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Nature: Bulgaria boasts with preserved nature.Its forests abound with wild fruits and mushrooms – all of them with proven flavour and qualities that strengthen the body. There is also a great diversity of herbs and healing plants. A network of 3 national parks – Rila, Pirin, and the Central Balkan,10 natural parks, reserves, protected territories and natural landmarks has been set up.All these offer sites of singular beauty and excellent conditions for adventure, eco and cognitive tourism. History: The historical development of the Bulgarian lands and the people that inhabited them has been determined by one major factor - their crossroads situation between Europe and Asia.Testimonies for the presence of life in the pre-historic ages and in the dawn of the civilization can be seen in Bulgaria.It is not surprising therefore that it is among the first countries in the world in number of archeological monuments.Found in the distant 681, it is also one of the first European countries.Layers of history have piled up throughout the ages to make Bulgaria a country with great heritage and an interesting place to visit.Thracian tombs, Roman ruins, medieval fortresses, unique churches,traditional architecture, modern monuments are only some of the sites worth seeing. Government: Bulgaria is a parliamentary republic. Head of State: President Georgi Parvanov since 2002. Head of Government: Prime Minister Sergey Stanishev since 2005 Religion: 86% of the population are Christians (85% are Eastern Orthodox, 1% are Roman Catholic), 13% are Muslims. The Bulgarian Church is autonomous and headed by a Patriarch. Population: About 8 million people Official holidays Travel Information Time Difference Daylight saving: start – last Sunday in March (changing the clock 1 hour ahead); end – last Sunday in October (changing the clock 1 hour back). Electricity: 220 V; continental standard two - pin plug. Drinking water: Tap water is safe to drink.Bulgaria’s vast supplies are widely available in 0.5 liter and 1.5 liter bottles. Weights Measures System: Metric Currency Unit: The Bulgarian currency is Lev. Banknote denominations include 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 leva, as well as coins of 1 lev and smaller denominations – 1lev =100 stotinkas. The current exchange rate is around 1 EURO = 1,96 BGN. Banks and money exchange: Banks are usually open Monday to Friday, from 09:00 a.m. to 04:00 p.m. You can exchange money in banks and exchange offices. Credit Cards: Visa, MasterCard, JCB, Diners Club, American Express, Access, Airplus.Please note that credit cards are not very popular in Bulgaria yet.They can be used for the payment of all standard services in hotels, restaurants, shops, car rentals, plane tickets but only in the big cities.Be ready to pay in cash anywhere you go. Travelers cheques: Accepted in major hotels and restaurants. To avoid additional exchange rate charges, travelers are advised to take travelers cheques in US Dollars or Pounds Sterling. Taxi service:Taxi-cabs in the country are yellow, signaled with the respective identification. Taxi-cabs can be found at the taxi ranks in towns and resorts, or can be ordered by phone. They operate at daytime and nighttime rates – from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. (daytime) and from 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. (nighttime).The average daytime rate is 0,30 - 0,45 BGN per kilometer. Public Transport: There is an extensive public transport network of busses and in some towns – trolley busses. Sofia also has a subway. Bus tickets cost 0,50 BGN, 5 tickets used by 1 person can be bought for 2 BGN. Tickets are sold in kiosks at the bus stations and must be perforated on boarding the vehicle. Bulgaria has a good railway network connecting even very small villages with big cities and you can get almost anywhere by train. Motorbikes and cars: When driving the following limitations should not be exceeded: Category A (Motorbikes) Public telephone: telephone calls can be made from all post offices, or from public pay phones.They are either orange Bulfon or blue Mobikom phones, cards for these can be purchased from kiosks around. Working Hours Language: The official language in the country is Bulgarian. It belongs to the Slavic language group and uses the Cyrillic alphabet. Signs along international motorways, in airports and resorts are also spelled in Roman letters. English, German, French and Russian is spoken in the country's resorts, hotels and restaurants.Here is a list of some frequently used words with their Bulgarian translation and pronounciation.
Body Language Medical service: Foreigners arriving to Bulgaria are not required to have any compulsory immunisations. All medical establishments in the country perform medical checks, tests and treatment of foreigners. Free first aid and consultation in emergencies. Tipping: There is no charge for the service in most of the bars and restaurants, and it is accepted to leave a tip of 5-10%. In some restaurants, the service charge is specified in the menu and included in the bill. Item Price (BGN) small bottle of beer 0,80 litre of petrol 1,60 small bottle of beer 3,00 litre of bottled water 0,50 local sheese pastry (banitsa) 0,50 can of soft drink 1,00 city map 3,00 bottle of wine 4,00 Average meal prices Low 2 – 8 BGN Mid 8 – 10 BGN High 10 – 20 BGN Cuisine: Bulgarian cuisine has grown out of wealth of culinary traditions, both local and foreign, combined in a way which is uniquely Bulgarian, offering cuisine with its own characteristics, originality and exceptional variety. Do not miss to taste the traditional shopska and ovcharska salad, stuffed peppers and cabbage leaves with meat and rice, banska kapama, wine kebab, shashlik, banitza, etc. Throughout Bulgaria you will find catering establishments of different categories serving various type of food: renowned luxury restaurants, national cuisine taverns, foreign cuisine restaurants, fast food outlets, pizzerias, numerous cafes and pastry shops. Culture: Bulgaria is especially proud of its rich folklore traditions. Folk dances, music, national costumes and traditional rituals have an important place in the life of Bulgarians. Every town and village celebrates Christian holidays and folk festivities in its own special way. Visiting Bulgarian folk music and dance performance is always among the unforgettable tourists’ experience. Even if you do not speak Bulgarian it is worth going to a theatre performance, opera or ballet. Bulgaria is proud with its talented opera singers. Shopping: Large supermarkets such as Billa, Metro and Hit offer a wide range of local and imported products.From smaller shops all over the country can be bought some traditional products such as the famous Bulgarian rose-oil in artful packages, the original Bulgarian yoghurt called kiselo mliako, the pure Bulgarian honey with exceptional healing qualities, Bulgarian embroidery with its intricate geometrical figures, Bulgarian rugs and carpets with their vibrant colours, exquisitely painted Bulgarian ceramics. Nightlife: Bulgarian big cities and some resorts are renowned for their busy nightlife.The latter is divided into discos for dancing, flash nightclubs, trendy bars with DJ music after 10 pm, piano bars, strip bars. There are a few gay bars and discos only in Sofia. Important Telephone Numbers Getting to Bulgaria Visa Requirements: Most nationals of EU countries,as well as citizens of Iceland, South Korea, Monaco, Norway, San Marino, Hungary and with valid international passports are admitted without a visa for stays of less than 90 days. Nationals of some countries - including the USA, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Israel, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Monaco, Japan and Canada - are admitted without a visa for stays of less than 30 days. Alternatively, a 90-day visa costs between 30.00-60.00 EUR depending on the country where you apply. Visitors of most other nationalities are issued visas on a shifting fee scale depending on the type of visa sought – transit, tourist or business. Custom formalities and limitations: When entering Bulgaria freely can be imported the followimg: 200 cigarettes, 1 liter of spirits or two 75cl bottles of wine and up to 200 Euros of goods. Insurance: Appropriate insurance is strongly recommended when you travel abroad. Usually the insurance is included in the tour package you purchase. Foreign tourists may also enter Bulgaria with insurance policies from foreign insurance companies.
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Contacts: Office 11-12, 6th floor 40, Pop Bogomil Str. 1202 Sofia, Bulgaria E-mail: office@alexandertour.com / alextour@omega.bg Tel / Fax.: (+359 2) 983-52-58, 983-52-80 Air Tickets: 983-30-90, 983-55-68 Touroperator/Travelagent license: 03392 member of:  we accept: 
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