BUGARIA

Official name: Republika Bulgaria (Republic of Bulgaria).

Capital city : Sofia
Official language: Bulgarian, secondary languages closely correspond to ethnic breakdown

Population: 8,273,000

Time Zone: Gmt + 2 hrs in winter and GMT+3 in summer
Independence; 3 March 1878 (as an autonomous principality within the Ottoman Empire); 22 September 1908 (complete independence from the Ottoman Empire)
National Holiday: Liberation Day, 3 March (1878)
Currency: Lev (BGL)
Summer Temp: 16º / 27º C
Winter Temp: - 4º / 2 º C

Ethnic Groups: Bulgarian 83.9%, Turk 9.4%, Roma 4.7%, other 2% (including Macedonian, Armenian, Tatar, Circassian) (2001)
Religions: Bulgarian Orthodox 82.6%, Muslim 12.2%, Roman Catholic 1.7%, Jewish 0.1%, Protestant, Gregorian-Armenian, and other 3.4% (1998)

Location: Southeastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Romania and Turkey
Area:
total: 110,910 sq km
land: 110,550 sq km
water: 360 sq km
Total land boundaries: 1,808 km
bordering countries: Greece 494 km, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia 148 km, Romania 608 km, Serbia and Montenegro 318 km (all with Serbia), Turkey 240 km
Coastline: 354 km
Climate: temperate; cold, damp winters; hot, dry summers
Terrain: mostly mountains with lowlands in north and southeast
Elevation extremes:
lowest: Black Sea 0 m
highest: Musala 2,925 m
Natural resources: bauxite, copper, lead, zinc, coal, timber, arable land
Natural hazards: earthquakes, landslides
The Bulgars, a Central Asian Turkic tribe, merged with the local Slavic inhabitants in the late 7th century to form the first Bulgarian state. In succeeding centuries, Bulgaria struggled with the Byzantine Empire to assert its place in the Balkans, but by the end of the 14th century the country was overrun by the Ottoman Turks. Northern Bulgaria attained autonomy in 1878 and all of Bulgaria became independent in 1908. Having fought on the losing side in both World Wars, Bulgaria fell within the Soviet sphere of influence and became a People's Republic in 1946. Communist domination ended in 1990, when Bulgaria held its first multiparty election since World War II and began the contentious process of moving toward political democracy and a market economy while combating inflation, unemployment, corruption, and crime. Today, reforms and democratization keep Bulgaria on a path toward eventual integration into the EU in January 2007. The country joined NATO in 2004.

Despite a turbulent history, Bulgaria is the oldest surviving state in Europe to have kept its original name (since AD681) and most of the population are descendants of the Bulgar invasion of the south Danube around that time. On two occasions during the Medieval period, the Bulgarians managed to establish empires, which existed in a state of armed conflict with Byzantium. The First Empire is reckoned to have lasted from the time of Kurt (584–642) until John Vladislav’s defeat by the Byzantines in 1018; the second was the result of an opportunist revolt in 1185, led by John and Peter
Asen, who managed to take advantage of an internal weakness at Constantinople (this collapsed in 1280). Bulgaria’s territory in Macedonia was then overrun by the Serbs – then the rising power in the Balkans. Their dominance was short-lived, however, as the Ottoman Turks arrived in the 1350s. Within 40 years, the country had been completely absorbed into the Ottoman Empire. Bulgaria was a stable province of the Empire, until the rise of Russia as a major player on the European scene under Catherine the Great in the 18th century; Russian strategy hinged upon its self-proclaimed role as protector of the Orthodox Christian communities within the Ottoman Empire.

In the 19th century, Bulgarian nationalists began to organize, noting the decline of the Ottoman Empire and in expectation of eventual independence. Following an uprising in 1876, Bulgarian volunteer forces, with strong Russian support, defeated the Turks and were able to establish an independent state under the terms of the Treaty of San Stefano in 1878. The remaining years of the century were fairly chaotic, as the restored monarchy and newly-formed political parties jostled for position. The most important developments were the emergence of a strong socialist movement and the politicization of the rural population, organized around the Bulgarian Agrarian Union. King Ferdinand was the dominant figure in Bulgarian politics up to World War I, although was discredited thereafter, due to his support for the Germans.

The popular Agrarian leader, Aleksandur Stambolyiski, imprisoned by Ferdinand, formed a reformist government that lasted until 1923, when it was overthrown in a right-wing coup. The government of Alexander Tsankov, which replaced Stambolyiski’s administration, established a royalist-militarist government with King Boris as head of state. The Communists had launched several unsuccessful uprisings but their chance came towards the end of World War II, when – having been relatively unaffected by the fighting – Soviet forces entered the country in 1944. King Boris conveniently died and the Soviet-backed Fatherland Front seized power. The monarchy was abolished and a republic declared. The Front, dominated by the Bulgarian Communist Party, took 70 per cent of the vote in a national plebiscite.

By the end of 1947, the Communist Party had completed its takeover of the country, instituting a Soviet-style constitution and abolishing all opposition parties. Subsequently, Bulgaria’s dominant political figure was Todor Zhivkov, under whose leadership Bulgaria became the staunchest of Moscow’s allies. In 1989, under intense domestic and international pressure, Zhivkov resigned. The first multi-party elections for 44 years were held in June 1990; the ruling Communists had restyled themselves the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP), and won an absolute majority in the 400-seat National Assembly. Throughout the first half of the 1990s, Bulgaria was wracked by political instability and labor unrest, as the country was plunged into economic crisis. Five governments held office during the next six years.

The main opposition to the BSP was presented by the Union of Democratic Forces (UDF), whose leader, Zhelyu Zhelev, held the presidency between 1990 and his fall as UDF leader in early 1996. His successor, Petar Stoyanov, went on to win the presidency in October 1996; the following April, the UDF also secured control of the National Assembly. A welcome period of political stability followed. But in 2001, Bulgarian politics were turned upside down by the former King Simeon II, who had not only returned to his former realm (to a rapturous welcome after 50 years in exile, in 1996) but set up a political party modestly entitled Simeon The Second National Movement. The ex-monarch evidently struck a chord with the Bulgarian people and, in June 2001, the Movement won a resounding victory at the National Assembly elections. The Movement for Simeon II (NMS) governed in alliance with the mainly ethnic Turkish Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF). The old two-party mould that dominated Bulgarian politics throughout the 1990s has been fractured but not completely broken - the BSP's Georgi Parvanov won the presidential election in 2001.

The priorities of the government were much the same as those of their predecessors. Having successfully avoided significant involvement in the post-Yugoslavian imbroglio – a major worry for successive Bulgarian governments – the government concentrated upon a ‘national strategy’ of securing EU and NATO membership. The country became a NATO member in 2004. In April 2005, Bulgaria signed the Accession Treaty with the perspective to enter the EU in 2007. However, a substantial number of reforms were necessary in order to meet the conditions.

The Socialist Party, led by Sergei Stanishev, won the latest election in summer 2005, but did not win enough seats to form a government on their own. The liberal NMS, which led the former coalition came second and the mostly ethnic Turkish Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) third. Mr Stanishev has said that EU membership is his government's top priority. He has also promised to intensify the campaign against corruption and organized crime.

The land area of Bulgaria is 110,550 square kilometres. The country is situated on the west coast of the Black Sea, with Romania to the north, Greece and Turkey to the south, and Yugoslavia to the west. Bulgaria has a great variety of topographical features. The land may be divided into plains, plateaus, hills, mountains, basins, gorges, and deep river valleys.
Although external historical events often changed Bulgaria's national boundaries in its first century of existence, natural terrain features defined most boundaries after 1944. Post war Bulgaria contained a large percentage of the ethnic Bulgarian people, although numerous migrations into and out of Bulgaria occurred at various times.
In 1991 Bulgaria had a total border of about 2,264 kilometers. Rivers about 680 kilometers and the Black Sea coast 400 kilometers
Topography
The main characteristic of Bulgaria's topography is alternating bands of high and low terrain that extend east to west across the country. From north to south, those bands are the Danubian Plateau, the Balkan Mountains (called Stara Planina, meaning old mountains in Bulgarian), the central Thracian Plain, and the Rhodope Mountains. The easternmost sections near the Black Sea are hilly, but they gradually gain height to the west until the westernmost part of the country is entirely high ground. The average altitude in Bulgaria is 470 meters.
A significant part of Bulgaria's land is prone to earthquakes. Two especially sensitive areas are the borders of the North Bulgarian Swell (rounded elevation), the center of which is in the Gorna Oryakhovitsa area in north-central Bulgaria, and the West Rhodopes Vault, a wide area extending through the Rila and northern Pirin regions to Plovdiv in south-central Bulgaria. Especially strong tremors also occur along diagonal lines running between Skopje in the Republic of Macedonia and Razgrad in northeast Bulgaria, and from Albania eastward across the southern third of Bulgaria through Plovdiv. Sixteen major earthquakes struck Bulgaria between 1900 and 1986, the last two in Strazhitsa on the SkopjeRazgrad fault line. Together the two quakes damaged over 16,000 buildings, half of them severely.
Drainage
The Balkan Mountains divide Bulgaria into two nearly equal drainage systems. The larger system drains northward to the Black Sea, mainly by way of the Danube River. This system includes the entire Danubian Plateau and a stretch of land running forty-eight to eighty kilometers inland from the coastline. The second system drains the Thracian Plain and most of the higher lands of the south and southwest to the Aegean Sea. Although only the Danube is navigable, many of the other rivers and streams in Bulgaria have a high potential for the production of hydroelectric power and are sources of irrigation water.
The Danube gets slightly more than 4 percent of its total volume from its Bulgarian tributaries. As it flows along the northern border, the Danube averages 1.6 to 2.4 kilometers in width. The river's highest water levels usually occur during June floods; it is frozen over an average of forty days per year.
Climate
Considering its small area, Bulgaria has an unusually variable and complex climate. The country lies between the strongly contrasting continental and Mediterranean climatic zones. Bulgarian mountains and valleys act as barriers or channels for air masses, causing sharp contrasts in weather over relatively short distances. The continental zone is slightly larger, because continental air masses flow easily into the unobstructed Danubian Plain. The continental influence, stronger during the winter, produces abundant snowfall; the Mediterranean influence increases during the summer and produces hot, dry weather. The barrier effect of the Balkan Mountains is felt throughout the country: on the average, northern Bulgaria is about one degree cooler and receives about 192 more millimeters of rain than southern Bulgaria. Because the Black Sea is too small to be a primary influence over much of the country's weather, it only affects the immediate area along its coastline.
The many valley basins scattered through the uplands have temperature inversions resulting in stagnant air. Sofia is located in such a basin, but its elevation (about 530 meters) tends to moderate summer temperature and relieve oppressive high humidity. Sofia also is sheltered from the northern European winds by the mountains that surround its troughlike basin. Temperatures in Sofia average -2°C in January and about 21°C in August. The city's rainfall is near the country average, and the overall climate is pleasant.
The coastal climate is moderated by the Black Sea, but strong winds and violent local storms are frequent during the winter. Winters along the Danube River are bitterly cold, while sheltered valleys opening to the south along the Greek and Turkish borders may be as mild as areas along the Mediterranean or Aegean coasts.
Environment
Like the other European members of the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (Comecon), Bulgaria saw unimpeded industrial growth as a vital sign of social welfare and progress toward the socialist ideal. Because this approach made environmental issues a taboo subject in socialist Bulgaria, the degree of damage by postwar industrial policy went unassessed until the government of Todor Zhivkov (1962-89) was overthrown in late 1989. The Zhivkov government's commitment to heavy industry and lack of money to spend on protective measures forced it to conceal major environmental hazards, especially when relations with other countries were at stake. Factories that did not meet environmental standards paid symbolic fines and had no incentive to institute real environmental protection measures. Even as late as 1990, socialist officials downplayed the effects on Bulgaria of radiation from the 1986 nuclear power plant accident at Chernobyl'. Citizens were informed that they need not take iodine tablets or use any other protective measures.
In 1991 Bulgarian environmentalists estimated that 60 percent of the country's agricultural land was damaged by excessive use of pesticides and fertilizers and by industrial fallout. In 1991 two thirds of Bulgarian rivers were polluted, and the Yantra River was classified as the dirtiest river in Europe. By that time, about two-thirds of the primary forests had been cut. However, despite its recognition of the need for greater environmental protection, Bulgaria budgeted only 10.4 billion leva to remedy ecological problems in 1991.
Perhaps the most serious environmental problem in Bulgaria was in the Danube port city of Ruse. From 1981 to 1989, the chemical pollution that spread from a chlorine and sodium plant across the Danube in Giurgiu, Romania, was a forbidden subject in Bulgaria because it posed a threat to good relations between two Warsaw Pact countries. In response to the formidable Bulgarian environmental movement, some Bulgarian plants have been closed or have added protective measures; the Giurgiu plant, however, was planning to expand in 1991.
None of Bulgaria's large cities escaped serious environmental pollution. Statistics showed that 70 to 80 percent of Sofia's air pollution is caused by emissions from cars, trucks, and buses. Temperature inversions over the city aggravated the problem. Two other major polluters, the Kremikovtsi Metallurgy Works and the Bukhovo uranium mine (both in southwestern Bulgaria), contaminated the region with lead, sulfur dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, ethanol, and mercury. The city of Kurdzhali became heavily polluted with lead from its lead and zinc complex. In 1990 environmental scientists claimed that two-thirds of Bulgaria's population suffered from the polluted environment to some degree. In 1991 Bulgaria began seeking international assistance in solving environmental problems. Besides joining Romania, Turkey, and the Soviet Union in joint scientific studies of the critically polluted Black Sea, Bulgaria actively sought environmental technology and expertise from Western Europe and the United States.
Sofia Un edited because text disappears

Rila Monastery
Founded in the 10th century, Rila Monastery is a center of Bulgarian Orhtodox Christianity. It has been destroyed and rebuilt many times, with the oldest building on the current site dating back to the 14th century. pic

ALEXANDER NEVSKI MEMORIAL CHURCH
Completed in 1912 in honour of the Russian casualties of the 1877-78 War of Liberation from Ottoman Rule. Gold-domed, it is the finest piece of architecture in the Balkans. Craftsmen and artists from 6 countries worked on the five-aisle church in the course of 30 years and created real masterpieces of icons, frescoes, murals and huge chandeliers. The interior decoration, made of Italian marble. Egyptian alabaster, Brazilian onyx, gold, mosaics embodies the spirit of the finest Eastern Orthodox traditions. A superb collection of icons - the best in Bulgaria - can also be seen in the Crypt.

ROTUNDA OF ST. GEORGE
A C4 brick building in the courtyard behind the Sheraton Hotel, adorned with finely preserved early medieval frescoes. There are also remains of a C2 street and other Byzantine ruins.

ST. SOFIA CHURCH
The 4th-6th century basilica was built during the reign of Justinian. It has survived intact with 1600- year-old mosaic details and towards the end of the C14 gave the city its name. Beside the wall of the church is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Nearby is the grave of the national poet and writer Ivan Vazov, marked by an engraved boulder.

THE NATIONAL PALACE OF CULTURE
The biggest Congress Centre in the Balkans. It is located in the centre of the city and faces the Vitosha Mountain.

THE CHURCH OF ST. NEDELYA
(Opposite the Sheraton Hotel)
Built in medieval times and known as the Church of the Blessed Sveti Kral. The current building was reconstructed after 1925 when it was almost completely destroyed by a bomb explosion.

DRAGALEVTSI
A suburb in the woods at the foot of Mount Vitosha. About 3 km further on is DRAGALEVTSI MONASTERY, founded during the reign of King Ivan Alexander. Frescoes date back to the C15. The church, which is part of the original monastery, often sheltered the Apostle of Freedom Vassil Levski during the C19.

VASSIL LEVSKI MONUMENT
Vassil Levski was the principal architect of the campaign to free Bulgaria from the oppression of the Ottoman Empire. The monument marks the spot where he was hanged by the Turks in 1873.

SOFIA UNIVERSITY
The country's most prestigious university.
It was built a decade after Sofia became Bulgaria's capital in 1879 with funds bequeathed by the brothers Evlogi and Christo Georgiev.

BOYANA
A suburb at the foot of Mount Vitosha, notable for the BOYANA CHURCH, built in the C11. Frescoes are claimed to be among the oldest and most interesting examples of East European Medieval art. Like Rila Monastery, the BOYANA CHURCH has been listed by UNESCO as a part of the world s cultural heritage.

It has become very much a part of Sofia owing to its accessibility by means of the cabin lifts at Knyazhevo and Simeonovo. Cherni Vrah, the highest point, gives wonderful views over the whole region. The winter ski-resort Aleko lies at 1868 m and the ski season lasts from early December until late spring. The beautiful scenery makes the whole area attractive throughout the year.

SOFIA - MAIN POINTS OF INTEREST
ALEXANDER NEVSKI MEMORIAL CHURCH Completed in 1912 in honour of the Russian casualties of the 1877-78 War of Liberation from Ottoman Rule. Gold-domed, it is the finest piece of architecture in the Balkans. Craftsmen and artists from 6 countries worked on the five-aisle church in the course of 30 years and created real masterpieces of icons, frescoes, murals and huge chandeliers. The interior decoration, made of Italian marble. Egyptian alabaster, Brazilian onyx, gold, mosaics embodies the spirit of the finest Eastern Orthodox traditions. A superb collection of icons - the best in Bulgaria - can also be seen in the Crypt.
ROTUNDA OF ST. GEORGE A C4 brick building in the courtyard behind the Sheraton Hotel, adorned with finely preserved early medieval frescoes. There are also remains of a C2 street and other Byzantine ruins.
ST. SOFIA CHURCH The 4th-6th century basilica was built during the reign of Justinian. It has survived intact with 1600- year-old mosaic details and towards the end of the C14 gave the city its name. Beside the wall of the church is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Nearby is the grave of the national poet and writer Ivan Vazov, marked by an engraved boulder.
THE NATIONAL PALACE OF CULTURE The biggest Congress Centre in the Balkans. It is located in the centre of the city and faces the Vitosha Mountain.
THE CHURCH OF ST. NEDELYA (Opposite the Sheraton Hotel) Built in medieval times and known as the Church of the Blessed Sveti Kral. The current building was reconstructed after 1925 when it was almost completely destroyed by a bomb explosion.
VASSIL LEVSKI MONUMENT Vassil Levski was the principal architect of the campaign to free Bulgaria from the oppression of the Ottoman Empire. The monument marks the spot where he was hanged by the Turks in 1873. SOFIA UNIVERSITY The country's most prestigious university. It was built a decade after Sofia became Bulgaria's capital in 1879 with funds bequeathed by the brothers Evlogi and Christo Georgiev.
DRAGALEVTSI A suburb in the woods at the foot of Mount Vitosha. About 3 km further on is DRAGALEVTSI MONASTERY, founded during the reign of King Ivan Alexander. Frescoes date back to the C15. The church, which is part of the original monastery, often sheltered the Apostle of Freedom Vassil Levski during the C19.
BOYANA A suburb at the foot of Mount Vitosha, notable for the BOYANA CHURCH, built in the C11. Frescoes are claimed to be among the oldest and most interesting examples of East European Medieval art. Like Rila Monastery, the BOYANA CHURCH has been listed by UNESCO as a part of the world s cultural heritage.
THE RUSSIAN CHURCH MOUNT VITOSHA It has become very much a part of Sofia owing to its accessibility by means of the cabin lifts at Knyazhevo and Simeonovo. Cherni Vrah, the highest point, gives wonderful views over the whole region. The winter ski-resort Aleko lies at 1868 m and the ski season lasts from early December until late spring. The beautiful scenery makes the whole area attractive throughout the year.

Sofia has a history that goes back thousands of years. Through the centuries, many peoples have inhabited it and added to its rich and diverse history. Numerous Neolithic villages have been discovered in the area, while a chalocolithic settlement has been recently discovered in the very center of modern Sofia.
The St. Sofia Church, a three-nave basilica built in the late 5th century AD The Thracian Serdi tribe settled here in the 7th century BC and gave the first recorded name of Sofia -- Serdica. The Byzantines called it Triaditsa and the Slavs - Sredets. The modern city of Sofia was named in the 14th century after the basilica St. Sofia. In Greek, word sofia means wisdom. In the 3rd century AD, the Romans built strong walls around Serdica, their capital of Inner Dacia and an important stopping point on the Roman road from Naisus (present Nish, Yugoslavia) to Constantinople.
Today there are many archaeological sites in Sofia, that display the city's diverse history - the castle gates and towers of Serdica, public buildings and streets thousands of years old. A large part of the ancient city of Serdica is underneath important modern buildings. The ancient city council (bulefteris) is hidden under the "Sheraton" hotel, while a number of basilicas are below the National Historical Museum. The Roman thermal baths are under the Sofia Mineral Baths and a Roman residence with elaborate mosaics is below the "Rila" hotel. After the Hun invasion of 441, the town was rebuilt by the Byzantines. The Slavs gave Sredets a key role in the First Bulgarian Empire, then in 1018 the Byzantines retook Triaditsa. At the end of the 12th century, the Bulgarians returned and Sredets became a major trading center of the Second Bulgarian Empire. The Turks captured Sofia in 1382 and made it the center of the Rumelian beylerbeyship. The city declined during the feudal unrest of the 19th century, but with the establishment of the Third Bulgarian Empire in 1879, Sofia once again became the capital of Bulgaria. The ancient St. George rotunda behind theSheraton Hotel
The National Art Gallery Rapidly the city's image changed from an Oriental, to a European. Today many streets, buildings, parks, and even whole neighborhoods preserve the architectural style from the turn of the century. Between 1879 and 1939, the population of Sofia grew from 20 000 to 300 000, while today 1 250 000 people live in Sofia.
Since ancient times the city was famous for the abudance of cold and thermal mineral water springs in and around it. The water is still available today and is praised for its numerous qualities. Springs may be found in the city center, as well as in the neighbourhoods: Kniazevo, Gorna Bania, Bankia, Ovcha Kupel and Ivaniane.

Getting There
Bulgaria Air took over as national carrier from the thankfully defunct Balkan Airlines in November 2002. It has flights to most major European capitals but as yet there are no direct flights linking Sofia with the major Asian hubs or North America. Travellers from Australasia will usually have to connect through more popular European destinations. Buses and trains are the easiest way to get to Bulgaria from Europe and Turkey, with frequent services from Greece, Yugoslavia, Macedonia, Albania, Istanbul, Prague and Western Europe. The only Romania connection is a scrappy maxi-taxi service from Ruse, Bulgaria (on the Danube River) to Bucharest. The train from Greece is usually a hassle (take the bus).

When you enter Bulgaria by car you must state which border crossing you'll be using when you leave and pay a road tax accordingly. There's also a 'disinfection fee' for your vehicle. Route restrictions apply if you're only in transit through Bulgaria. A regular car ferry crosses the Danube from Vidin to Calafat in Romania. Crossing the 'Friendship Bridge' from Romania to Ruse in Bulgaria is painfully slow, though outbound travellers are not usually delayed. Bus services to Istanbul usually reach the border in the middle of the night, when Turkish customs go through every bag vigorously.

Culture
One has to see the magnificent Thracian treasures, the monumental but beautiful work of the Greek and Roman cities in order to understand why Bulgaria became the cradle of Slav culture.

For thirteen centuries the Bulgarian has been creating literature, art and music. Bulgarian culture has given the world men of great achievements, unparalleled in history.

In the 9th century the brothers Cyril and Methodius, recognised as the patrons of Europe, upset the trilingual dogma and created the alphabet of the Slav peoples.

During the 14th century John Koukouzel - The Angel-voiced carried out a reform in Eastern Orthodox church music. Unknown painters created masterpieces which have become part of the UNESCO list of World Heritage.

Born from the power of tradition, modern Bulgarian culture, too, triumphs in the world. A quatrain of the great Bulgarian poet Hristo Botev has found a place in the Sorbonne, Boris Christoff and a whole host of Bulgarian singers have conquered the world's opera stages, the "Mystery of Bulgarian Voices" has astounded melomaniacs, the paintings of Vladimir Dimitrov-The Master can be seen in the world's finest galleries.

Religion
Most Bulgarians are Christians, almost 83 percent belong to the Bulgarian Orthodox Church,Muslims comprise about 12 percent, Another 1.7 percent is Roman Catholic.
Orthodox monasteries are held in high regard for their religious and artistic significance. Many monasteries and churches contain frescoes and icons of significant historical value.
While religious worship was discouraged during the communist era, it is relatively unrestricted today. Still, many people see religion as a matter of tradition, rather than one of strong faith. Religious holidays are openly celebrated. Rural people and the older generation are more devout in attending services, but young people in urban areas are also showing an interest in religion.
Currency
Since 2002, the rate of exchange is 1 EURO = 1.95583 LEV, also this rate never changes. When looking for good rate to exchange your EURO into levs, it is advisable to look for a place where for 1 EURO they will give around 1.95 LEVS.
Credit cards are accepted in Bulgaria, but not popular everywhere yet. All bigger shops (especially in the capital Sofia) accept Visa and Master Card, but the in the smaller shops, bars, restaurants, credit cards are not accepted.
Currency recommended for exchange are Euros, Pounds Sterling and US Dollars
It is also recommended that you exchange your money at a bank and always get a receipt.

Food
Because of its geographical position and long history Bulgarian cuisine is a mixture between the best parts of the Slavonic, Greek and Turkish cuisines. National specialities include a lot of different products.
Bulgarian wines are the perfect companion for Bulgarian food. The choice is wide.
Apart from the usual deserts and sweets that can be found all over the Europe, Turkish sweets are also very popular
Bulgarian food is close to traditional European cuisine. A traditional Bulgarian menu includes bread, yoghurt and fresh milk, cheese, tomatoes, paprika, potatoes, onions, beans and fruits, grappa and red or white wine.