Bulgaria Roundup

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A gate in Sofia with the symbol of the country - the lion

A gate in Sofia with the symbol of the country – the lion

I spent 10 days in Bulgaria and spent an average of $35 per day. I saw three major places: Sofia, Veliko Tarnovo, and Nessebar. It would have been nice to spend some more time around the Black Sea, but the huge resorts really don’t appeal to me very much and unfortunately there’s very little virgin land left to explore. Nessebar was a wonderful place, though, and definitely worth the stop!

The highlight in Bulgaria for me was independence day in Veliko Tarnovo and meeting some wonderful people at the camping site where I stayed. Sofia was also a pleasant surprise with its rich history and tolerant culture.

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Hiking Outside Veliko Tarnovo

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The cliffs outside Veliko Tarnovo

The cliffs outside Veliko Tarnovo

I spent a few days camping in Samovodene, just north of Veliko Tarnovo at the lovely Veliko Tarnovo Camping site. There are loads of hiking and rock climbing spots in the area and I spent a few hours trekking to the Holy Trinity monastery, which was unfortunately closed the day I went, I assume because of independence day celebrations.

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Hiking and Camping in Vršac

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A view of the Vrsac mountains from Djak's Peak

A view of the Vrsac mountains from Djak’s Peak

The best way to get to Romania from Belgrade is to take a bus to Vrsac on the Serbian side of the border and then a train to Timisoara in Romania. Since I had to stop in Vrsac anyway, I decided to take advantage of my new tent and do some camping there before crossing the border. The small, extremely green mountain range just outside the city is perfect for a day or two of trekking, well-marked and easily accessible. Camping is allowed in most of the area.

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Hiking in National Park Tara

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A view of National Park Tara from the Crnjeskovo viewpoint

A view of National Park Tara from the Crnjeskovo viewpoint

National Park Tara is a nearly 50,000 acre mountainous hiking and camping spot near the Bosnian border. I spent two days staying at Hotel Omorika (about 17 euro for a single room a night and includes breakfast and dinner) at the edge of the park and went on a few lovely hikes. I saw a fire salamander, great views of the gorges in the area, and loads of gorgeous flowers.

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