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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Giglio offers beautiful beaches and numerous bays for a relaxing holiday, far away from the hustle and bustle. Its untouched nature is ideal for hiking and crystal clear sea with rich marine life is ideal for snorkeling and diving.

If you would like to spend your holidays on a beach with golden sands and wild nature around, then you should come here and look for Spiagga delle Caldana, which will be the right place for you. Located south of the vibrant beach Cannelle, the beach of Caldana is really a “precious jewel”, which is accessible only by boat. If you want to visit the beach during a round trip by car to Italy, it is better to park your car at the Tuscan mainland. Access of tourists to the island with an area of ​​21 square kilometres is limited.

Crystal clear water, that is full of fish, is a paradise for divers. You can discover the remains of three towers that were used in 60′s of the last century for transshipment cargoes. Rocky reefs with colorful corals, underwater cave with a statue of the Virgin Mary and seahorses, however, can be seen only by experienced divers. But do not give up! The diving school is located in close vicinity to the beach.

Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, source wikipedia

Giglio has become very popular and world-known since the last month due to an accident of mega cruise ship Costa Concordia. The ship hit a reef on Friday 13 January 2012 and partially sank. The number of tourists increased rapidly in this island as everyone wants to see the largest passenger ship (by tonnage) to sink. If you still haven’t seen it, don’t worry, the ship will probably be waiting for you at the coast of Giglio for additional several months. In these days it is without a doubt the best attraction in the area.

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In Madeira you can find several worlds at one place, despite its seemingly small area. Beautiful green mountain, partly similar to South America. The seaside towns offer breathtaking views of the wide blue ocean. Madeira has unlimited number of natural resources. In the wild nature you can see orchids, Strelicies and other exotic flowers. The flowers can be seen at each step in Madeira and their beauty and fragrance caress the soul of every man.

Irrigation canals are built around the whole island (in total length of 2000 km), along which you can easy walk and hike the island.

For the lovers of nature and mountains Madeira is an ideal place for active recreation. Of course, for the lovers of bathing it is a land of rest, but do not try to find the extensive beaches.

Best travel tips in Madeira – Interesting tips for travel around Madeira, that you should not miss.

Porto Santo
Madeira consists of two main islands, Madeira and Porto Santo but also includes the Desertas and the Savage Islands. In Porto Santo you can find beautiful long beach with golden sand, so this could be a paradise for swimmers.

The city of Funchal
Do not miss the capital city of Madeira – Funchal. Beautiful historic center, picturesque streets, Funchal’s bay and Botanical Gardens definitely worth seeing.

Mountains and inland
Inland of Madeira will enchant you with its magnificent mountain peaks, rising from the ocean to the heavens. The highest peak is Paul da Serra located in region of Santana. Its elevation is 1,862 meters above the sea level.

Festivals and celebrations in Madeira

Madeira held four distinct and major festivals.

Carnival
Carnival takes place in late February. Streets change to the rhythm of Brazilian samba for four days and four nights. Masks, music, dance and happy mood are everywhere in the city streets.

Flower Festival
Flower Festival is held in late April or early May (two weeks after Easter). The whole city of Funchal is decorated with flowers. On Saturday children’s parade takes place when each child bears a flower and put it into the hole in the “Wall of Hope” on the square Praça do Município.

Wine Festival
Wine festival is held in early September in honor of the grape harvest in several villages.

New Year’s Eve
New Year’s Eve, like in other countries is to celebrate the end of the year. It belongs to the largest ones. If you want to see an amazing fireworks just over the ocean, do not wait and book your hotel in advance.

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