The history of Bulgaria is varied going back to prehistoric times. It was under the rule of the Ottoman Empire for five centuries and was aligned with Germany during the two World Wars. After WW2, Bulgaria became part of the Eastern Bloc of the Soviet Union. In 1989 the communist party allowed free elections and the country became a democracy. The varied history of the country shows in the architecture and the people of Bulgaria.
The trip started at, and was centered in Sofia which is Bulgaria's capital. Sofia is in the east of the country and contains a large portion of the 7.4 million people. I was impressed with Sofia..it combines the history of the country going back centuries with the austerity of the Soviet era. The airport is small and is a 10 euro taxi ride from the city center.
The picture above is of the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral which is 148ft high and provides a beautiful view against the Bistrishko Branishte region. It also shows some of the older houses which have a distinct style. The second photo is a closer view of the church...
This is another view of the city from the hotel.
The city itself has a very European feel in that there are large boulevards lined with many different types of buildings and many cafes, although the Soviet influence can still be seen as you will see in the following photos.
That being said...there's always time for Dunkin Donuts, anywhere you go in the world. ;-)
We were fortunate enough to have Bulgarian friends to show us around which was fantastic...many thanks to Elena and Lubomir for taking the time to show me around.
One thing that was a surprise was the number of different churches and museums in Sofia..the city, and country, are starting to embrace their history and it is fantastic!
The center picture is the Banyi Bashi mosque which is one of the oldest in Europe and shows the diverse history of the country. In contrast, the bottom photo is of the church of St George which dates back to the 4th century...all within a few blocks of each other.
The city does hold on to some of the nice relics of the past, cable cars, etc. They also like to maintain traditions such as the changing of the guard at the Bulgarian Presidential Office. This also included what was left of some structures created by the Soviets and the obligatory war memorials.
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| Classic cable cars... |
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| Changing of the guard... |
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| The Soviets had an interesting take on 'art'.. |
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| Soviet war memorial on Tsar Osuoboditel Blvd... |
As I mentioned, the museums are a little known bonus to most travelers to Sofia...but I love museums so would recommend to all. That being said, some of the modern art was 'different' but in an interesting way. ;-)
The 3 museums that I'd recommend you visit in Sofia are...
1. National Archaeological Museum (Est 1973 with 650K items).
2. National Museum of Natural History.
3. National Gallery of Foreign Art.
I could go on forever about walking around the city and what was there to see. However, as many of you know, I tend to gravitate towards food and drink. I can say that, without a doubt, Bulgarians know how to enjoy their food and drink!! Elena introduced us to the Bulgarian dinner scene which ended up being a very long eating, drinking and dancing session. Now, one word of caution, there are places that cater to tourists (as in any big city) and there are the places that the locals frequent. We had the chance to visit both and I prefer the local haunts.
The whole conga line things was a bit of a blur...something to do with the Rakia which is a sort of brandy drink popular in the Balkans. It is very strong but doesn't end up giving you a hangover-I've been told, never touched the stuff! ;-)
I had the chance to do the 'social' thingy twice during the visit, the second time was a visit to a restaurant located on the Vitasha Mountain. Well, not actually on the mountain, you know what I mean!
This included a show with, what I can assume to be, a local tradition of walking and dancing on hot coals. As it was at night, the fire and the show proved to be a lot of fun..
Whilst the trip was centered in Sofia, the opportunity did arise to travel further afield. I always try to get off the beaten path and to see different things and places and it was no different when visiting Bulgaria. I previously mentioned that the Bulgarians were embracing their varied history. Part of that involves the discovery and preservation of ancient artifacts. So, we jumped in our friends car and drove 91KM to Panagyurishte. The town is an administrative center, with great views of the Sredna Gola Mountains, where a horde of Thracian gold was discovered in 1949. A museum now has a special section, very well guarded I might add, which displays the pieces. The artificats date back to 400-300BC and are fabulous. I don't think the photos I took come anywhere close to showing the beauty of the items.
The museum that hosts the display also highlights the culture of the area with reconstructed buildings, pottery and sculpture.
The town is also known for the Apriltsi Memorial which is on a hill overlooking the town. Cast your mind back to the start of this post when I noted that the Ottomans had ruled Bulgaria for centuries. Well, the memorial commemorates the 100th anniversary of the April uprising (1876) against the Ottomans.
I appreciate that this post has become very long so I will wrap it up with a few more photos and a recommendation to visit this fabulous country. I am hoping to visit again and, hopefully, get to the Black Sea for some relaxing time!
I always try to fit some shooting in when I travel...Eastern European countries are the best chance for me to do that while living in the UK. In this case, and in Riga, I use 'Kings Of Shooting'..cheap and a lot of fun. King of Shooting
Thanks again for reading my blog...the next post will be after my trip to Holland.
