Situated on the Balkan Peninsula, Bulgaria shares its borders with Rumania to the North, much of it denoted by the River Danube; Greece and Turkey to the South / South East and former Yugoslav states; Macedonia and Serbia to the West. To the East Bulgaria is flanked by the Black Sea, one of its biggest assets for summer tourism.

380 km of coastline offering everything from rugged secluded beaches to fully developed, highly commercialised resorts, such as Golden Sands & Sunny Beach.

Add to that Bulgaria's mountain ranges; the Balkans (locally known as Stara Planina) run out centrally across the country; the Rila (with Musala, 2925 metres, the highest peak of the region), Pirin and Rhodope ranges, with their charming mountain / ski resorts and unspoilt national parks, and it is easy to recognise the potential of this country for year round recreation.

Bulgaria's land is fertile, producing a large variety of crops such as wheat, corn, barley, tobacco, potatoes, tomatoes and cucumbers etc. The central plains of Bulgaria are home to the famous 'Valley of the Roses' whichproduces a high quality 'attar' much coveted by the global markets, and the festival associated with the rose petal harvest is a major tourist attraction in early June.

Bulgaria can also boast the hottest mineral spring in Europe; Sapareva Banya (102'C) at the foot of the Rila Mountains. Overall the country is blessed with approximately 500 mineral springs, many thermal, with a vast range of healing properties.

The Capital of Bulgaria is Sofia.

Other major cities are Varna & Bourgas on the Black Sea, Plovdiv, Blagoevgrad and Rousse on the Danube.

Bulgaria's climate is temperate continental with some Mediterranian influence. There are four distinct seasons and on the whole the weather is easily and accurately predicted. Long, hot summers and cold snowy winters are the norm. However like elsewhere in the world seasonal abnormalities occur.

Spring in Bulgaria tends to be the most unpredictable of all seasons with the possibility of snowfall (above 1000 meters) as late as mid-April. On the whole March and April are great months for skiing if there has been good snow cover. The weather in the mountains is predominantly sunny, whereas the towns may be overcast or foggy. May is a little more fickle. All too often in recent years there has been a stark transition from cold and wet weather in May to heatwaves in June.

Summer in Bulgaria tends to be hot and dry. Cities such as Sofia and Plovdiv can get unbearably hot and dusty. People take to the seaside or mountains for respite especially in August when the capital seems to grind to a halt. Streets are deserted, with people seeking refuge in shady street cafes or waiting for dusk before enjoying the warm sultry evenings.

June and July over the past ten years have been the most reliable summer months for hot sunny days with regular (and quite refreshing) thundershowers at the end of the day. Any drop in temperatures usually recuperates rapidly. Temperatures in the summer months can be as high as 35’C and people are well advised to avoid the mid day heat. Siestas are very popular with locals, especially when on holiday. Freak hailstorms with hailstones the size of golf balls are not uncommon, particularly in the mountains.

Autumn in Bulgaria is quite a spectacular season as the foliage in the many wooded areas around the country changes colour, inspiring many an artist’s palette. The gradually shorter days and colder temperatures do however detract from all this. September is the most unpredictable of the autumn months; expect anything from glorious late summer weather to cold, wet and windy. October tends to be part of an Indian summer with warm sunny days but cold once the sun sets. By mid November the first snowfalls above 1000 metres can be expected and then winter really is not far behind.

Winter in Bulgaria does not start till mid December but the first snowfall is usually expected by mid November. Often there are also long periods between the snowfall, which for drivers is not a bad thing as it helps reduce the snow build up on the streets and around town. The attraction of snow in Sofia wears off very quickly as one tries to get to and from work. Sofia is usually covered by a heavy, grey smog throughout much of the winter months and Sofia airport is plagued with fog, causing considerable flight delays. Sometimes weeks go by without a ray of sunshine making it through.

Climb up to 800 + metres and it is a different story. Winter in the mountains is truly beautiful. Clear blue skies, sunshine and crisp sparkling snow.The cold is usually a dry cold which can easily be combated with the right clothing, and on sunny days the daytime temperature can be up to 20 degrees centigrade (in the sun) dropping to the equivalent below 0 at night.

The average snow coverage in Sofia is 20 cm and in the suburbs 50cm.

Average Temperatures in degrees celsius

March 0 to 10°C

April 5 to 15°C

May 10 to 20°C

June 13 to 26°C

July 16 to 30°C

August 15 to 30°C

September 11 to 25°C

October 8 to 20°C

November 2 to 13°C

December -2 to + 4°C

January -4 to +2°C

February -3 to + 4°C



Time Zone : GMT + 2 hours

Bulgaria like the rest of Europe operates a Daylight Saving regime, the clocks going forward one hour on the last Saturday night in March and going back at the end of October.

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