Travel guide Bulgaria

In all towns, and even more noticeably in villages, trees, road signs, and doors are covered with death notices (NEKROLOZI - НЕКРОЛОЗИ), usually with a picture of the deceased. This is not so much to inform of a recent death, but rather to keep the memory of the deceased within the community.

Beware, the traffic police (KAT) are no longer joking. With a legal alcohol limit of 0.5 g/l, frequent speed checks and high fines, corruption has declined and negotiating a violation has become very risky. However, people still make headlight calls to warn of the presence of police!

Carnival figures whose mission is to chase away evil spirits at the end of the harsh winter, the koukeri (кукери) are dressed in long-haired fur costumes, horns and large bells for noise. Only hardy men are initiated into this tradition, which dates back to ancient times in connection with the festivities of the god Dionysus.

The martenitza (МАРТЕНИЦА), an amulet made of red and white twisted thread, is worn on the wrist from March¹. Vendors line every street. Martenitzi are given as gifts, wishing each other good health. They are worn until a swallow or a stork is seen. Then you can cut them and tie them to the first flowering tree you find.

The word you will hear the most in Bulgaria is "nazdravé!" (НАЗДРАВЕ!). It is mandatory to say this for the first toast at the table, but also throughout the evening. You will need to do this with each person who raises their glass while looking them in the eye. Dare the "nazdravé!", otherwise you will be a "party crasher"...

Orpheus (ОРФЕЙ) is a character from Greek mythology, the son of a Thracian king and the muse Calliope, who is said to have been born in the Rhodopes. According to legend, this Thracian singer exceeded the god Apollo himself in talent and could calm the most ferocious beasts with his lyre. A symbolic tomb is located in Tatul in the Rhodopes.

Bulgarians make the opposite signs to ours to say yes (DA - ДА) and no (NE - НЕ). In fact, they use at least four head signs: both yes and no like us, but also YES with the head nodding from left to right, but along a variable axis and NO with the head nodding up and down with the chin raised high (did you follow?).

Although the Bulgarian rose is Rosa damascena (Damask rose), it has become one of the symbols of the country. The Valley of the Roses covers about 70% of the world's needs for rose extract or oil, which places Bulgaria in the lead. The picking is done in May, before daybreak, mostly by women. A spectacle!

Most of the street names had been decided by the communist authorities to pay tribute to the heroes of the Resistance or to commemorate certain important dates. Bulgaria has kept these names, but some of them are no longer unanimous. So more and more names are changed in order to get out of the post-communist period.

The city centers of the main Bulgarian cities are reserved for pedestrians. Sofia escapes this rule, except for the narrow streets in the center and Vitosha Boulevard. In other cities, a central square is usually used as a landmark, and all around it wind streets closed to motor vehicles. This makes the visit more pleasant.

At the table, it is mandatory to put at least two slices of bread (HLYAB - ХЛЯБ) per person! By the way, Bulgarians always say "earn your bread" instead of "earn your living" as elsewhere. This is quite a symbol and during official ceremonies to welcome visitors, they greet them with bread and salt.

It is certainly the only food that is immediately identified as Bulgarian. The famous ferment Bacilicus bulgaricus, which lives only in the Balkans, gives these yogurts a very special taste. There are different kinds of natural yogurt(kisselo mliako) and it is a real treat to taste the real yogurt, prepared at home.