# Bulgaria- The Journey Begins



## JloKyM (Mar 3, 2007)

*BULGARIA - The Journey Begins*










*Bulgaria*, officially the Republic of Bulgaria is a state in Southeastern Europe, borders on five other countries: Romania to the north (mostly along the River Danube), Serbia and the Republic of Macedonia to the west, and Greece and Turkey to the south. The Black Sea defines the extent of the country to the east.

Bulgaria comprises the classical regions of Moesia, Thrace, and Macedonia. Old European culture within the territory of present-day Bulgaria started to produce golden artifacts by the fifth millennium BC.

The country preserves the traditions (in ethnic name, language, and alphabet) of the First Bulgarian Empire (632/681 – 1018), which at times covered most of the Balkans and spread its alphabet, literature and culture among the Slavic and other peoples of Eastern Europe. Centuries later, with the decline of the Second Bulgarian Empire (1185 – 1396/1422), the country came under Ottoman rule for nearly five centuries. The Russo-Turkish War of 1877-1878 led to the re-establishment of a Bulgarian state as a constitutional monarchy in 1878, with the Treaty of San Stefano marking the birth of the Third Bulgarian Kingdom. After World War II, Bulgaria became a communist state and part of the Eastern Bloc. In 1990, after the Revolutions of 1989, the Communist party gave up its monopoly on power and Bulgaria transitioned to democracy and free-market capitalism.

Currently Bulgaria functions as a parliamentary democracy under a unitary constitutional republic. A member of the European Union since 2007 and of NATO since 2004, it has a population of approximately 7.7 million, with Sofia as its capital and largest city.



Sofia/София-The Capital










Sofia's airport


















Main streets


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## JloKyM (Mar 3, 2007)




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## JloKyM (Mar 3, 2007)

Veliko Turnovo


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## oswald123 (Sep 10, 2007)

wow...


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## JloKyM (Mar 3, 2007)

^^

*Bulgarian mountains*


Below peak Maliovitsa









Momchilovtsi, Rodopi Mountains









Upper Thracian Plain









Bezbog Summit, Pirin Mountain









Devil's Bridge, Rodopi Mountains









The view from Belogradchik Fortress









Vihren from the north side, the second highest peak in Bulgaria, 2914 m.


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## JloKyM (Mar 3, 2007)

Koncheto, Pirin









Sinanitza, one of the most spectacular peaks in Pirin









The town of Smolyan, Rodopi mountains









Skaklia falls, near Vratza, SW Bulgaria









Another view of Koncheto, Pirin









Popovo lake, Dzhengal peak in the front. Popovo lake circus









Stara Planina, Botev, the highest peak there - 2376 m. in the back


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## JloKyM (Mar 3, 2007)

Stara Planina









Babreka (Kidney) lake, Rila









Trigrad village, Rhodope









Belogradchik Roks









Teshel lake









Fishing platforms Vacha Lake, Rhodopi mountains









Pirin, Tevnoto ezero (Dark lake)









STrashnoto ezero (Scary Lake), Rila


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## JloKyM (Mar 3, 2007)

Vitosha, near Sofia









Musala peak, the highest on the Balkans 2925m









Peak Musala









Vitosha mountain (near Sofia)









Vitosha mountain (near Sofia)









Vitosha mountain (near Sofia)









Vitosha mountain (near Sofia)


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## JloKyM (Mar 3, 2007)

Vitosha mountain (near Sofia)









Rodhopi mountain









Rila mountain( the 7 Rila Lakes)









Rila mountain









Rila mountain









Rodhopi mountain









Iskar river gorge









The Rose Valley


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## JloKyM (Mar 3, 2007)

Sokolski Monastery, Stara Planina









Cherven Fortress, North Bulgaria









Pirin Mountain









Looking west during the sunrise from the highest peak in Bulgaria and the Balkans - Musala









Musala









Gorno Vassilashko Lake, Pirin National Park


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## JloKyM (Mar 3, 2007)

A View From The Nymph's Peak, Pirin National Park 









Pirin National Park 









View from Polezhan peak towards Popovo ezero, Pirin









Kamenitza peak, Pirin









Melnik Sand Pyramides 









Rhodopes, the road to Smolian


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## JloKyM (Mar 3, 2007)

Glozhenski monastery









Zasele village, Iskar River gorge. 









The ruins of Shumen Fortress, North Bulgaria 









Rodopi Mountains, view towards Vucha Lake 









Musala









The snowy slopes of Rila mountain above Borovets


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## JloKyM (Mar 3, 2007)

Views from Stara Planina | Beklemeto Pass 









Views from Stara Planina | Semi-wild Horses 









Views from Stara Planina | Semi-wild Horses 2









Views from Stara Planina | Semi-wild Horses III 









Views from Stara Planina 









Views from Stara Planina | Semi-wild Horses IV









Pirin mountain


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## JloKyM (Mar 3, 2007)

Borovets ski tracks 









Stara Planina 









Pirin









The 7 Rila Lakes 









Hotnitsa Waterfalls 









Kademliiskoto Praskalo 









Ledenika Cave 









Ledenika Cave - Gallery of the Seveth Heaven 









View to the Southern parts of Pirin mountain and Slavyanka mountain


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## JloKyM (Mar 3, 2007)

Rila Mountain - View from Malyovitsa summit to Pirin mountain 









Rila Mountain - View from Malyovitsa summit to Winter Path 









Pirin Mountain - View from Kralevdorska Porta to Belemeto 









Snezhanka Cave 









Devetashka Cave


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## JloKyM (Mar 3, 2007)

C'mon guys, feek free to comment or ask questions :cheers::cheers:
I'll post soon pictures of the bulgarian sea coast.:banana:


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## Oaronuviss (Dec 11, 2002)

Beautiful country. I never hear anything about Bulgaria. Last time I ever even acknowledged Bulgaria was when I had a crush on some Bulgarian chick in University!
lol.
Absolutly spectacular country pics though.
That monastery on the side of the cliff is crazy. Terrifying even!


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## Imperfect Ending (Apr 7, 2003)

Hella beautiful pictures!
very mystical


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## JloKyM (Mar 3, 2007)

Sofia..


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## JloKyM (Mar 3, 2007)




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## JloKyM (Mar 3, 2007)

*Stara Planina, below Koznitsa Summit









Rila Monastery









Rila Monastery II









Balchik - The Botanical Garden









Rodopi mountains Scenery









Varna @ night









Cape Kaliakra, Black Sea coast







*


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## JloKyM (Mar 3, 2007)

*Lake Batak









Pirin mountain, the frozen Lake Polejansko









Northern Bulgaria









Lake Dolmyan









Belintash, Rodopi Mountains









Stara Planina









Rila Mountain - Malyovitsa summit








*


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## JloKyM (Mar 3, 2007)

*Nessebar, Balck Sea Coast









Rila Mountain









Stara Planina









Varna - Seaside Park









Stara Planina Scenery









Nessebar, Black Sea Coast III









Pomorie, Black Sea Coast








*


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## JloKyM (Mar 3, 2007)

*Nessebar, Black Sea Coast









Stara Planina Scenery









Stara Planina Scenery II









Sv. Vlas, Black Sea Coast









Varna Cathedral @ Night









Lake Tsonevo









Lake Tsonevo II








*


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## Skyprince (May 2, 2006)

Gorgeous and classy!!!!.. the air in Bulgaria seems super clean . 
I hope Bulgarian carriers to provide better connectivity to Asia ; I can't think of any shorter/ cheaper routes except Flying all the way to Western European points like Amsterdam then make a u-turn into Sofia.


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## Jonesy55 (Jul 30, 2004)

Nice photos kay: I've only been to Bulgaria once on a skiing holiday in 1999, I enjoyed it very much and while I did spend most of my time at the ski resort I did manage to have a look around Sofia one afternoon and also visited the Rila monastery.

Bulgaria has become a popular place over the past few years for British people to buy holiday apartments on the coast or to buy run-down rural properties and renovate them for a quiet place in the countryside to escape to.


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## Jonesy55 (Jul 30, 2004)

Skyprince said:


> I hope Bulgarian carriers to provide better connectivity to Asia ; I can't think of any shorter/ cheaper routes except Flying all the way to Western European points like Amsterdam then make a u-turn into Sofia.


Can you fly direct from KL to Istanbul?

Then it would only be a short overland trip to Bulgaria. :dunno:


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## Skyprince (May 2, 2006)

ah really forgot about tht .

Though for luxury point-to-point travellers the best deal is to fly KLM via Amsterdam


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## Amuse2000 (Nov 15, 2008)

Bulgaria looks awesome, great pictures


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## ikari (Dec 27, 2007)

I need to come back to Bulgaria some day!! *__*
Amazing country with amazing people ^^


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## Aan (Nov 5, 2007)

Jonesy55 said:


> Can you fly direct from KL to Istanbul?
> 
> Then it would only be a short overland trip to Bulgaria. :dunno:


Actually there is lowcost connection - from KL to Chennai with low cost carrier Air India Express and from Chennai to Istanbul with LCC Air Arabia and from istanbul it's only couple of hours to Bulgaria/Sophia (I did similar trip Bratislava-Sophia-Istanbul (nowadays there is direct flight connection between BTS and Istanbul) with 2 buses and from Istanbul to Kochi with Air Arabia (India)).


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## JloKyM (Mar 3, 2007)

Plovdiv









Chudnite Skali









Christmas in Varna I









Christmas in Varna II









Vitosha Mountain









Wine Chateau near Melnik









Pirin mountain









Rusenski Lom









Silistar Beach









Stara Planina near Sliven









Vitosha Mountain









Vitosha Mountain II


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## JloKyM (Mar 3, 2007)

:drool::drool::drool::drool::drool::drool:


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## madriqueño (Dec 28, 2008)

Wow, Fantastic, I wanna go as soon as possible. By the way, Is Bulgaria a cheap place??
Thanks.


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## tonight (Sep 18, 2008)

JloKyM said:


>


^^
very foggy


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## JloKyM (Mar 3, 2007)

Rodopi mountains Scenery









A chilling, yet so incredible, so Bulgarian rite in the small town of Kalofer, on 6 January each year, Bogoyavlenie, or Epiphany.




































Veliko Tarnovo - Old town


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## JloKyM (Mar 3, 2007)

Veliko Tarnovo - Old Town II


















Plovdiv I









Plovdiv II









Chudnite Skali









Veliko Tarnovo









Etara


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## JloKyM (Mar 3, 2007)

Vitosha Mountain









Stara Planina Scenery









Pirin I









Melnik Rock Pyramids









Rila Mountain viwed from Malyovitsa Summit









Sozopol









Pirin


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## JloKyM (Mar 3, 2007)

Cherepish Monastery









Winter in Rila









Winter in the Rhodopes









Seuthes III's tomb, Valley of the Thracian Kings









Roman walls of Hissarya









The castle of Mezek









Mezek castle


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## JloKyM (Mar 3, 2007)

Central Stara Planina









Solishta









Lakatnik - The Iskar river gorge









Ropotamo river enters the Black Sea









Alexander Nevsky cathedral









Snowy park in downtown Sofia









View towards town of Targovishte


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## Yellow Fever (Jan 3, 2008)

The streets of Varna by Peter Szabo(PeSaboterz), on Flickr


The BlackSea 2012 by Peter Szabo(PeSaboterz), on Flickr


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## Yellow Fever (Jan 3, 2008)

Metro Sofia by Peter Szabo(PeSaboterz), on Flickr


Golden Sands........Zlatni Pjasaci by Peter Szabo(PeSaboterz), on Flickr


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## Yellow Fever (Jan 3, 2008)

Sweti Konstantin i Elena 2012 by Peter Szabo(PeSaboterz), on Flickr


Varna 2012 by Peter Szabo(PeSaboterz), on Flickr


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## Yellow Fever (Jan 3, 2008)

Lifeguard by Peter Szabo(PeSaboterz), on Flickr


Varna 2012 by Peter Szabo(PeSaboterz), on Flickr


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## Yellow Fever (Jan 3, 2008)

Sweti Konstantin i Elena 2012 by Peter Szabo(PeSaboterz), on Flickr


Varna 2012 by Peter Szabo(PeSaboterz), on Flickr


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## Yellow Fever (Jan 3, 2008)

Varna by Peter Szabo(PeSaboterz), on Flickr


Varna 2012 by Peter Szabo(PeSaboterz), on Flickr


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## bloody bat (Jan 22, 2013)

Sofia









source: io bg









source: io bg









source: tipfinder









source: tipfinder


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## bloody bat (Jan 22, 2013)

source; karaneshev 3112









source: tipfinder









source: tipfinder









source: whitney bg


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## bloody bat (Jan 22, 2013)

source: wikipedia









source: ecruzpavia









source: io bg









source: wikipedia


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## bloody bat (Jan 22, 2013)

source: Michael Bachman









source: James crouchman









source: ecruzpavia









source: tipfinder


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## Linguine (Aug 10, 2009)

beautiful, lovely Sofia. :cheers:


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## Skyline_ (Mar 20, 2013)

This summer I plan to visit Mountain Rila, and reach Musala peak. Has anyone been there? Is Musala pathway from Borovec ski resort, a road to get near the summit?


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## Yellow Fever (Jan 3, 2008)

_MG_8307 by CoMariana, on Flickr


_MG_8386 by CoMariana, on Flickr


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## Yellow Fever (Jan 3, 2008)

Bulgaria_34 by Sergio Rozas, on Flickr


Byala by Zlota Bulgaria, on Flickr


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## JloKyM (Mar 3, 2007)

Millenium Center 121m U/C in Sofia










http://photo-forum.net/bg/index.php?APP_ACTION=GALLERY_IMAGE&IMAGE_ID=1779270


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## African Lion (May 28, 2007)

Surprised!

You people are civilized! Proof that many countries are underrated. Sofia is a charming capital.


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