Things To Do in Bulgaria

You’ll find Bourgas a half an hour drive away, nestled in Bourgas Bay. It’s the perfect destination for a daytrip, with a six-kilometre-long Blue Flag beach, a huge shopping centre, a bulk of museums, and a sprawling park – known as the Sea Garden – to its name. The city’s also a really popular spot with paragliders, so you’ll want to keep your eyes on the sky.

You name it, the mud on the banks of Lake Pomorie is said to cure it. In fact, the ancient inhabitants of this town thought it so valuable, the whole lake was considered sacred. Fast-forward a couple of millennia, and today’s mud baths are a much more glamorous affair. Drive half an hour from Sunny beach, take your pick from a couple of ultra-modern spas, and wallow away in style.

In Nessebar Yacht Club, there’s a fleet of white-sailed yachts, christened Destiny, Harmony and Faith, either after some Greek divinities, or American R&B stars. Every day they cast off for the historic town of Sozopol, whose cobbled streets are packed with timber-and-stone Bulgarian houses. You’ve got the opportunity to sunbathe on the top deck en route. And you can drop anchor at a secluded bay for a spot of fishing or a late-afternoon dip.

For a meal out, make a beeline for the marina. The smart restaurants here serve up all sorts of cuisines – Greek, Spanish, Chinese and Italian all make appearances. There are a few places dishing up Bulgarian specialities, too.

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.

Obzor’s main square is a sociable spot to have dinner. The restaurants here have al fresco terraces where you can sip a cooling drink with views of the fountain and palm trees. Food-wise, tuck into the sizzling pork kebabs or try one of the Eastern European stews. And do give the Dimyat white wine a go – it’s produced in neighbouring Byala and has many fans.

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.

When the sun goes down, holidaymakers stream to Nessebar’s peninsula where there are plenty of bars tucked into its cat’s cradle of alleyways. One is set in an underground cave with floor-to-ceiling stalagmites, another on a floating barge. And as the evening wears on there’s always the option of moving on to joints like Club 66 where dancers vote with their feet every time Bulgarian chaga music plays over the booming sound system.

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.

We offer a range of experiences in Sofia – from tickets for the Museum of Socialist Art to double-decker bus tours. Take a look at what’s on offer, and see what takes your fancy. View experiences >

The long sweep here may look like a crowd magnet, but it stays peaceful even in the summer peak. The gentle breeze is great for sailing and windsurfing, and it won’t trouble you if you prefer to pedalo either. Back on dry land, you’ve got 6 volleyball nets and a kid-friendly bungee trampoline to play with.

A night out in Sofia is best spent around Ulitsa Rakovski. This trendy neighbourhood is jam-packed with bars and pubs, from street-corner spots where you can watch the world go by with a glass of wine in hand to dimly lit places that switch on the DJ deck and disco lights later in the evening.

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.

Sozopol’s old town stretches out across a peninsula, so you’ll be treated to panoramic sea views along with a history lesson. Keep an eye out for the triple-decker wooden houses as you stroll through the streets – they sprang up during Bulgaria’s revival period in the 18th century. There are around 200 in total, and some are classed as national monuments. Make tracks to the shoreline, and you’ll come across the remains of the East Gate of Apollonia – the last intact section of the ancient city.

Less than a kilometre off of Sozopol’s coastline is St Ivan Island, the largest island in the Bulgarian Black Sea. Although it’s just a quarter of a mile wide, it’s got a history packed with ancient invasions, pirate legends and war stories – some dating back to the 4th century BC. Today, the island’s mainly a nature reserve, home to over 70 different species of birds, which nest on the rocks. You can catch a boat over from Sozopol’s harbour to explore this small-but-mighty isle for yourself.

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.

OK, so this one’s actually just down the road in Sunny Beach, but it’s well worth the 15-minute cab ride. Solar is Ibiza-meets-Bulgaria – thousands of music fans dance al fresco every Saturday night to big-name DJs like Fatboy Slim and Fedde Le Grand.

With the blue-and-purple chequered tablecloths, hanging flags and plastic fish, owner Tony takes a slightly off-the-wall approach to décor. The food, though, is right on the money. Prawns, halibut and sole straight from the Black Sea are chargrilled and dished up with herby new potatoes. It all goes down well with a glass of Pirinsko – a beer named after the nearby Pirin Mountains.

Big dinosaurs, tables made of stone and fake sabre-tooth tiger-skin cushions – no, it's not the Flintstones, it’s Obzor’s top themed bar. The decor may be wacky, but the drinks here are cheap as prehistoric chips. The place can get quite lively, so expect dancing and foam parties.

Obzor’s got a good selection of market stalls and souvenir shops, especially on the main street down to the beach. You’ll find T-shirts, trainers, sunglasses and jewellery along with all kinds of mementos and knick-knacks. Not all the sellers speak English, but you can write your best price down if you want to haggle.

A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the ancient town of Nessebar is one of the most popular places for a day out along the Black Sea, and a scenic 90-minute drive up the coast. The old town, hemmed by 3,000-year-old fortress walls, is the main attraction, thanks in part to its Roman ruins, Medieval churches and traditional Bulgarian houses.

Shopping isn’t really St Vlas’ forte – instead, head for Nessebar’s old town. Craft stalls line up along the cobbled streets here, piled high with everything from traditional lace tablecloths to handcrafted wooden toys.

This bar-on-the-beach is open 24 hours a day, but it only gets really busy after midnight, when the laser light show and techno music kick in. During the afternoons and early evenings, though, you can just laze in one of the pillow-strewn booths with a cold drink or find a shady spot beneath one of the massive parasols that sweep over the seating area.

There’s plenty of space to stretch out on South Nessebar Beach. It’s busiest nearest the old town, and gradually gets quieter the further you head along the shoreline, towards Ravda. You can hire a sunlounger for 7 lev a day, and when you need a spot of lunch or a cold Zagorka beer, there are restaurants and bars along the sand, including a popular pirate galleon.