Village tourism in Bulgaria
November 18, 2011 by admin
Filed under Tourism Talk
Article by Stefan Valev
It didnt take long for Bulgaria to develop into one of the main tourism destinations in Europe after the start of its transition from communism. In fact, the country has always been a major tourist destination but the tourists came almost exclusively from countries in the former East bloc. Things have changed dramatically, with hundreds of thousands of Western tourists pouring into Bulgarias beach and ski resorts each year.
About sixty percent of Bulgarias territory is covered with mountains ranges separated by long valleys, dotted with hundreds of small towns and village. Many of these towns and villages have made a major push to become attractive tourist destinations and many of them have been successful. In fact, most Bulgarians prefer this type of tourism to the major resorts. This has become known as village tourism, although the destinations are not always in villages. Increasingly, foreign tourists are discovering the appeals of this type of a holiday.A typical village tourism outing is over the weekend but it could also last a week or longer. The destination is usually a small town or a village in an area that has natural attractions. This could be next to a mountain or a lake as is the case with the Central Balkan area. There might be some cultural attractions nearby such as monasteries or a town with a renovated historic center such as Lovetch, Veliko Turnovo or Plovdiv. So, the appeal of village tourism is that it puts one squarely into nature but, by virtue of Bulgaria being a relatively small country with short distances, one is also very close to various attractions. Sometimes, it is the village part that is the main attraction. Many Bulgarian villages presents sights long forgotten in the West such as a old woman walking around with a few goats, donkey carts, and old time village pubs.
Another appeal, and thats very relevant to many Bulgarians who live on a budget, is that village tourism is relatively inexpensive. The countryside offers thousands of villas for rent and guest houses which are small family-run hotels with 3-4 rooms and a small restaurant essentially a B&B. Staying in the guest houses or renting a villa cost a fraction of what it cost to book a hotel room or a private apartment in one of the main resort. You can explore the various destinations for rural tourism in Bulgaria at: Village tourism Bulgaria (or Селски туризъм if you want to practice your Cyrillic).
About the Author
Stefan Valev writes regular columns about holiday destinations in Bulgaria.
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