Things to do in Bulgaria

25 things to do in Bulgaria

Listed in full below. The running order is set by votes and loads with the page.

• Explore the Rila Monastery frescoes and courtyards

  Marvel at the striped arches and vibrant murals of Bulgaria's most sacred Orthodox monastery, nestled deep in the Rila Mountains.

  Rila Mountains

• Stand beneath the golden domes of Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Sofia

  Admire one of the largest Eastern Orthodox cathedrals in the world, a symbol of Sofia with its neo-Byzantine silhouette and crypt of icons.

  Sofia

• Sit in the ancient Roman Theatre of Philippopolis in Plovdiv

  Take a seat on the marble tiers of this remarkably preserved 2nd-century amphitheatre, still hosting performances with breathtaking views over the Old Town.

  Plovdiv

• Hike to the Seven Rila Lakes for glacier-blue panoramas

  Trek past each of the seven sapphire lakes strung like pearls below towering alpine peaks, a spiritual highpoint of the Rila Mountains.

  Rila Mountains

• Walk the ramparts of Tsarevets Fortress at sunset

  Cross the stone bridge into the medieval citadel of Bulgaria's tsars, where evening sound-and-light shows illuminate the hilltop ruins above the Yantra River.

  Veliko Tarnovo

• Scramble among the Belogradchik Rocks and climb to the fortress

  Wander through a landscape of towering red sandstone pinnacles shaped by wind and rain, crowned by a Balcanic fortress with epic valley views.

  Belogradchik

• Duck into the UNESCO-listed Thracian Tomb of Kazanlak

  Peer at the vivid 4th-century BC frescoes inside this perfectly preserved beehive tomb, a masterpiece of Thracian art in the Valley of the Roses.

  Kazanlak

• Ski above the old town of Bansko in the Pirin Mountains

  Glide down long sunny runs beneath granite peaks, then soak in thermal mineral pools and wander cobbled lanes lined with traditional mehanas.

  Bansko

• Trek through the ghostly marble peaks of Pirin National Park

  Stride across a high-mountain realm of more than 180 glacial lakes, rare edelweiss and endemic pine, a UNESCO World Heritage sanctuary.

  Pirin Mountains

• Lose yourself in the cobbled lanes of Old Nessebar

  Stroll through a 3,000-year-old peninsula dotted with Byzantine churches, wooden Revival houses and sea-facing seafood terraces on the Black Sea.

  Nessebar

• Grab a flaky banitsa from a Sofia bakery early in the morning

  Taste the iconic Bulgarian filo pastry filled with sirene cheese and eggs, ideally with a glass of ayran from a neighbourhood pekarna just after sunrise.

  Sofia

• Ascend Cherni Vrah peak in the Vitosha Mountain above Sofia

  Hike through ancient stone rivers and conifer forests to the bald summit at 2290m for a sweeping panorama of the capital and the Balkan range.

  Sofia

• Admire the 11th-century murals of Bachkovo Monastery

  Discover the Dormition of the Theotokos and the miracle-working icon inside Bulgaria's second-largest monastery, framed by the Rhodope Mountains.

  Bachkovo

• Step into a living museum in Koprivshtitsa

  Walk past brightly painted 19th-century houses where revolutionaries launched the April Uprising, their bullet-scarred wooden gates still telling the story.

  Koprivshtitsa

• Watch the wooden fishing boats bob in Sozopol’s old harbour

  Sip a drink under the fig trees as the sun melts into the Black Sea behind the island of St. Ivan, scent of grilled fish and salt in the air.

  Sozopol

• Gaze up at the Madara Rider carved into the cliff face

  Spot the enigmatic 8th-century rock relief of a horseman spearing a lion, a UNESCO-protected monument sacred to Bulgars atop a 100-metre cliff.

  Madara

• Slide into the Sveshtari Thracian tomb with its caryatids

  Enter a 3rd-century BC royal tomb where ten sculpted female figures rise from the walls, an astonishing blend of Hellenistic and Getae art.

  Sveshtari

• Scoop up a classic shopska salad in a Sofia mehana

  Crumble salty white sirene over sun-ripened tomatoes, cucumber and roasted peppers in a cosy tavern filled with embroidered tablecloths and thick pottery.

  Sofia

• Dance till dawn at a beachfront club in Sunny Beach

  Join the thumping summer party along the long sandy strip where open-air clubs, DJs and cocktails keep the Black Sea rhythm going all night.

  Sunny Beach

• Summit Musala, the highest peak in the Balkans

  Push above the treeline to the roof of the peninsula at 2925m, where on a clear day you can see the Aegean Sea glinting in the distance.

  Rila Mountains

• Watch a water-driven chisel at Etar open-air etching museum

  Step into a 19th-century crafts village where mechanical lathes, potters and woodcarvers use the power of the river to keep folk skills alive.

  Gabrovo

• Descend into the roaring Devil’s Throat Cave

  Climb down a metal staircase into the thundering abyss where the Trigrad River vanishes underground, a mythical cavern said to swallow with its roar.

  Trigrad

• Pick Damask roses at sunrise in the Rose Valley

  Join farmers in Kazanlak during May–June to fill woven baskets with pink petals before the morning dew evaporates, the air thick with rose oil.

  Kazanlak

• Sneak inside the abandoned Buzludzha Monument

  Creep through a broken door into Bulgaria’s flying-saucer-shaped communist relic, where shattered mosaics of Marx and Lenin glow under a decaying concrete dome.

  Buzludzha Peak

• Climb to the hermit cave of St. Ivan Rilski above the monastery

  Follow a steep wooded trail to the small cave where the saint lived as a recluse, breathing the same crisp mountain air that inspired his prayers.

  Rila Mountains