If you want the warm waters and searing hot sun of the Mediterranean without the crowds or the high prices you’ve been growing tired of over the years, the Black Sea might be the alternative you’ve been waiting for.

Black sea destinations offer reliable sunshine, hot temperatures, safe beaches, good bathing and healthy mix of both the vibrant and relaxed areas. What more could you want on holiday? We can’t think of anything either. So in that case – check out our top destinations for a holiday by the Black Sea…

Sozopol, Burgas, Bulgaria by Jeroen Kransen

Bulgaria

There are 354 kilometres of coastline on the Bulgarian coast, and lots of it is ideal for a summer holiday. The coastline of the modern country is all on the Black Sea. A country that was once shrouded in mystery behind the so-called ‘iron curtain’, it has fast become a holiday favourite in recent years.

For a little beachside action in Bulgaria, head to Saints Constantine and Helena – this resort town on the Black Sea coast has a number of luxury hotels to choose from as well as villa communities. While it’s close to downtown Varna – roughly only 10km away – in Saints Constantine and Helena the main attraction in sun and sand, so if you’re looking for a more varied holiday you might want to consider staying closer to the city.

Romania

Head to Romania for 72 km of uninterrupted golden sands along the Black Sea coast. With such idyllic conditions it’s no surprise destinations like Constana boast a nice range of resorts for both single travellers and families. By the beachside you can find watersports, modern hotels and a busy nightlife, while further inland, attractions like castles and vineyards offer something a little more out of the ordinary. Just remember to bring your sun cream; temperatures can soar during the peak summer months.

While you are in Romania make sure to try ‘țuică’ – this is drink is a local speciality and is very distinctive. The best way to describe it is as kind of plum brandy. It is the traditional accompaniment to Romanian food, and is sometimes warmed up in cold weather.

Costinesti beach, Romania by Brian Lowe

Russia

Beach holidays might not spring to mind when you think of Russia, but even the world’s largest country has its own beachside destination along the Black Sea. You might have even have heard of it – Sochi. It’s the destination of the 2014 Winter Olympics, and as a result, has been catching the attention of travellers around the world. Check yourself into a Sochi resort  and see for yourself what this destination has to offer; tucked away at the foot of the Caucasus Mountains against the lapping waves of the Black Sea. It’s a beach holiday with a view, so sit back and watch the town get ready for one of the world’s biggest sporting events.

Where would you spend your Black Sea holiday?

Kieran Orlov has not let becoming a parent of twins get in the way of his travel bug.

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Strandja mountain / Evgeni Dinev

In every country there are many interesting places to see and usually they are not the resorts. Because the resorts are built for tourists – and all you see there are other tourists and things build especially for them.

So better open a map and pick a random point of any EU country. You are likely to point to a town or village that’s well worth visiting. Don’t want to do a blind pick? OK, I’ll share seven ideas with you – seven places in Bulgaria that are far more interesting than lying on the beach. Here you are:

1. Strandja mountain

Even if you come here for trekking you are more likely to end up in Vitosha, Pirin or Rila. Almost no one goes to trekking in Strandja because it’s not as close to Sofia (the Capital) and it’s not as popular. Strandja is not a typical trekking destination. It’s a low mountain and climbing wouldn’t be a primary reason to go there. You should visit Strandja because of its natural beauty and because of its wildness. There are not many tourists going there, not many huts or paved roads. Its real and wild nature is rarely seen in Europe.

At the same time, reaching Strandja is not hard at all – you can approach the mountain from Malko Tarnovo which is just 76km away of Burgas. And Burgas is one of the largest cities in Bulgaria, just at the black sea. So you can land Burgas directly by an airplane or travel from Sofia by train or bus. Then there are buses going several times per day from Burgas to Malko Tarnovo and the other towns and villages at the foot of the mountain.

2. Lozenska planina

Yes, that’s another low mountain. Mountains are among the most interesting places to see in Bulgaria because they aren’t too high, and area easy to reach. At the same time the nature is well preserved. There are also many small villages around the mountains where life goes with different (slower) pace.

The greatest thing about Lozenska planina is that it’s really close to Sofia. In fact you can reach it with a regular city bus to the villages German or Lozen and it won’t take more than an hour from the city center. One of the best one-day trips you can do there is to drop at Lozen or German and walk through the mountain to the other village. It’s a really light trek, good for everyone – and it’s safe to do it at any time of the year.

3. Svoge and the villages around

Of course you don’t have to be interested in trekking or even seeing natural places. Maybe you prefer cities and towns, that’s why you came to Sofia. But the capital isn’t Bulgaria – life in the country is different. Do you want to see it? Svoge is a small town of nearly 9,000 inhabitants and is just 30 – 60 minutes train ride away of Sofia. Great for one-day trip! At the same time it’s pretty developed – there are several restaurants, two hotels, many stores and places to have a drink.

If you decide to take the train you may also want to see the villages on the way from Sofia to Svoge. Small, rural, very peaceful and so close to the big city – this is what makes them cool for a trip.

4. Pazardjik

And if you prefer bigger towns that are still calm and quiet, Pazardjik is just 1-2 hours away of Sofia. It’s a nice sunny town that will give you idea how people outside of the big cities live. At the same time it’s large enough to have the malls, stores, and services that big cities have. If you get up early in the morning you can see Pazardjik in a day and then go back to the capital (assuming you are staying there). But don’t worry – if you want to sleep in Pazardjik, there are plenty of hotels.

5. Dobruja

Bulgaria is not just mountains. If you want to see the beauty of the plane areas, Dobruja is your place. Here “place” isn’t quite correct thing to say, because Dobruja is a large area covering big part of North-East Bulgaria (and South-East Romania). It’s also the place where the country grows most of its wheat. You are going to see large areas that are just flat with lots of golden wheat growing on it (assuming you come in the summer).

Dobruja landscape / Andrea de Poda

There are several bigger towns in Dobruja – Dobrich, Shumen, Targovishte, Varna, Ruse, etc. From any of them you can easily reach villages to see rural life, and the beauty of Dobruja. Varna is perhaps the easiest to reach by plane from abroad, or by a bus or train from Sofia. From Varna you can travel to Dobrich in less than an hour. And then you’ll be at the heart of Dobruja.

6. Razboishte Monastery

Are you interested in visiting monasteries? Bulgaria is famous for many of them. The most popular is of course Rila Monastery. But if you prefer something less popular and less commercial, I recommend you to visit the Razboishte Monastery. It’s located in the most western part of Bulgaria, and is still easy to reach from Sofia. First get a bus to the town of Godech – it will take about an hour. Then Razboishte village is just 10km away which can be taken by another bus or car. Then walk 1km to the monastery.

7. Hisarya

OK, here’s a little bit more “touristic” place. But still most of visitors to Bulgaria don’t manage to go there. Why should you go then? Because there are more than twenty different mineral springs which were the primary reason for founding the town ages ago. The quality of mineral waters in Hisarya is proven and the resort is famous for them in the whole world. But that’s not all – you can see historical stuff like Roman ruins preserved for centuries.

How to reach it? First go to Plovdiv – A big city a couple of hours away of Sofia. There are planes going to Plovdiv too. And from Plovdiv, buses to Hisarya go every 30 minutes during the day. The trip takes about 1 hour. There are many places where you sleep in Hisarya. If you prefer you can sleep in Plovdiv where you’ll find many hotels and youth hostels.

So how does it sound – eager to visit Bulgaria yet?

Want more ideas and information like this? Visit https://bulgariatravelhacker.com!

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Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by alex yosifov

There are several legends about this place, the most famous is about 40 girls who in an effort to avoid the Turkish slavery together jumped off cliffs into the sea. This fabulous event is commemorated by an obelisk called the “The Gate of the 40 Maidens” at the entrance to the Cape. You’ll also find a small museum with archaeological finds here. There are remnants of Tirisis fort that was built before the advent of the Romans and served until the Middle Ages. Its location on the Cape was not accidental, the sea and high cliffs represented an ideal natural protection against invaders.

But the main thing that attracts tourists, is the overall scenery of the Cape and the local nature at all. The dramatic view from the top of the rocks of the turquoise sea is really worth it. There are many caves and photogenic corners here. Kaliakra Cape is a protected area since 1941, but since that it has increased its area three times and now reaches 687 ha.

Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Marcin Chady

Fairly typical is to watch the dolphins while playing in the waves. Even relatively recently it was also a home to rare Mediterranean seal. This animal was in the past, very abundant and very common throughout the Mediterranean and the Black Sea including Bulgaria, but due to the pollution of their environment, hunting and development of the tourism industry they disappeared. The last Bulgarian seals could be seen in the early eighties of the 20th century. Today, Mediterranean seal is officially considered the most endangered mammal of the European Union and its future existence is uncertain.

Other places for nature lovers are 8 kilometres away, in Taukliman protected area and the subsequent reservation called Jajlata.

Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by alex yosifov

Surroundings of Kaliakra Cape is interesting not only from the land but also from the sea. In August 1791, in the vicinity of the cape, there was a naval battle, during which the Russian fleet under the leadership of the famous admiral Fyodor Fyodorovich Ushakov completely destroyed the large Turkish fleet. That is one reason why the area attracts divers and wrecks seekers. On the seabed there are a number of objects and remnants of ships from various medieval periods and of the World War II.

Very interesting is also a restaurant situated in one of the caves in the middle of the Cape. It boasts an outdoor garden offering magnificent views of the surrounding area. However you will not find any accommodation right on the spot, most tourists come here on a trip from various places on the Black Sea, for example, from a well-known resort of Albena. If you go on your own, you surely find some bed in the vicinity.

So if you wandered into this region, just visit this place, where sea fights with the mainland and still make for an unusual beauty.

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Thanks to its location the city and its surroundings belong to the warmest areas of the Bulgarian coast. For its beautiful nature the resort was a popular place for the Bulgarian royal family in the past. Today Tsarevo is a popular tourist destination suitable for lovers of comfortable, quiet, romantic, but also of active holiday.

In the center of town you will find the pedestrian zone, shops, markets, cafes, pastry shops, restaurants, discos, bars, parks, cinema or a jungle gym for children. Tsarevo has a football field with artificial turf, which is freely accessible to children. In Tsarevo you can also enjoy some sport activities such as sailing, diving or widsurfing. Close to the resort you can stay in well-known campsites Bulgarka and Nestinarka.

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Nesebar is situated on a rocky peninsula. Since 1983 it is registered in the list of World Heritage Sites of UNESCO due to its ancient center, which is among the oldest in Europe. There are wooden houses and many churches.

Admission is free to lots of sites in the town. Interesting tourist destinations in the neighborhood are Primorsko or Pomorie.

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The waterfall itself travels a total distance of 380 meters from its highest point to the pool below. It is separated into three distinct stages of which the upper and lower stages feature a drop of just over 140 meters while the middle stage features a drop of 100 meters. The point at which the Krimmler Ache flows over the edge of the cliff is 1470 meters above sea level.

Krimmler waterfalls, Austria by Manuel Heinrich Emha

The Krimmler Ache which feeds the Krimml Waterfalls is a glacial stream which ranges between 20,000 cubic meters an hour during the summer months to only 500 cubic meters per hour during the winter months. It is also important to point out that back in 1987, the largest ever recorded flow of more than 600,000 cubic meters per hour was recorded; affording anyone who visited at the time one of the most awe-inspiring views imaginable.

After the water has fallen into the pool below, then makes its way out to the Salzach River which then flows into the Inn River before finally meeting up with the famous Danube River. Eventually all the waters that cascade over the edges of the Krimml Waterfalls find their way out into the Black Sea.

Tourism in the area can be dated back several hundred years. A number of password created between the upper and lower portions of the waterfall prior to the 1870s. In 1879, in order to improve panoramic view and access the region, the Austrian Alpine club for forth a lot of effort into developing the area in and around the Krimml Waterfalls. Today, close to a half 1 million people visit the falls every single year.

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The Danube Delta is considered to be the second largest Delta in all of Europe (just after Volga delta). It is also one of the most well preserved ecological destinations in the country. There are a number of lagoons, which can be found throughout the Delta region, including that of the 1015 square kilometres Razim-Sinoe Lagoon.

Danube Delta, Romania by Acaro

Today, the Danube Delta consists of three main distributaries which includes the Sfântul Gheorghe, Sulina as well as the Chilia. There are also a number of large lakes that can be found within the area that includes the Dranov, Gorgova as well as the Roşu. Among them you will find many of the most fertile and picturesque marshes and lagoons that have made the Danube Delta one of the most popular destinations not just in Romania but also throughout the entire region of Europe.

Thanks to its location along the Black Sea, the area around the Danube Delta features a unique microclimate which results in one of the driest as well as sunniest areas in all of Romania. It is estimated that every year, there are more than 2500 hours of sunshine, which equates to roughly 70 days of clear blue skies. And although there are more than 400 millimetres a year of precipitation there are more than 1000 millimetres a year of evaporation. As a result, the year-round climate associated with the Danube Delta makes it a pristine destination in the country.

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Although the history of Bulgaria is closely connected with Turkish influence, cultural roots date back to the days of the Roman Empire. At that time, today’s territory of Bulgaria became a Roman province. Bulgaria was founded in the 7th century. Part of the residents were Slavic, and part came from Asia.

In the 11th century Bulgaria was conquered by Byzantium, and from the late 14th century it belonged to Turks throughout five centuries. Perhaps due to this fact, Bulgaria didn’t build any castles during the Middle Ages, just like in Central Europe. The resistance against Turkish domination culminated in the early 20th century, when Bulgaria became independent. However they didn’t enjoy the independence for a long time and before 1 World War II it was merged with neighboring countries against Turkey. After inappropriate policy Bulgaria has lost part of its territory in a dispute with its allies. After World War I and later after World War II, Bulgaria again had to give up other parts of its territory. The inclusion of Bulgaria into Eastern Bloc meant to stop economic development. Just the revolutionary period in the late of 20th century enabled the reforms and reorientation. Today Bulgaria is one of the leading tourist destination countries.

Further information:

Official name: Republic of Bulgaria
Capital city: Sofia
Area: 110.910 km2
Number of residents: 7.537.929
Density: 74 people per km2
Time zone: GMT + 2 h (+ 3 h in summer)
Currency: lev (Lv)
Official language: Bulgarian
Water area: 360 km2
Land area: 110550 km2
Board lengths: 1808 km
Coast lengths: 354 km
Neighbours: Romania, Serbia, Republic of Macedonia, Greece, Turkey
Average age of man: 70
Average age of woman: 76
Ethnic group: Roma
Religion: Orthodox 30%, Muslim 7%, Atheists 60%
GDP per person: 1510 $
The highest mountain: Musala – 2.925m above the sea level
The lowest point: Black sea
The longest river: Marica (526 km)
Biggest city: Sofia (1.125.000 people)
Ports: Burgas, Lom, Nesebur, Ruse, Varna, Vidin

Why visit Bulgaria?
- Bulgaria is an interesting country that has everything: sea, sandy beaches, quaint historic towns, cultural and architectural attractions, old monasteries, modern resorts, high mountain… In Bulgaria, everyone can find something interesting, whether you like to relax by the sea, discover the historical treasures, walk through the picturesque streets of coastal towns or mountain hiking.
- Bulgaria is cheaper than Croatia, France, Italy, Spain and other traditional tourist destinations.
- In Bulgaria you can taste various dishes typical for Bulgaria (Shopska salad, kaškaval, Moussaka and many others)

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The landscape of Romania is formed mainly with mountains and forests. You can find numerous mountain ranges here, in all the northern, central or western part of the country. If you like the beach life, Romania has several great seaside resorts to offer.

Romania has recently been a popular destination mainly for tourists from Central Europe. They are coming here due to low prices but also for a wild, beautiful and vast nature. With the rising standards of living and quality of service, Romania is becoming an interesting travel destination also for the people from UK, France and other Western European countries.

In Romania you can explore the original culture and respect for traditions.

Many residents of this country are still very faithful, and in some small villages you may find women in traditional costumes, hurrying to Sunday mass. In these villages can be seen the original wooden architecture with beautifully carved gateways. The Romanian uniqueness is associated primarily with the size of the country and with a relatively high percentage of rural population living in isolation deep in the mountains sometimes over 2,000 metres above the sea level.

If you come to Romanian cities, you can no longer expect so cheerful and happy people, but here is perhaps more interesting to watch the remains of one of the worst and most specific European dictatorships of the 20th century. Everything is still evident in the ruined monuments or monstrous apartment buildings, next to which you can often see cows or other livestock.

So if you are interested in exploring the magical mountain ranges and the life in the villages Romania is the right choice for you!

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