden Park … Pretty big, with lots of people enjoying the beautiful Sunday. Plovdiv, Bulgaria.Mars Logistics seem to be doing well … This was one looooong container train. Bulgaria.Why not a yogurt in the country which is known for Yogurt? 🙂Bulgarian countryside …There was no 1st class in this train. The 2nd class was pretty basic. The train was full and many locals use it. Varna, Bulgaria.My BDZ train to Plovdiv … Varna, Bulgaria.Liked this statue … Roman? Plovdiv, Bulgaria.Bulgarian Lev (“BGN”). 1 BGN == 52.40 INR. Not very colorful. The way various economies are going primarily Digital, currency Notes (& Coins) might fade away over time. Till then, one more notch to the Currency Album 🙂Bulgarian countryside. During the train ride from East Bulgaria to Central Bulgaria …Beautiful old houses … The vertical Blue-White-Blue flag on one of the houses is Plovdiv’s flag. Yes, Plovdiv has a flag 😁 Plovdiv, Bulgaria.Beer of the day! Bulgarian … Plovdiv, Bulgaria.Many parts of the city has pedestrian underpasses like these, across major streets. Plovdiv, Bulgaria.Most of the Old Town is cobbled like this … Not easy to walk on 🙂 Twisted my ankles a couple of times. Plovdiv, Bulgaria.Plovdiv, Bulgaria. The oldest continuously-inhabited city in Europe and one of the oldest in the World. From 6000 BC (!). What a pleasant surprise Plovdiv turned out to be 😍. A gorgeous Old Town (With Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman influences). Ancient Roman ruins. Well-preserved beautiful old houses in every nook and corner. Broad pedestrian walkways. Lively Old Town, with many tourists This photo is from Nebet Tepe Archeological Site (From 4000 BC), on one of the 7 hills of Plovdiv. And to boot, it was the sunniest 🌞 cloudless day of the trip (So far). 16C 😁. Contrasting with the frozen days of Tallinn, it was so nice to walk around in a T-shirt (Yes, the grey one 😂), even though it was only for a little while.Nebet Tepe. Tepe is one of the hills of Plovdiv where the ancient town Philippopolis was founded. The earliest settlements on Nebet Tepe dates back to 4000 BC. The site was first settled by Thracians, then Philip II of Macedon and then the Roman Empire. Plovdiv, Bulgaria.View of the modern part of the city from Nebet Tepe … Plovdiv, Bulgaria.Suddenly, I felt like having Ice Creams. IceCream-1. Plovdiv, Bulgaria.Going “GREEN” 🙂 Jacket, Bottle, Suitcase … Plovdiv, Bulgaria.Central Train Station … Not a very busy station, it looks like. Plovdiv, Bulgaria.Ticket counters. Central Train Station. Plovdiv, Bulgaria.Ticket counters. Central Train Station. Plovdiv, Bulgaria.Suddenly, I felt like having Ice Creams. IceCream-2. Plovdiv, Bulgaria.Monument of the Red Army (“Alyosha”), Plovdiv, Bulgaria. Some stairs have to be tackled to get there. There were people doing their morning hikes and also walking their dogs. 11m in height, excluding the 6m pedestal. To commemorate Soviet Soldiers who died fighting the Nazis during WWII in Bulgaria. From 1957.View of the Old Town from the Monument of the Red Army. Plovdiv, Bulgaria.View from the Monument of the Red Army. You can note the snow-capped mountains in the distance … Plovdiv, Bulgaria.State Opera … Plovdiv, Bulgaria.My Karat-S bus to Sofia … For some reason, I did not get an assigned seat. Had to move around a bit initially. Slept right through the 2hr short journey 🙂 Plovdiv, Bulgaria.The Zurich- Istanbul “Golden Eagle Danube Express” (17500 USD for 11 days of luxury). Now when this train arrived, I understood WHY there was a need for such a looong platform! This train is very long, for a passenger train. Plovdiv, Bulgaria.The Zurich- Istanbul “Golden Eagle Danube Express” (17500 USD for 11 days of luxury). Now when this train arrived, I understood WHY there was a need for such a looong platform! This train is very long, for a passenger train. Plovdiv, Bulgaria.Cannot have a more clear day 🙂 Plovdiv, Bulgaria.The Central Train Station has a loooong platform. But most trains were way shorter than this. Plovdiv, Bulgaria.Breakfast goodies … Very unhealthy 🙂 Carbs, red meat and some of them, deep-fried. Locals seem to like it. I joined in as well … Sofia, Bulgaria.Sofia Metro’s 24hr Travel Card. Used it to travel all over the 4 Metro lines. M1 (Red), M2 (Blue), M3 (Green) and M4 (Yellow). Sofia, Bulgaria.Dinner in Sofia, Bulgaria. From Top-Right: Rakia (Strong, traditional fruit brandy, with 40%+ alcohol content, made by fermenting and distilling fruits, this one from Apricot). Bulgarian yogurt (With berry jam). Wormwood wine (“Pelin”, infused with fruits and herbs. They claim 24 herbs 😏). Banista (One of the most traditional foods in Bulgaria, a pastry, served with, yes, Yogurt! 😁). Kyufte (Meat patty made out of minced meat (Pork and Beef), onions and spices. It was Yum! 😍).Liked the artwork … Hadjidraganov’s Restaurant, Sofia, Bulgaria.The interiors … Hadjidraganov’s Restaurant. Sofia, Bulgaria.The menu looked like a thick book … With wood covers! Hadjidraganov’s Restaurant. Sofia, Bulgaria.Hadjidraganov’s Restaurant … The entrance. That is the Canadian couple, dwelling on whether they should eat here or not 🙂 Sofia, Bulgaria.Central Bus Station. Sofia, Bulgaria.Sofia Mosque. This Mosque is the only functioning mosque in Sofia, a remnant of the Ottoman rule of Bulgaria that lasted nearly five centuries. Sofia, Bulgaria.National Palace of Culture … Pretty basic-looking huge building. Sofia, Bulgaria.The garden in front of National Palace of Culture … It was sunny, but quite cold. When I looked around, it was mountains on all 4 sides (And also, the 600m altitude). Sofia, Bulgaria.The Vitosha Metro Station (M2 (Blue) Line) where I got caught … 😉 Sofia, Bulgaria.Vitosha is the last stop at one end of the M2 (Blue) line … Sofia, Bulgaria.Serdica Metro Station. This is the nearest Metro stop for a lot of the sights. Sofia, Bulgaria.On a working day, during peak hours, all the Metro lines get very busy … Sofia, Bulgaria.A display at Sofia Central Train Station … Sofia, Bulgaria.Inside Sofia Central Train Station. Sofia, Bulgaria.Nice statue in front of Sofia Central Train Station. Sofia, Bulgaria.Liked this painting … Sofia, Bulgaria.Sofia is proud of its Metro. Very nice, well-connected, and easy to use Metro. Sofia, Bulgaria.Sofia Metro Network … Sofia, Bulgaria.The Balkan Mountains … From Sofia International Airport. Sofia, Bulgaria.Sofia International Airport … Sofia, Bulgaria.A weird artwork at the Sofia International Airport Metro Station. Sofia, Bulgaria.The underpass at Lavov Most, Sofia Metro Station. Is that support necessary? 🙂 Sofia, Bulgaria.The basic stained glass, inside Alexander Nevsky Cathedral. Sofia, Bulgaria.When in the land of Roses … After a lot of deliberation, bought a Spray and a Chocolate. Sofia, Bulgaria.Beer of the day! Sofia, Bulgaria.Bulgarians also love meat 🙂 Tried a couple of the sausages. Very fatty, but yummy. Sofia, Bulgaria.Lavov Most has nice Lion statue as well … “Lavov” is Bulgarian for Lion. Sofia, Bulgaria.Lavov Most Metro Station … Sofia, Bulgaria.Nice to see Mads Mikkelsen, the Danish actor, getting some recognition .. He was lethal in 2006’s “Casino Royale” (James Bond). Have also watched a couple of his other movies. Sofia, Bulgaria. By the by, it was my last day in Bulgaria when I saw an Ad featuring the handsome Grigor Dimitrov, another Tennis talent who was smothered by the Federer-Nadal-Djokovic “evil” Nexus 😁Pothole cover .. Sofia version 🙂 Sofia, Bulgaria.Monument of Stefan Stambolov at Crystal Garden … Nice! He was a Bulgarian politician, journalist, revolutionary, and poet who served as Prime Minister. Sofia, Bulgaria.Paid restrooms near Serdica Metro Station. Sofia, Bulgaria.One of the rare nicer buildings I saw in Sofia .. Sofia is no Budapest in that sense. Sofia, Bulgaria.Inside Alexander Nevsky Cathedral … Sofia, Bulgaria.Saint Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Sofia, Bulgaria: Must say that I was quite disappointed 🙁 (Overall) and felt the city quite underwhelming. One thing, it is quite dirty. Felt that the city almost has a “Dont Care” attitude. I saw all of ONE (!) bored tour group,. Even Chisinau had more! There is so mich junk graffiti, it is quite off-putting after a while. Now, the small but very effective Archeological Museum (Reasonably priced and packs in a lot into the limited space) is nice. Also, the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral. For a “7000+ years old city” … 🤭 Plovdiv is way better, from a tourist standpoint.A magnificent statue of a Lion, in front of Alexander Nevsky Cathedral. Remember, Lion is the National Animal of Bulgaria. Sofia, Bulgaria.Another artwork near Alexander Nevsky Cathedral. Sofia, Bulgaria.Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. 1914 Russian Orthodox Church featuring a colorful tiled exterior. Sofia, Bulgaria.Ivan Vazov National Theatre. Opened in 1907. home to a diverse program of stage productions. Sofia, Bulgaria.Near Serdica Metro Station, the cobble-stoned pavements were painted yellow and it made them quite slippery to walk on … Sofia, Bulgaria.Want to drink water, Roman style? 🙂 Sofia has 7000+ years of history. During Roman times, the city was called “Serdica”. Sofia, Bulgaria.Inside the nice National Archeological Museum of Bulgaria. Sofia, Bulgaria.Inside the nice National Archeological Museum of Bulgaria. Sofia, Bulgaria.Inside the nice National Archeological Museum of Bulgaria. Sofia, Bulgaria.Inside the nice National Archeological Museum of Bulgaria. Sofia, Bulgaria.Fancy garbage collection units … Sofia, Bulgaria.Sculpture of St. George at the Ancient Orthodox Rotunda Church. A mass was going on, when I went inside. Sofia, Bulgaria.Ancient Orthodox Rotunda Church of St. George. Sofia’s oldest building. This 4th-century Christian Church is cylindrical, with an ornate dome. Sofia, Bulgaria.Saint Nedelya Orthodox Cathedral. Ornate, domed Orthodox Church featuring an elaborate interior covered with murals. Sofia, Bulgaria.Statue of Sofia! Inaugurated on Sep 17th, 2000. Earlier, a statue of Lenin used to be on this spot. Bulgarian Orthodox Church honours the martyr Sophia of Rome on this date. Sofia, Bulgaria.
Ticket vending machines, Sofia Metro. Can only be used for straightforward single ride tickets. Sofia, Bulgaria.Im my case, I had to go to the Ticket Counter and get their help. Lavov Most Metro Station (M2 (Blue) line). Sofia, Bulgaria.Ticket vending machines … Sofia Central Bus Station. Sofia, Bulgaria.The “24hr Service Desk” … Empty! 🙂 Sofia, Bulgaria.Had a quick bite to eat at this Cafe … Sofia Central Bus Station. Sofia, Bulgaria.The “Bus” 🙂 Sofia Central Bus Station. Sofia, Bulgaria.Inside the “Bus” … Comfortable enough. Sofia, Bulgaria.
