| Bulgaria ((bg)България) | |
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| Flag | |
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| Information | |
| Capital city | Sofia |
|---|---|
| Area | 111 000 km² |
| Population | 7 500 000 hab. (2010) |
| Density | 67,57 inhab./km² |
| Change | lev (BGN) |
| Electricity | 230 V/50 Hz, European plug |
| Telephone prefix | 359 |
| Internet suffix | .bg, .бг |
| Flow direction | Right-hand drive |
| Spindle | UTC 2 |
| Location | |
 42 ° 45 ′ 0 ″ N 25 ° 30 ′ 0 ″ E | |
| Official site | |
| Touristic site | |
The Bulgaria is a country in the south-east ofEurope, north of the Greece and some Turkey, and south of the Romania.
Understand
Regions
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Cities
- 1 Sofia – the capital
- 2 Plovdiv – second largest city in Bulgaria, former Philippopolis was European cultural capital in 1999
- 3 Varna – third largest city in Bulgaria on the Black Sea coast, major tourist town, thanks to the seaside resort of Golden Sands, among other things
- 4 Veliko Turnovo – ancient capital
- 5 Burgas – big port city
- 6 Vratsa – is one of the most picturesque towns in Bulgaria
- 7 Bansko – historic town and modern ski resort
- 8 Ahtopol – small town on a peninsula on the southern coast of the Black Sea,
- 9 Nessebur – The most beautiful city on the Bulgarian coast may even be one of the most beautiful places in Bulgaria. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is nicknamed the city of 40 churches. It rests on a rock which juts out into a peninsula into the sea.
- 10 Sozopol – formerly Apolonia, a small town on the Black Sea coast, south of Bourgas, full of charm
- 11 Velingrad – the largest spa, in the Rhodopes
- 12 Melnik – probably the smallest town in Bulgaria, surrounded by pyramids of sand.
Other destinations
Seaside resorts
Elenity: when the Balkan meets the Black Sea
Bulgarian monasteries
- Rila Monastery - the No.1 tourist place in Bulgaria, the largest monastery in the Balkans
- Batchkovo Monastery - in the Rhodope Mountains, south of Plovdiv, near the Fortress of Assen
- Troyan Monastery - the largest monastery in the Balcan range, the third in Bulgaria
- Monastery of Aladja - the rock monastery of the Black Sea coast
To go
Formalities
- See as well: Traveling in the Schengen area
Although Bulgaria is not yet part of theSchengen area, it has adopted the same visa policy as the rest of the Schengen area.
- Member States of the Schengen area
- Other EU members outside the Schengen area, but bound by the same visa policy and special territories of EU member states and the Schengen area
- Members of the European Union with an independent visa policy
- Visa-free access to Schengen states for 90 days within a period of 180 days, although some Annex II nationals may benefit from longer visa-free access under certain circumstances (EC 539/2001 Annex II)
- Visa required to enter the Schengen area (EC 539/2001 annex I)
- Visa required for transit through Schengen states (CE 810/2009 annex IV)
- Status unknown
By plane
Daily direct flights Paris-Sofia with Air France and Bulgaria Air. Count around 3 h. Flights also with stopovers via Vienna, Milan, Munich, Prague or Rome - several airlines (MyAir, Skyeurope, ...). Between April and October, charter flights to Varna from Paris, Lille and Marseille - consult a travel agency.
By train
From Paris, change in Munich - arrival in Sofia; see [1].
By car
Over there Slovenia, the Croatia and the Serbia or by theAustria, the Hungary and the Romania. Beware of racketeering in Serbia, today (in 2009 ...) it is still commonplace ...
If you come with your own vehicle, it is mandatory to present your national driving license, the gray card as well as the international insurance certificate (green card ...). If you enter with a vehicle for personal use that does not belong to you, it is necessary to present a written power of attorney from its owner to be authenticated before leaving your country of origin.
By bus
With Eurolines [2] you will get 24 /36 h, but it's cheaper than the plane.
Circulate
By plane
Several daily flights Sofia / Varna. many delays, we miss connections and the service leaves much to be desired.
By train
Network [3] very dense, but a bit outdated.
By car
Road signs meet international standards, road signs are blue and highway signs are green. The signs, on the other hand, are written in Cyrillic with a flagrant predominance of the Latin alphabet on the highways. A road map with the name of the cities in both writings will not be too much during your travels, the numbering given on the tracks is not always included on the road signs.
However, the roads are not yet all like the beautiful French ones, but things are gradually improving thanks to the financial aid granted by the European Union. The holes in the local roads sometimes require you to make real slaloms, you will also have to deal with some drivers in town and in the countryside. Beware of the closure of certain roads in snowy weather, clearing is not systematic on the axes.
The motorway network is under development, no toll barrier awaits the well-stocked wallet of the motorist in a hurry. Service areas are located at sometimes uneven intervals, so do not wait until the last moment to refuel if you do not want to leave the highway. It should be noted the astonishing presence of Uncle Sam through the Mc Donald's chain on some of these areas.
Speed limits:
- Highway: 140 km / h
- Route: 90 km / h
- City : 50 km / h
The blood alcohol level authorized in Bulgaria of 0.5 g / l of blood.
Regarding fines, it is not possible to pay them on site. Payment is made at banks and at certain customs posts.
In the event of an accident, wait for the arrival of the police who will establish the report on the spot.
Fuel
Diesel as well as "unleaded" in different octanes are available in Bulgaria. The network of national and international brands is spread across the country, supplies are quite normal. The prices are slightly lower than those in Western Europe.
Thumbnails
Since 2005, the use of the road and motorway network must be subject to the purchase of a sticker to be stuck on the right side of the windshield. This applies whether one is from here or elsewhere, visiting or simply in transit. They can be obtained at border posts, in some banks and at petrol stations.
Prices in 2011 for a passenger vehicle up to 9 seats:
- 1 week : 10 leva is around 5,12 € ;
- 1 month : 25 raised is around 12,8 € ;
- 1 year : 67 rose is around 34,3 €.
A tolerance is granted on the first 30 kilometers after the border in order not to clog the counters. Failure to use this sesame is sanctioned by a fine ranging from 100 leva (about 50 €) at 300 leva (about 150 €), a vehicle without it will not go unnoticed by the constabulary. Since 2011, the vehicle registration number must be entered on the sticker.
By bus
Very practical and inexpensive, good quality coaches.
Speak
- Official language: Bulgarian. We also speak Turkish (9% of the population), Romanian (especially in the north, along the Danube and in the Vidin area; unrecognized language), Greek etc.
- English, Russian and German are the most widely spoken languages. The practice of French remains fairly confidential ... but let's not forget that the first "Alliance française" in Bulgaria was created around 1930, hence of course this "fashion" in bourgeois families to learn French ! There are many classes in schools, and also entire high schools specializing in French in each city. Bulgaria has joined the Francophonie movement. Note also that some Bulgarian words have been borrowed from Latin (including "thank you"!).
Buy
Change
The currency of Bulgaria is the Bulgarian Lev (BGN). The lev has been linked to the euro since January 1, 1999 at the rate of 1.95583 per euro.
Purchases
- Yogurt (= "kisselo mliako")
- Embroidery
- Icons
- Pottery
- Honey (= "med")
- Wines (from the good) -Mavrud (wine cellar Assenovgrad), Gumza (from Lovico Suhindol), Caberne and Rosé (from Lovico Suhindol or Noman's Land), muscat (from Slaviantsi) or Traminer (from Targovichte) are the typical grape varieties and many known in Paris and London, but only in certain delicatessens),
- Plum or grape brandy (= "rakia")
- Cold cuts: "loukanka", "babek", "dedovetz"
- Cheese: kind of feta (= "krave siréné"), hard cheese (= "kachkaval")
- spices (= "podpravki"), like the most used herb in cooking, "tchoubritza"
Eat
- Traditional "Mekhana" restaurants, some with traditional folk music and orchestra
- Traditional dishes :
- cheese puff pastry (banitsa)
- salad of grated tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, onions, parsley, sirene (a kind of feta), etc. "chopska salata"
- yoghurt salad (wrung out) which becomes thicker than white cheese and very small cubes of cucumber, walnuts and garlic "mletchna salata",
- always with cucumber, but with 50% yogurt 50% 50% water, we will taste the well-known cold soup, the "tarator"
- and the "ayrian" drink: 50% yogurt, 50% water and a little salt
- eggplant puree, etc. "kiopoolou"
- mashed peppers, tomatoes, etc. "luttenitza", which is sold in France and can also be found in Basque cuisine
- "palneni tchouchki" stuffed peppers
- carp stuffed "palnen charan"
- casserole dish with feta, meat or cold cuts, tomatoes, egg, etc. "guvetché"
- pan-fried meat with onions, etc. "cavarma"
- tripe soup
- and many others that we will discover in the restaurants
- for more information, contact 33686469154 or all websites
Drink / go out
The many terraces during the day, the nightclubs in town centers and in seaside or ski resorts. You can also sunbathe on the deckchairs of any many cocktail bar on the Black Sea coast and of course in the garden of a Bulgarian family since they are extraordinary and generous people who respect life and friendship. and simply joy!
Housing
Good quality hotels, rooms with locals where we have a traditional breakfast, entire villas often with a guide The double price system (one for foreigners and one for Bulgarians) which existed until the end of 2006 , is prohibited since entry into the European Union.
Learn
To work
Communicate
Dense GSM network that covers the whole country.
European roaming
Since June 15, 2017, "European roaming" has been introduced. It allows all SIM card holders belonging to one of the European member countries to maintain the same pricing conditions as in the country of origin.
Telephone calls and Internet browsing are valid at no additional cost in all European countries, unless authorized by national authorities (generally minor operators) or when a data Gbit threshold is exceeded, which increases year by year. To use this service, simply activate the roaming option on your mobile phone.
The participating countries are those ofEuropean Union (Germany, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Croatia, Denmark, Spain, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary , Ireland , Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Czech Republic, Romania, UK, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden), those ofEuropean Economic Area (Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway) and some Oversea territories (Azores, Canary Islands, Gibraltar, Guadeloupe, Guyana, Madeira, Martinique, Mayotte, The meeting, Saint-Martin).
Manage the day-to-day
Health
European citizens
Citizens ofEuropean Union (EU), who fall unexpectedly ill during a temporary stay, studies or a professional stay, are entitled to the same medical care as in their country of residence. It is always useful to take the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) which constitutes physical proof of your insurance in an EU country. However, if you do not have the card with you or if you cannot use it (as in the case of private assistance), you are still entitled to treatment, but you are obliged to pay the costs on the spot. , then you will ask for a refund on your return.
The countries in which health coverage is provided are all those that are members of theEuropean Union (Germany, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Croatia, Denmark, Spain, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary , Ireland , Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Czech Republic, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden), those ofEuropean Economic Area (Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway), the Swiss, the UK and the Oversea territories member of the European Union (Azores, Canary Islands, Gibraltar, Guadeloupe, Guyana, Madeira, Martinique, Mayotte, The meeting, Saint-Martin).
security
 | Emergency telephone number: All emergency services:112 |
Usual precautions in tourist places, otherwise the country is safe.
Government travel advice
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Belgium (Federal Public Service Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation) 
Canada (Government of Canada) 
France (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) 
Swiss (Federal Department of Foreign Affairs)
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Respect
Correct dress is required in churches and monasteries: cover your shoulders and legs, but uncover your head.
