Traveling the Danube Through Eastern Europe Part Four: Bulgaria

by Teri E. Popp, Tastemaker in Residence - Photos by Teri E. Popp and Paula Mertens

Surprising and splendid! Those are two of the many words that come to mind when thinking of Bulgaria. I really had no preconceived expections whatsoever when planning our trip to Bulgaria; but this country is a true gem to visit.

On our first day, our tour guide introduced us to the Cyrillic lettering system and taught us their alphabet. This turned out to be a great advantage as I could suddenly read English words that were spelled out in the Bulgarian language. I was delighted that the first word I could read on a street sign was the word “hotel” (Хотел in Cyrillic lettering). Of course, this didn’t actually help me read Bulgarian words in Cyrillic, but it turned out that a fair amount of English words are used by Bulgarians in tourism!

We first visited the Belogradchik Rocks and Fortress (Белоградчишка крепост). This spot offers a great, short hike with wonderful views of the Bulgarian countryside. It reminded me of Red Rocks in Colorado! An ancient fortress built by the Roman Empire, and further buttressed by the Ottomans after 1396, it continued in use until the 1890’s. It’s thick walls, fortified by three separate layers, made it fairly impregnable until the use of air warfare.

On the banks of the Danube, we walked through the town of Vidin (Видин) without a guide. A small, walkable town, we visited the Baba Vida Fortress (only 1 Euro for entrance!), Ottoman Era Post Office, Osman Pavantouglu Mosque, Metropolitan Church of St. Nikolaus, St. Dimitar Cathedral, and the remains of a Jewish synagogue destroyed during WW2.

In the central interior of Bulgaria, we toured the town of Veliko Tărnovo (Велико Търново). One of the oldest cities in Bulgaria, its central feature is the Tsarevets Fortress and Palace (Царевец in Bulgarian). Recently renovated, it offers visitors a nice walk while learning about Bulgarian history. We also took time to tour the town, walking through churches and the artists’ sector.

We then visited the quaint town of Arbansi (Арбанаси), located a short distance from the city of Veliko Tărnovo, and savored traditional Bulgarian Goulash while enjoying a local folk dancing group. From there, we finished our tour of Bulgaria touring the Konstanzaliev House and the Church of the Nativity of Christ.

As we pulled away from the shore in Bulgaria, we toasted our last night with our new friends aboard our ship and enjoyed a spectacular sunset! наздраве (Cheers)!!

Other things to do in Bulgaria:

+Visit the Capitol city of Sofia with its many churches, museums, restaurants and the Rila Monastery (for more information, visit https://www.inyourpocket.com/sofia/sightseeing).

+Spend some time on the Black Sea coast with its many beaches and attractions (https://www.insider.com/sunny-beach-bulgaria-cheapest-travel-destination-photos-2019-1).

+Hike Musala Peak in Rila (https://www.summitpost.org/musala/155169).