When thinking about how much better to go to Bulgaria, it is difficult not to pay attention to the two historical and cultural centers of this country - Plovdiv and Sofia. Both of these cities have a rich and interesting history, they are home to a variety of museums, historical monuments and are surrounded by numerous natural beauties. That's why we decided to travel from one city to another and immerse ourselves in the unique historical atmosphere that is unique to this area.
Today is the start of our journey, in the afternoon we will land in Plovdiv. We don't have any grand plans for today, however we still plan to start exploring the main sights of the city, and at the end of the day we will go to a restaurant.
Shaking pasta is a small and cozy restaurant of traditional Italian cuisine. Its interior is made in a rather simple, but still pleasant and comfortable style. By the quality of service this restaurant undoubtedly meets European standards. On the menu you can find such famous dishes as spaghetti with carbonara sauce, classic lasagna and, of course, many options for everyone's favorite pizza.
Perhaps in every city there is a place where the citizens like to spend their time most, and in Plovdiv this place is the Tsar Simeonov Hradin Park. It has an incredibly calming atmosphere, which reigns here thanks to the planted picturesque trees, tidy paths and an impressive fountain with light music in the heart of the park.
In general, it's not so easy to find a good restaurant where you can just relax from the hustle and bustle, and the restaurant Smokini is certainly the place. The institution specializes in Mediterranean cuisine, in particular, it serves such dishes as chicken fillet with corn and salad leaves, and trout fillet with tomato fondue.
Today promises to be a busy day, so we've decided to divide the day into two halves. The first half will be devoted to various excursions in the city's museums, while the second half will be spent exploring various historical and cultural monuments in the city.
You can start our day at a nice bakery near here called "Yes, cheers." The situation here is very pleasant, the interior is made in light tones. A variety of pastries and desserts are served here, as well as a selection of sandwiches and light snacks, and most importantly, really great coffee is prepared here.
Our acquaintance with the culture and history of these lands begins, for which we went to the ethnographic museum of the city. His collection consists of about forty thousand different cultural values, among which are, in particular, a variety of household items, tools, jewelry and weapons. The exposition of the museum forms a complete picture of culture and life of people who have lived here since time immemorial. It is important to note that the museum is not open on Monday.
Bulgaria is a country known not only for its rich culture and history, but also for its extraordinary nature. The expositions of the Regional Science Museum are devoted to the natural diversity of this country. Here you can learn a lot about plants, mushrooms and animals of the country, see the diverse and unusual amphibians, birds and mammals. The museum also has a hall dedicated to space, where you can see in miniature various asteroid planets and much more.
After a long and interesting excursion through the museums of the city just need to take a short break. You can go to a pretty good Memory Café for that. The interior of this place is made in a cozy and bright style, the atmosphere is quite friendly and you can spend your lunch on a charming terrace outdoors. A variety of snacks, salads and Mediterranean dishes are served here.
The second part of our day was planned to be devoted to sightseeing the most interesting historical sights, and the first thing worth going to Plovdiv Antique Theatre. Of course, the scale of this place is very impressive, given the fact that it was built supposedly in the second century AD, and its capacity is more than five thousand spectators.
The next point of our plan was a visit to one of the oldest Christian temples in Plovdiv - the Church of St. Constantine and Helen. The temple is located in the heart of the ancient part of the city. This place was a Christian sanctuary during the Roman Empire. During its history, the temple was repeatedly destroyed and rebuilt, and its present appearance was found in 1832.
Nebet Tepe is a small historical settlement, which archaeologists believe was built about six thousand years ago. Repeatedly this place was conquered by various rulers, among them Philip the Great, and later the place was taken over by the Roman rulers. Today, Nebet Tepe is one of the most significant sights in the city, offering a magnificent view of Plovdiv itself and some of its surroundings.
When choosing a place to have dinner, you might want to stay at Mexican restaurant Sombrero. The atmosphere here is very pleasant, the interior is decorated with photo wallpapers depicting various places. The menu pleases with a large abundance of traditional Mexican dishes, including tacos, burritos, tortilla. It is also worth noting the large variety of cocktails.
Today we will travel south of the city and on the way we will visit some beautiful historical places, including ancient temples, castles and modern villages. We will also take a short walk through the national park.
Early in the morning on the way, it is definitely worth stopping by the Argento La Caffetteria. Facility's atmosphere is very hospitable and soothing, the interior is made in wood colors, visitors sit in soft chairs instead of chairs. In the menu there is a large choice of desserts and pastries, a variety of berry cakes, as well as croissants and ice cream are particularly popular with visitors.
The first stop today will be near the impressive ancient Asenov Castle. Thanks to the work of archaeologists and restorers, today tourists can understand what this place was like in the Middle Ages. Once upon a time life here was a key, there was a huge number of different economic and military buildings, and the interior decoration was decorated with stone frescoes and other decorative elements typical of Bulgarian architecture of those years.
One of the most beautiful places south of Plovdiv is Krstova Hora. Thick and almost untouched forests surround the peak on which the Church of Light of the Trinity of Kristov Mountain is situated. A huge number of Christians from all over the world flock here every year, according to legend a piece of the cross of Jesus Christ is kept here.
The place to relax after a long walk is the Solenoto Izvorche restaurant. Lunch can be held here both on the cozy, covered terrace in the open air and indoors. Bean soup, vegetable salads, berry pie and yogurt for dessert are popular among numerous dishes on the menu.
Bulgaria's nature is characterized by a fairly large number of different mountains and rocks, caves and waterfalls. These beautiful features also have a national park Chudnite Bridge, located in a karst valley on the river Yerkupriya. These caves are bridge-shaped, all such formations in the park three, and they are located at a relatively small distance from each other.
Bulgarian villages have their special charm and attractiveness, which is not lacking in the small village of Pavelsko. This place is remarkable for its incredible views of the valleys and mountains stretching to the Rhodopes. In addition, tourists are also interested in the style of local architecture - small tidy houses, made in the traditional Bulgarian style, are a very nice picture.
In the evening, when you are tired and want to have a quiet dinner better than the Supa Bar can not find. The name of the place speaks for itself - in the menu the main dish is soup, among the many kinds of which we have tasted pork broth with potatoes and vegetables. Also worth mentioning are pasta with chicken, herbs and tomatoes.
Today is a long and carefully planned trip, which will include visits to several interesting historical sites, as well as a couple of stops in various scenic parks. In the evening, the plan is to take a stroll around evening Sofia.
One of the most memorable moments of your trip is a trip to a restaurant. It's worth visiting a place like Le Petit Paris for these moments. The setting here is elegant in French, the menu is full of various delicacies, including a pork knuckle with a bone, a variety of salads, and steaks of varying degrees of frying. Prices here are a little above average.
During a long trip, we should not forget to make small stops for a walk and rest, and the first place where we will slow down today is the picturesque park "Liberty Island". Incredibly quiet and beautiful place, well-groomed alleys, neat trees and bushes, also the park is decorated with small figures of dinosaurs, which looks very funny from the outside.
Another beautiful monument of ancient architecture, which met on our way, will be the fortress "Perister". The area around it is beautifully organized and well maintained, and all the important objects here lead to tidy paths and stairs. There are both preserved buildings and those that have already been largely destroyed. Since the fortress is located on a hill, it offers truly fascinating landscapes.
After rather long excursions you need to rest a little and gain strength for the rest of the day. It's worth stopping by on the way to a small restaurant called Riben Restaurant. The institution specializes in fish dishes. Among the great variety is shrimp fried in butter with garlic and spices, and carp steak with spices and sauce.
Among the numerous monuments of medieval and ancient architecture in Bulgaria there are also objects of later epochs, among which is the royal residence of Tsarska Bistritsa, built in the late 19th century. The main feature of the residence, of course, is the interior decoration - tiled stoves covered with Austrian tiles, decorated with national carved patterns of columns and ceilings, as well as numerous trophies of the royal family hung on the walls. It is worth saying that the work schedule of the facility is not very convenient, namely on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday the entrance is closed for tourists.
To have a dinner after a long trip you can go to the restaurant "Friends". The atmosphere here is generally pleasant, clients can choose to spend time on a small, furnished terrace or in a cosy room. There are many Bulgarian dishes on the menu, which are dominated by national salads, soups, and fried meat with vegetables and spices.
One of the pleasant features of the city of Sofia is a fairly large number of diverse parks, green areas and squares, where locals and tourists spend their evenings, and Yuzhen Park is one of these places. I must say that it is very popular, and in the evening it is visited by quite a large number of tourists, and this is not surprising, because it is really very beautiful, especially during sunset.
Today is going to be an incredibly busy day. It will start with a walk through one of the most beautiful places near Sofia - Vitosha Mountain, after breakfast we will go straight to the museum, then we will move on to Plovdiv, stopping at various interesting places on the way.
Early morning breakfast is served at the small bakery Eddy's Bakery, which is very popular with locals and tourists alike. The interior is pretty nice and comfortable. The menu includes a large selection of a variety of cakes, croissants and, most importantly, types of coffee. The cafe is closed on Saturdays and Sundays.
Mount Vitosha is one of the most amazing places in Bulgaria. Besides the picturesque nature, the famous ski resort is also located here. The infrastructure here has developed to such an extent that over time various restaurants, bars, rides, riding sections and a paragliding club have appeared. A lot of beautiful pictures from this mountain.
Sofia and Plovdiv are full-fledged European cities for development, and the cultural attractions here are quite at this level, and the National Art Gallery of Bulgaria is among them. There are about 50 thousand works by various authors in such areas as sculpture, painting, as well as historical expositions.
Restaurant No Names is a cozy hospitable establishment, located in a small village called Baylovo. His cuisine embodies the fusion of some culinary traditions of Eastern and Western Europe. In particular, the menu includes such dishes as steaks with potatoes and vegetables, brownies with mascarpone, fried shrimps and spaghetti with various sauces.
Krayrechen Park "Topolnitsa" is a picturesque and attractive park, located in the small town of Koprivshtitsa, Sofia region. Built with funds from the European Union, the park is a cultural center of the city, where a variety of events and concerts are held, as well as a variety of sports, children's playgrounds and several small attractions.
The Plovdiv region is very rich in various cultural and historical sights. The rich and rich history of this region has left us with many different buildings, one of which is located in Hisar Fortress Park and dates back to 293 AD. The height of the walls of the fortress reaches 12 meters, width in some places 4, also 44 towers and 4 gates have been preserved so far.
Happy Bar & Grill is a very popular Bulgarian restaurant located in the suburb of Plovdiv. There is a perfect variety of cuisine, in particular, you can find Asian dishes, European or traditional Bulgarian ones. For example, Bulgarian salads, fish and pork dishes are very popular here.
This morning will be the last morning of our trip. Time, unfortunately, is very limited, so it will not be possible to make any global plans, but we can say goodbye to Bulgaria and Plovdiv on a good note, namely in a good city restaurant.
Bulgarian cuisine with its traditions mainly gravitates towards Mediterranean culinary traditions. This can be clearly seen in the example of the Torro Grande restaurant. The menu is dominated by fish and meat with vegetables and spices, among which grilled steaks, salmon fillet with herbs and sushi are also popular.