Things To Do in Bulgaria

The nightlife here centres on the family-run restaurants, which have bars where you can happily while away your evenings in drinking wine and playing cards. You might catch live music at one of the beach bars on the seafront, and if you do want to ramp things up you’ve got a pretty big disco club on the main road.

As soon as you touch down in Sofia, you’ll realise how close it is to the Vitosha Mountain. It’s just over an hour’s drive away from the city. If you’re visiting in winter, you could try the slopes – there’s a ski resort at the top that’s open from December to April, and it offers hire equipment. If not, you could try one of the hiking trails that take you to Vitosha’s picturesque peaks.

Billed as Bulgaria’s biggest waterpark, this place packs in the slides. Tornado, Slalom Freefall and Wild Cobra are just 3 of the high-speed options for when you’re not hanging out in the wave pool or propping up the poolside bar. They do a nice line in kid-friendly slides and games, too. As for getting here, a shuttle bus picks up from the hotels every 15 minutes.

The coastline around Obzor is long and straight, so a gentle breeze rolls in off the ocean – which is great news if you’re windsurfing, sailing or just taking a leisurely pedalo ride. For dry-land activities, you’ve got beach volleyball and bungee ropes. Or there’s always the lazier option – sunbathing, then a spot of lunch.

The beach at Tsarevo is big, clean and mostly quiet – making it a great spot to unplug. For a little more action, drive north 30 minutes to Harmanite Beach in Sozopol. The kilometre-long stretch is lined with beachside cafés and bars, and visitors can take a paddle-boat out onto the water.

The main street down to the beach is lined with stands selling jewellery, T-shirts, trainers and sunglasses. They do a good line in animal puppets here, too. It’s worth haggling for a bargain – not everyone speaks English, though, so you might want to write the prices down.

Each September, the town hosts the Apollonia Festival of Arts for around 10 days. Held annually for over 30 years, the celebrations include theatre performances, live music, art exhibitions and film showings. It usually lines up an excellent programme of jazz nights, too, if you fancy upping the tempo.

Along the cobbled streets of Old Nessebar you’ll see women in shawls crafting traditional lace tablecloths in front of open-air stalls and men with sun-worn faces selling handmade wooden toys. If you stop to barter for one of the handcrafted rugs here, you’ll be plied with tea for your efforts.

There’s no shortage of restaurants along the front, but for the real deal – and cheaper prices – head to the market area in town. Here you’ve got a clutch of Bulgarian bistros clamouring to get you through the door. On the menu you’ll find everything from kavarma – a spicy pork stew – to moussaka and spit-roasted pig. And seafood lovers should try the locally caught lobster.

History buffs will love the National History Museum. It’s Bulgaria’s largest museum and is full of jewellery and art from throughout the centuries. Plus, it has an extensive collection of Roman artefacts to eye up. The building itself is as interesting as what’s inside – it’s sat at the foot of Vitosha Mountain, and the floor-to-ceiling windows look out onto manicured gardens.

Nightlife in St Vlas tends to focus on the marina, where you’ll find a cluster of cocktail bars and an amphitheatre hosting cultural shows. If you fancy upping the tempo, taxi a few minutes down the road to Sunny Beach – the clubs here keep the party going until 6am.

Water taxis zip across the bay to Nessebar every hour. Wander through the cobbled streets and pint-sized piazzas of the UNESCO-listed old town, then pop into the Archaeological Museum for a snoop around the exhibits. When it’s time for refuelling, make tracks for the beach – bars and restaurants stand shoulder to shoulder along its prom.

There’s usually a queue at this popular haunt, which is apparently the best restaurant in the resort. The menu serves up plenty to please everyone, with everything from spaghetti Bolognese to Caprese salad making an appearance. The charcoal-grilled meat is a particular hit with customers. And for those used to UK prices, the bill will come as a pleasant surprise.

You can’t fault the coastal views along the Black Sea, and many bars are pulled up right against the shoreline, where they can take full advantage of them. Expect to find all the classic cocktail concoctions and the odd spot of live music.

The gentle curve of the bay here keeps the waves in check, so it’s really calm for swimming. It’s also great for all the watersports that are on offer. Pedalos and banana boats start things off, then waterskiing, jet-skiing, paragliding and scuba diving pick up the pace. Back on the sand, you can join in a game of volleyball – or tune up your swing on the mini-golf course.

The Roman emperors may have gone, but they’ve left a bit of history – if you wander over to the park you’ll see the remains of the Temple of Jupiter. While you’re here, pop into the museum next door where you’ll find over 1,000 exhibits that give you the full story on Obzor’s past. You’ve got some model dinosaurs around the grounds, too – good for a Jurassic Park-style photo op.

Sunny Beach sure knows how to keep the party pumping. The big clubs in town lay on top-name DJs til 6am. These places don’t cut corners, either – one even comes with 12 bars, a pool and a waterslide. And if smaller venues are your thing, you’ll find cocktail bars and cosy pubs dishing up live music and karaoke.

Nessebar may not party hard like its neighbour Sunny Beach, but it still comes up with the goods on the nightlife front. You’ll find some cracking places in the old town, whether you want Irish bars, English pubs or a classy cocktail joint. As for discos, expect salsa, R ’n’ B and Bulgarian chalga – a very danceable pop-folk combo.

This swanky beach bar dishes up king-size beds and white parasols arranged around a pool. It attracts well-heeled locals who drink cocktails and frappuccinos, which all arrive with a bowl of fruit. When the sun sets, the place becomes a club, attracting top-name DJs like Paul van Dyk, who play house and dance hits to an appreciative crowd.

The main after-dark players here are the family-run restaurants. Most have bars attached, and transform conveniently into relaxed nightspots where you can enjoy a chat and a tipple on the terrace as dusk falls. Some of the beach-front bars have live music on offer, and if you have the urge to dance there’s a good-sized nightclub on the main road.

You’ll find some of the best restaurants around the central square, with terraces overlooking the fountain. Fill up on Eastern European specialities like meat and veg stew, or tuck into the tasty pork kebabs. It all goes down rather well with the local Byala wine – this tipple was made just minutes down the road, so don’t be surprised if the friendly waiters insist that you try it.

The Black Sea borders Turkey as well as Bulgaria, and the neighbouring country has had an influence on the resort’s cuisine. One thing the little beach cafés do particularly well here is a doner kebab. Their version comes stuffed with chips and parsley slaw.

This all-day event every 15th August is a double whammy – a religious festival and a town party. And the locals sure know how to celebrate. First off, they make white origami birds to decorate the streets. Then it’s all down to the amphitheatre near the causeway for games and live music. You’ll get plenty of food and drink, and fireworks launched from a flotilla of boats.

At the end of a stone jetty, this floating barge is where Nessebar lets its hair down. Buy tequila by the bottle, and you’ll get a plate of lemon slices and a saltshaker to go with it. At weekends, turbo-folk music pumps from the speakers.