Bulgaria, Small But Picturesque
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Bulgaria is a small, picturesque country, one of the oldest countries in Europe, with a fascinating 1300-year history. That beautiful country, with vast expanses of lush forests, beautiful beaches, and picturesque villages, still carries the national heritage with pure authenticity.
Bulgarians were the first to use the Cyrillic alphabet, right after its creation in the 9th century. And after the European Union’s accession of the country in 2007, Cyrillic became the third official script in Europe.
If this is the first thing you learn about Bulgaria, stay on this page to learn ten more interesting facts:
Enjoy all seasons and diverse entertainment
Bulgaria is a country with four seasons. Cold and sometimes wet winters with snowfall and an average temperature of 0 °C. Cool and wet springs. Hot and rainy summers. And chill, sunny and windy autumns. Take whatever you want. In addition, you can enjoy the abundance of historical and natural attractions, museums, and monasteries spread over a relatively small and easily accessible area.
Bulgaria is an excellent choice for holiday travel. In summer, you can visit the seaside resorts with beautiful sandy beaches. The picturesque ski resorts are suitable for winter relaxation. The mountains attract lovers of alternative tourism and adventurous hikers. If you plan to visit the capital Sofia in winter and are a winter sports enthusiast, get your ski gear. Vitosha is the only mountain in Europe that hugs a capital city on its slopes. Bulgaria is the second country in Europe with natural mineral springs and is a paradise for spa tourism. You can pour yourself free mineral water in many places, including downtown.
Natural beauty treatments and delicious food
Even though a small country, Bulgaria produces up to 70 to 85% of the World’s rose oil. The distinctive base ingredient from the roses of the Bulgarian Rose Valley is the core of various products of the global beauty industry and local cosmetic treatments.
We can’t help mentioning the delicious food. Bulgarian national cuisine is rich in flavors and remained authentic over the years. There is some food that Bulgarians do not sit at the table without, white salted cheese and yogurt. Yogurt is a Bulgarian invention made by the bacteria Lactobacillus bulgaricus. Yogurt is the protagonist in many delicious local dishes.
Rich culture and history
One of the best-known surviving artifacts of Thracian culture originates in Bulgaria. Accidentally discovered in the middle of the twentieth century near the railway station of Panagyurishte town, they have displayed the treasure at various museums worldwide.
The Rafail’s Cross, or Cross of Rafail, is a famous wooden cross kept in the Rila Monastery. The creator of this masterpiece was a monk named Rafail. He carved 104 religious scenes with 650 figures using a fine chisel, a needle, and magnifying lenses. It took him twelve years to finish this masterpiece. Sadly, he got blind in the end.
Bulgarian folklore song Izlel e Delyo Haidutin is on the Golden Record carried on board the Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 probes. The records contain sounds and images selected to portray the diversity of life and culture on Earth for any intelligent extraterrestrial life form who may find them.
Hospitable, humorous and slightly confusing
Bulgarians are generous, warm, and hospitable people with a sense of humor and amusing self-irony. If you find yourself in a Bulgarian home, you will leave full, stuffed, and with a little gift to remember it by.
However, if you are a foreigner, you should know in advance some confusing things to avoid misunderstandings. Nodding one’s head to express yes and no is the opposite of the rest of the world. Up and down means a negative response, while a horizontal head turn means a positive signal of understanding and agreement. There is no simple explanation for this nodding trend in Bulgaria, as it is associated with various historical events. The important thing is that you already know about this little peculiarity.
