Travel Stories

Jan 7, 2020 • 6 min read

Bulgaria’s Bansko offers great value for money and reliable snow cover from December to April. Here's what you need to know about skiing in Bansko.

Dec 4, 2019 • 5 min read

Hike in Bulgaria to witness astonishing geological variety: blue-hued caves, 3000m peaks and sandstone pyramids straight out of a Salvador Dalí painting.

Dec 4, 2019 • 3 min read

Beautiful Bulgaria is bulging with adventure, be it beavering through bountiful mountains or diving below the blue waters of the Black Sea.

Oct 13, 2019 • 4 min read

A vibrant arts scene, heartwarming food, fascinating history and a chilled-out vibe - here's Lonely Planet's guide to the best things to do in Sofia.

Feb 19, 2019 • 5 min read

Bulgaria’s capital usually brings to mind associations with hearty Balkan cuisine that is best washed down with an invigorating glass of rakia (local…

Jun 1, 2018 • 4 min read

After enjoying Sofia’s eclectic cultural scene, laid-back atmosphere and many restaurants and clubs, many travellers head straight to Bulgaria’s Black Sea…

Apr 25, 2018 • 5 min read

Lonely Planet Local Yoana Hristova has had her share of roaming around the world, but she has returned to her home in Sofia only to fall in love with the…

Nov 7, 2016 • 5 min read

If wine needs a story, then the story of Balkan wine is a dog-eared, multi-volume series. The southeastern European peninsula may not immediately spring…

Oct 14, 2016 • 4 min read

Time-travel from medieval battles to chic cocktail bars in one of Bulgaria’s oldest cities. As the country’s former capital, Veliko Târnovo has history…

Jun 28, 2016 • 6 min read

For some travellers, Bulgaria brings to mind only the cheap-and-cheerful beach and ski resort boom of recent decades. They couldn’t be more wrong: the…

Jun 8, 2016 • 4 min read

One of Europe’s youngest capitals, Sofia also happens to be among its oldest settlements, stretching back several millennia from ancient Thracian and…

Mar 10, 2016 • 6 min read

In Shipka Pass, it’s hard to shake the sensation that you’re being watched. Atop a 1441m peak in the raw, mountainous scenery of central Bulgaria, a…

Dec 15, 2014 • 5 min read

Forget France, ignore Italy and give Spain the shrug: for oenophiles in search of a veritable vino, Bulgaria can’t be beaten. One of the oldest winemaking…

Dec 15, 2014 • 4 min read

Skimpy swimwear: check. Sunblock, good book, readiness to swill umbrella-spiked cocktails: check. Ridiculous sums of money to enjoy a spectacular European…

Oct 14, 2014 • 3 min read

One of the Balkans' larger countries, Bulgaria makes an excellent place for road tripping. Despite now being an EU member, enough of Bulgaria’s wildness …

Oct 13, 2014 • 5 min read

Who needs a DeLorean when you’ve got Bulgaria? Billed as the oldest country in Europe, this Balkan beauty is a living time machine, littered with…

Oct 13, 2014 • 5 min read

There’s a lot to love about Plovdiv: just ask the Greeks, Romans, Byzantines and Turks, all of whom fought to claim it as their own. Originally…

Oct 10, 2014 • 4 min read

In a city older than Rome, where colourful period houses jostle next to craft markets, galleries and edgy nightlife, there's never a bad time to visit…