Things to Do in Bulgaria — The Honest Travel Guide
Bulgaria is not just cheap property. Ancient cities, mountain villages, genuine food culture and extraordinary history. Why some visitors come for a week and come back with a solicitor.
The Holiday to Homeowner route: Come to Bulgaria as a tourist. Fall in love with it. View a property or two while you're there. Many buyers do exactly this. How buying works →
Most people who visit Bulgaria arrive with low expectations. They leave surprised — by the food, by the history, by how beautiful the countryside is, and by how different it feels from the tourist-worn trails of Western Europe.
Some of them come back. Some of them come back with a solicitor. This guide is for all of them.
Veliko Tarnovo
Bulgaria's medieval capital and the most visited inland city. The Tsarevets fortress sits on a hill above the Yantra river — one of the most dramatic settings in the Balkans. The old town (Samovodska Charshiya) has craft workshops, restaurants and the kind of cobbled streets that make people stop walking and just stand there.
Tsarevets Fortress — the medieval royal fortress with panoramic views over the valley
Samovodska Charshiya — old craft market street, goldsmiths, potters, woodcarvers
Arbanasi village — 4km from VT, preserved National Revival architecture and frescoed churches
Sound and Light show at Tsarevets — dramatic evening spectacle on the fortress walls
Local mehana restaurants — traditional Bulgarian food, local wine, warm hospitality
The property angle: This is also the most popular region for foreign property buyers — and after a few days here, many visitors understand why.
Sofia
Bulgaria's capital is genuinely surprising. Ancient Roman ruins sit between modern buildings, the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral dominates the skyline, and the restaurant and cafe scene is legitimately excellent. Most visitors arrive expecting little and leave impressed.
Alexander Nevsky Cathedral — one of the largest Orthodox cathedrals in the world
Vitosha Mountain — cable car or hiking trail from the city edge, views over Sofia
Boyana Church — UNESCO World Heritage Site with extraordinary medieval frescoes
National History Museum — comprehensive Bulgarian history from Thracians to modern era
Zhenski Pazar market — the real local food market, not a tourist version
The property angle: Sofia is also your likely arrival point — most UK flights land here. Worth two or three days before heading to the regions.
Rhodope Mountains
The Rhodopes are wild, forested and ancient. This is where Bulgarian village life has changed least — traditional crafts, festivals that have run for centuries, and the kind of landscape that makes you forget there is anywhere else.
Plovdiv — Bulgaria's second city, beautifully preserved old town, one of Europe's oldest cities
Bachkovo Monastery — one of Bulgaria's most important monasteries, stunning mountain setting
Trigrad Gorge and Devil's Throat Cave — dramatic karst landscape in the western Rhodopes
Shiroka Laka village — one of Bulgaria's most beautiful traditional villages
Local food — Rhodope cuisine is distinct, herb-rich and entirely unlike tourist menus elsewhere
The property angle: Many Rhodope property buyers come as hikers or nature tourists first — and come back with a solicitor.
Black Sea Coast
Bulgaria has 378km of Black Sea coastline. The northern coast near Varna has developed resorts; the southern coast near Sozopol and Nessebar has ancient towns that have been continuously inhabited for 3,000 years.
Nessebar — UNESCO World Heritage old town on a peninsula, ancient churches and Roman remains
Sozopol — beautiful old fishing town, cobbled streets, one of the best seafood restaurants in Bulgaria
Varna — cosmopolitan city with excellent Archaeological Museum and beach promenade
Cape Kaliakra — dramatic clifftop fortress at the northernmost point of the Bulgarian coast
Pomorie — salt lakes and wellness traditions, quieter than the main resort areas
The property angle: The hinterland villages 20–40km inland from this coast are significantly more affordable than coastal property — and still a short drive to the sea.
Planning Your Bulgaria Trip
Getting around Bulgaria as a tourist requires a car for anything beyond the main cities. Villages are beautiful but not well connected by public transport. Hiring at the airport is the most practical option.
The Holiday to Homeowner Route
Come on Holiday. View a Property While You're There.
Many Bulgaria buyers visit as tourists first. They spend a week exploring, they fall for a village or a region, they view one or two properties while they're there — and they come back three months later to sign at a notary.
The buying process can take as little as 2–4 weeks for the right property. You don't need to move here. You don't need to give up anything. You just need to do the research first.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes — Bulgaria is one of Europe's most underrated destinations. Ancient Thracian history, medieval fortresses, mountain villages, genuine local food culture and significantly lower costs than Western Europe. Most visitors say they wish they had come sooner.
May to June and September to October are the best months — warm weather, lower crowds and lower prices than peak summer. July and August are hot and busy around popular areas. Winter is cold but has ski resorts and very affordable prices.
Bulgaria is a full EU member with low violent crime rates. Rural areas in particular are very safe. Standard travel precautions apply in cities. Most visitors report feeling very safe throughout their trip.
Hiring a car is the best way to explore rural Bulgaria — villages are not well connected by public transport. Trains connect major cities. Buses run between towns. For airport transfers, pre-booked private transfers are reliable and affordable.