Facts for the Traveler

Visas: Nationals of some 30 countries - including the USA, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the UK and other EU countries - are admitted without a visa for stays of less than 30 days. Alternatively, a 90-day visa costs between US$30-60 depending on which country you apply from. Visitors of most other nationalities are issued visas on a shifting fee scale depending on the type of visa sought - transit, tourist or business.
Health risks: No particular risks, but you're advised to stick to private clinics if you require medical treatment in Bulgaria.
Time: GMT/UTC plus two hours
Electricity: 220V, 50Hz
Weights & measures: Metric
Tourism: 8 million visitors annually

When to Go

Bulgaria has a temperate climate, with cold damp winters and hot dry summers. Spring (April to mid-June) is a good time to visit, with mild and pleasant weather and a host of cultural events taking place. Summer (mid-June to September) has reliable weather, perfect for hiking and outdoor festivals but the beaches on the Black Sea coast can get insanely crowded, and accommodation and camping grounds in coastal resorts tend to fill up. The coast is virtually deserted from mid-September to mid-May. The ski season begins in mid-December and can last until April.

Events

Public holidays include New Year (1 and 2 January), Liberation Day (3 March), Cyrillic Alphabet Day (24 May) and Christmas (25 and 26 December). The reason for the two Christmas days is that religious Bulgarians were forbidden to practise during the Communist era, so they invented a secular - and suspiciously Christmas-like - celebration on the following day. Since the collapse of Communism, the original Christmas Day has been celebrated as before, but the invented holiday has been sensibly retained. Bulgarians observe a number of traditional customs. Trifon Zarezan on 14 February is the ancient festival of the wine growers. Vines are pruned and sprinkled with wine to ensure a bounteous harvest. On 1 March Bulgarians give one another martenitsi, red and white tasselled threads which are worn for health and happiness at the coming of spring. When wearers see their first stork of the season, the martenitsa is tied to the nearest tree.

At the Koprivshtitsa International Folk Festival, which is held every five years, some 4000 finalists compete for awards. There is a biennial festival in Pernik at which participants, wearing traditional masks and costumes, perform ancient dances to drive away evil spirits and ask the good spirits for a plentiful harvest. Kukeri is another spring festival, most avidly celebrated in the Rodopi Mountains. The Festival of Roses is celebrated with folk songs and dances at Kazanlâk and Karlovo on the first Sunday in June.

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