Eastern and Central Europe (Eyewitness Travel Guides)

BULGARIA 603

The popular beach at Golden Sands near Varna, on the Black Sea coast

Exploring Bulgaria

Few capitals bear the imprint of history as clearly as
Sofia, Bulgaria’s largest city. Roman masonry juts from
the walls of its churches, while fragments of Byzantine
fortifications survive in pedestrian subways. To the
south of bustling and sophisticated Sofia are fasci nating
high land villages such as Bansko and Borovets and the
monasteries of Rila and Bachkovo; to the east, on the
Black Sea, are the coastal towns of Varna and Nesebûr
and the Golden Sands resort; while all over the coun try,
medi eval fortresses stand as reminders of Bulgaria’s
illustrious history. The country’s rail network links all
the major towns and cities, while rural Bulgaria is
accessible by local bus. Taxis can also be used for
long-distance journeys if arranged in advance.

KEY

Airport

Motorway

Major road

Railway

International border

0 km

0 miles

100

100

Bachkovo Monastery

pp618–19 (^7)
Bansko 5
Borovets 4
Burgas u
Golden Sands e
Kaliakra r
Koprivshtitsa pp622–3 9
Melnik 6
Nesebûr y
Plovdiv pp620–21 8
Rila Monastery pp612–15 2
Rila National Park 3
Sofia pp604–611 (^1)
Sozopol i
Stone Forest w
Sunny Beach t
Varna pp628–9 (^) q
Veliko Tûrnovo pp624–7 (^0)
SIGHTS AT A GLANCE Wooden houses along a street in
the Old Town, Sozopol
For additional map symbols see back flap
Stara Zagora
Shumen
Dobrich
Ruse
Pleven Razgrad
Vidin
Montana
Vratsa
Kyustendil
Lom
Silistra
Pernik
Gabrovo
Sliven
Kazanlûk
Karlovo
Sevlievo
Troyan
Blagoevgrad Dimitrovgrad
Haskovo
Kûrdzhali
SOFIA
Rila Monastery
Borovets
Samokov
Sandanski
Rila National
Park
Bansko
Melnik
Bachkovo
Monastery
Plovdiv
Koprivshtitsa
Veliko Tûrnovo
Stone
Forest
Burgas
Sozopol
Varna
Sunny Beach
Nesebûr
Golden Sands
Kaliakra
ROMANIA
GREECE
SERBIA
MACEDONIA
TURKEY
Rumel
ia
Black Sea
Isk
ûr
M
est
a
Tu
nd
hz
a
Arda
Ya
nt
ra
29
21
1
1
1
3
4
3
8
6
A2
4
7
2
6 6
8
8
5
5 2
5
9
9
66
A1
8