Bulgaria

With budget skiing, glorious beaches and picturesque monasteries, Bulgaria’s small size does not limit its wealth of attractions. The modernisation of the country’s tourist infrastructure in recent years means that linguistic and actual dead-ends are more infrequent than ever before, so use our map of Bulgaria below to start planning your trip now.

It’s not only the low-cost travel on offer in Bulgaria that makes it attractive to tourists: from Romantic National Revival era architecture in the cities of Koprivshtitsa, Bansko and Plovdiv to marvellous monasteries such as Rila, this small country has a lot to take in. Enjoy the culture in Varna, where the opera house and theatre provide a backdrop to Baroque restaurants and cafés. Or, observe the collision of rich cultural heritage and a picture-postcard coast in the ancient seaside resort of Nesebar. Finally, head to Sofia, where formidable mosques and public buildings nestle between parks and boulevards.