Bulgaria - General Information

General Information

Republic of Bulgaria is situated on the Balkan Peninsula, in the Eastern Europe. Its area is 111,000 sq.km /69,000 sq. miles/. Country capital is Sofia.
Bulgaria borders Black Sea to the East, Greece and Turkey to the South, FYROM and Serbia to the West and Romania to the North.
Bulgaria is member of NATO since 2004 and to the European Union since 2007.
Official language is Bulgarian. But English, German, French and Russian is spoken in the country's resorts, hotels and restaurants.

Official alphabet is Cyrillic. Signs along international motorways, in airports and resorts are also spelled in Roman letters.

Official holidays
January 1 - New Year
March 3 - Bulgaria's Liberation from Ottoman rule - the National Day
Easter - one week after the Catholic Easter
May 1 - Labour Day
May 6 - Bulgarian Army Day
May 24 - Day of Bulgarian Enlightenment and Culture and the Slav Script
September 6 - Bulgaria's Unification
September 22 - Independance Day
December 25-26 - Christmas

Relief
On its territory of 111,000 sq. km /69,000 sq. miles/ Bulgaria has diverse relief. There are 37 mountains, among them is Rila, with the highest peak on the Balkan Peninsula - Musala – 2,925 m /9,596 ft/. On the East is Black sea.
Climate

The climate in Bulgaria is temperate. There are two climate areas in the country. The line between them is Stara planina mountain chain. In the winter North Bulgaria is colder, than South. The temperatures in the winter are between 0° to - 7° C /19° to 32° F/. Sometimes the temperatures may drop to -20° С /-4° F/. In spring the climate is inconstant. Summer is hot in the North Bulgaria. Autumn is mild. The rainiest months are May, October and November.

Currency
Bulgarian currency is called Lev /International code is BGN/. It is divided into 100 stotinki. The Leva course is fixed to the Euro. 1 Lev=1,95583 Euro.
Monetary Units
1, 2, 5 stotinka (yellow metal), 10, 20, 50 stotinka (white metal), 1 lev (white and yellow metal). Banknotes 1,2,5,10,20,50 and 100 lev.
Exchange is possible in every Bulgarian bank without commission.
You can exchange money in the Exchange offices in the hotels, Bus and Train stations and on the Airports. There are many private Exchange bureaus, some of which are working non-stop.
In Bulgaria you can pay only in lev. Euro and other currency are accepted only in some of the bigger resorts.
You can use all the International credit cards Visa, MasterCard, JCB, Diners Club, American Express, Access, Airplus.

Tourism
The tourism is one of the key branches of the Bulgarian Economics.
Bulgaria is situated on the crossroad between the East and West. It is home of many civilizations – Thracians, Rome’s, Byzantines, Slaves, Procto Bulgarians and Osman. There are many Museums, Monasteries and other historical sightseeing.
The main ski resorts are Bansko, Borovets and Pamporovo, and the main sea resorts are Sozopol, Nessebar, Golden Sands, Sunny Beach, Albena. The mountains Rila, Pirin, Vitosha, Stara Planina and Rhodopes attract mountaineers and alpinists from all over the world.
Besides of traditional forms of tourism Bulgaria offers spa tourism, rural and eco tourism and many other forms of alternative tourism.
Traveling
How to Reach Bulgaria
By plane
The national carrier Balkan Bulgarian Airlines, private Bulgarian airline companies, as well as many foreign airlines link the country to Europe, Africa, the Middle East and North America.

By car
The country can be entered through any one of the many border checkpoints. Foreign driving licenses are valid on Bulgarian territory. Insurance is compulsory - it can either be taken out beforehand or on the Bulgarian border. The speed limit in the country is as follows: 50 km/h in populated areas, 90 km/h outside populated areas, 130 km/h on motorways. Petrol stations are located at every 30 to 50 km.

By train
The main European railway routes pass through Bulgaria. International trains link Sofia with many European capital cities and the domestic rail network ensures access to all large settlements.
Visas and Passports
You will need a valid passport with an entry or transit visa which is issued by the embassies and consulates of the Republic of Bulgaria abroad.
No entry visas are required for citizens of the countries with which Bulgaria has a visa-free regime, or of organized tourists who have bought a package tour.
No entry visas are required for citizens of the EU and EFTA member states.
No visas are required for CIS citizens for a stay of one month, provided they are in the possession of a valid passport, a voucher for pre-paid tourist services or if they pay the sum of 40 USD for each day of their stay in the country.

Useful Information

Time Difference
Winter time: GMT +2 hours (October through March).
Summer time: GMT +3 hours (April through September)

Voltage
220 V only

Working Hours
offices - 9.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. (Monday to Friday)
banks - 9.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m. (Monday to Friday)
shops - 10.00 a.m. to 8.00 pm. (Monday to Friday, Saturday until noon)

Medical Service
Free first aid and consultation in emergencies