The Bulgarian Black Sea coast enjoys a mild and pleasant climate, with nice beaches covered with crystal clear sands. Because of its natural beauty, the Bulgarian Black Sea coast has become a famous international resort area.

Bulgaria's Black Sea resorts include: Albena with about 40 hotels, Golden Sands with 61 hotels and one campsite, St. Constantine & Elena Resort with 17 hotels and 41 villas, Sunny Beach with 107 hotels, the comparatively smaller tourist centres and holiday villages Elenite, Dyuni, Riviera, and Roussalka, and the picturesque towns of Pomorie, Neseber and Sozopol. Yacht clubs and marinas offer a wide range of marine sports.

The resorts also offer bowling alleys, horse-riding bases, tennis courts, swimming pools, squash courts, and mini-sport complexes for children. Numerous indoor sports facilities include tennis tables, billiards, and fitness centres.

Albena is a winning resort, located in a picturesque and ecologically clean gulf on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast, famous for its flower gardens, close to Varna international airport (30 km). Temperate continental climate, vast sand beach, clean sea without any dangerous animals - your guarantee of wonderful conditions for seaside holidays from May till October. This is a beautiful place on the Black Sea Coast with good location, high standard accommodation and a variety of amenities. Albena is the place where the sea meets the sand. Sport and recreation facilities, numerous entertainment spots, nightlife in bars and beauty facilities - Albena has it all. The resort is intent on offering its guests the best it can by constantly improving hotel facilities and the standard of service.

Golden Sands resort is 17 kilometers away from Varna. It is a magnificent resort with richly wooded hills, white golden beach and clear blue sea. There are a lot of very famous and ancient mineral water springs. The resort is situated in the area, which is a Bulgarian National park. The resort's beach strip is 3,5 km. long and up to 100 m wide. The average air temperature in Summer is 27-30 degree and the water temperature is 25-28 degree. Golden sands suits both sun-worshippers and sightseers being near by Varna the third largest town of Bulgaria, the pearl of the Bulgarian Black Sea coast with a great number of places of interest. St.Constantine and Helena resort is the longest established resort (1948), which has preserved its character as a smaller friendly holiday center. It lies 8 kilometers North of Varna. The resort has small sandy beaches and the atmosphere of this charming resort is ideal for a really restful holiday. It has the beauty of any other large resort.nt reminder of where thousands of allied soldiers lost their lives in the Second World War. You will also enjoy a train ride to Namtoke where lunch is included .

Sunny Beach:

The resort is situated on 36 km north of Bourgas and about 90 km to the south of Varna and is the largest holiday complex on the Black Sea coast. It numbers over 100 hotels, erected in long and wide lanes, surrounded by green and shady parks. It is naturally set in a small bay, protected by the slopes of the Balkan Mountain to the north. Its six-kilometers-long beaches reach as far as Nessebur to the south. The Mediterranean climate of the resort, a wide semi-circular bay facing east an over 8 km long beach strip, 30-60 m wide, fine golden sand, natural dunes a clean and gently sloping sea no dangerous fish, 1700 hours of sunshine from May through September and average daily temperature in summer 27C makes it preferable for family tourism. It offers the whole spectre of services as well as plenty of entertainments for the children.

Sunny Beach

Nessebur:

Known as Messembria by its founders, Dorian Greeks, Nessebar was founded in the 6th century BC. Today, the narrow peninsula (an island in antiquity, it was later connected by a causeway) is one of Bulgaria's most delightful tourist spots. Designated a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Sight in 1983, the tiny town attracts nearly a million yearly visitors. Narrow cobblestone streets wind amongst quaint 19th century wooden houses, their tiny courtyards filled with smokini (fig) trees and vine trellises. Although once graced by forty churches, Nessebar's dozen remaining medieval churches are the remnants of both Slav and Greek Orthodox communities that thrived here during the middle ages. As the major historical site on the coast, Nessebar does not lack for hotel, restaurants, discos, etc.

One of the famous medieval churches

Sozopol:

Located 34 km south of Bourgas on a slender rocky peninsula, Sozopol is arguably the most charming place on the Black Sea coast and one of Bulgaria's crown jewels. Founded in 610 b.c. by Ionian Greeks from Miletus and named Apollonia in honor of their most adored god, this was the first coastal Greek colony to be established Today, this charming place is a popular tourist resort best known for its casual ambiance, two sandy beaches, and distinctive nineteenth-century stone and wood houses, some 45 of which are designated national cultural monuments. While Sozopol is a bustling place during July-August, in the off-season it reverts back to a sleepy fishing village and is a favoured haunt of artists, writers and other contemplative types. .

Bulgaria is so much more than a beach holiday destination. It is a country rich in history, culture and scenic beauty. Whether in the north, the south or in central Bulgaria and no matter how long your stay, you will always feel the urge to return to see everything which makes this wonderful country so unique and enchanting.

The capital city, Sofia, which nestles on a 545m high plateau at the foot of Mt Vitosha is the highest capital city in Europe and has so much to offer that a two week stay in the city alone would simply not be enough time to truly appreciate its diversity and beauty. Find true peace and solitude at the Dragalevtsi Monastery, one of the oldest religious sites in Bulgaria, in its breathtaking location on the slopes of Mt Vitosha, or the architecturally superb Russian Church of St Nikolai in the charming old quarter.

Dragalevtsi Monastery

The grandeur and magnificence of the Alexander Nevski Church and its museum of religious icons cannot fail to engage and enthuse. The National Gallery for Foreign Art and the Ethnographical Museum are home to some of the most extensive and fascinating collections of art, carvings and sculptures, and traditional costumes, arts and crafts respectively in the whole of Europe. Those of a more adventurous streak can enjoy a spectacular ride on the chairlift to Aleko on Mt Vitosha before returning to relax with a cool drink in one of the many street cafes which rival the best that even Paris can offer.

If you still have a few reserves of energy left, the National Opera House or the Bourbon Street Nightclub provide unrivalled entertainment depending upon your tastes whilst, for the young at heart, a visit to the Bulgarian Puppet Theatre is an enchanting and uplifting experience. One of the most visited and exhilarating attractions outside the city is the Vitosha National Park, which at 22,726 hectares is both the largest and longest established national park in Bulgaria. Its highest point is Mt Cherni Vrah (The Black Peak) which, at 2290m, offers spectacular views of the mountain range and a stunning panorama of Sofia and its environs.

Bulgaria also boasts some of the finest, yet least known, ski slopes in Europe. The four main ski resorts are Bansko, Borovets and Vitosha all within easy travelling distance of Sofia, and Pamporovo, 83km south of Plovdiv. All of these resorts offer competitively priced skiing at beginner, intermediate and advanced levels as well as training and equipment hire. Accommodation is plentiful, cheap and of an exceptionally high standard and the rapidly developing resorts of a wide range of facilities, restaurants and entertainment for all the family.

There are also a number of much smaller yet no less spectacular resorts in the Rila, Pirin and Rodopi Mountain Ranges, areas which, in addition to the skiing, boast some of the most wonderful attractions for the tourist, not least of all the magnificent Rila Monastery. Central Bulgaria is the home of a plethora of historical and cultural heritage sites such as the ancient castle and churches in the cliff-side town of Veliko Tarnovo, or the hill top Shumen Fortress, one of the oldest ruins in the country.

The Troyan Monastery, the third largest in Bulgaria is well worth a visit, as are the many quaint house museums in the historical village of Koprivshitsa and watching and mingling with the many artisans at work in the picturesque Etar Ethnographic Village Museum is a heart warming experience. Tryavna, with its cobblestone streets and traditional folklore, is without doubt one of the prettiest and friendliest villages in Bulgaria and a place which you will just not want to leave.

Further north the pace of life is equally serene and relaxing and a visit to the Lopushanski Monastery, which has its own restaurant and guest house within the grounds can be a truly spiritual experience, whilst a stroll around the majestic Belogradchik Fortress, with its panoramic view over the picture book beauty of Belogradchik Village and some of the most unusual and unique rock formations to be found anywhere in Europe, is an ideal way of forgetting the stresses and pressures of everyday life.

So, whether it’s the exhilaration of winter sports or a stimulating night life, the opportunity to immerse yourself in the unique history and culture of a peoples unlike any other, or the need to escape the pace and stress of modern life, it is all here, in the wonderful, never to be forgotten idyll that is Bulgaria.

Bansko:

The newest Bulgarian winter resort, recently discovered by the foreign tourists. Bansko provides an interesting combination between the virgin nature of Pirin Mountain and the atmosphere of the ancient Bulgarian small town.

It is situated in Southwestern Bulgaria, at the foothills of one of the most beautiful Bulgarian mountains - Pirin, which is a national preserve, included in the WORLD NATURAL HERITAGE list. The distance from Sofia to Bansko is 160 km. The skiing conditions in Bansko are excellent.

The Pirin mountain has a predominately Alpine character with three peaks towering above 2900 m. However the slopes offer runs and tracks for all types of skiers, from novice to the experts, while the ski runs are maintained in excellent condition. The town itself attracts visitors by its 120 cultural monuments, its museums houses, and the permanent ethnographic and Bansko school of icon painting exhibitions.

The region is also famous for its cuisine and colourful folklore and offers various entertainment opportunities. Many visitors to Bansko are so taken with the place that they find it hard to leave!

Borovetz:

The oldest and the biggest mountain resort in Bulgaria which has often gathered the skiing elite of the world and seen the rise of many a Bulgarian champion. Situated at 1350m above the sea level on the northern slopes of Rila Mountain among age-old pine woods, Borovetz is located at the foot of peak Mousalla (2925m) - the highest one on the Balkan Peninsula.

Borovetz is easily accessible, being at a distance of 73km from Sofia. Established at the end of the 19th century as a hunting place for the Bulgarian kings, Borovetz gradually developed into a modern ski resort of high class and luxury hotels and restaurants and the varied leisure-time entertainment opportunities besides an excellent network of ski runs and lifts along the slopes of the Rila Mountain.

Borovetz is providing excellent opportunities for the whole range of winter sports - from Alpine sports to cross-country skiing, ski jumps and biathlon. The resort twice hosted World Cup Alpine skiing rounds, while the biathlon track is one of the best in the world.

Borovetz Resort

Pamporovo:

Welcome to the beautiful and hospitable Rhodope Mountains. Since ancient times they have been a source of legends and stories told through the centuries. Pamporovo, the pearl of the Bulgarian mountain resorts, nests in the heart of the Rhodopes, 260 km from the capital Sofia, and 85 km south of the city of Plovdiv.

The climate in winter is moderate/mild with a Mediterranean influence. Typical of this region is that nature does not change its moods abruptly, there is no danger of avalanche, and that guarantees the tranquility and safety of your vacation. If you cannot ski, this is not a tragedy, the ski-school in Pamporovo is one of the best in Europe. Highly qualified instructors, speaking at least two foreign languages, train the beginners, in groups or individually. Specialists will help you to make the snow-board a part of your body.

Pamporovo can offer you scores of scenic routes for seeing the Rhodope Mountain on foot, as well as opportunities to visit some interesting tourist attractions.

Vitosha:

1800 m above sea level, Vitosha is only 10 km far from Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria. This is the highest ski resort of Bulgaria. The mountain is good for skiing in the winter and trekking in the summer. It is easily accessible both in the winter and in the summer but its weather is very changeable.

In Vitosha there are two biosphere preserves - Bistrishko Branishte and Torfeno Branishte. The highest peak of Vitosha is Cherni Vruh (2290 m). The main skiing area is under it. Vitosha also offers walls for rock climbing in its eastern part. The mountain is also popular with the longest cave in Bulgaria - Duhlata, which is 17.5 km long, sprawls on seven levels and through it run six underground rivers.

Vitosha is also famous for its rock formations, some of which have volcanic origin and others formed as a result of climate changes. The most popular formation is the stone rivers, or "moreni" at Zlatnite Mostove (The Golden Bridges). The ski runs of Vitosha are various and would be suitable for skiers and boarders of any level.

Vitosha offers six ski runs with various difficulty and length - the green ski run being the easiest and the Vitoshko Lale the most difficult. There is also a trail for ski running - Univerisada, 9600 m long. All ski runs have the necessary facilities. There are a number of chair and drag lifts, as well as a Gondola lift starting from the outskirts of Sofia and reaching almost the top of the mountain near Aleko.