It’s no secret that we’re madly in love with Bulgaria. Even though we’ve only lived here for a few years, there are just so many reasons to love being in this beautiful country. Here are some of our favorite inspirational Bulgaria quotes with images of some of our favorite places here. The quotes are about history, travel, adventure, beauty, and love–all the emotions that this mysterious country inspires in us every day.
Our Favorite Quotes about Bulgaria
In no particular order…
I grew up in Bulgaria in a small city on the Black Sea Coast, so I was very interested in the sea, marine life, and everything related to it. But it was also a very dark place at night, so I could see the stars. And I just got very interested in it.
Dimitar Sasselov
In fact, all our land in this way is stacked, twisted, cracked, as the entire Balkan Peninsula is twisted and shaggy. I think that this twist and shyness make our land picturesque. In our country, we are stepping, prairies, savannas, deserts, and everything is in a wonderful mess, where nature has played as a young child and has scattered all its toys around us.
Bulgaria is a fascinating, beautiful, difficult country, and I fell in love with it.
Bulgaria has many secrets, many layers. The people do not give out information so easy. To understand Bulgaria, you have to live here a long time, be intimate with people, live like a Bulgarian, and speak our language. Even then I do not know how close you can be to real truth. All you see is what is left of us.
I never wanted to write about Bulgaria. When I was still living there I did my absolute best to never write a story with a Bulgarian character with a Bulgarian name, and only after I came to the US and I was far away and missing it a great deal did I realize that writing about it could be my way of returning back home. I think it was only through my writing that I fell in love with the country and with the history.
Miroslav Penkov
Bulgaria, I reflected as I walked back to the hotel, is not a country; it’s a near-death experience.
If you often travel in remote villages and towns (whether in Bulgaria or abroad), it’s not possible for you to have strangers invite you to coffee after 3 minutes of conversation. The automatic response of the urban man is to refuse. The automatic reaction of the true traveler is to accept.
He drew maps of Bulgaria in the dust, enormous as it had been more than five centuries ago before the Turks had taken over our land…One day, siné, all these continents will be Bulgarian again. And maybe the seas.
Bulgaria is fascinating. Because it had been a Communist country until the mid-80s, so it had just recently transitioned. And there were still the police towers on the street corners, where they look down – they were still there, although no one was in them.
(Okay, that last one is by me, but it’s true!)
Bulgaria Travel Resources
Headed to Bulgaria? We want you to have the best trip to Bulgaria possible. To help you, we’ve created a number of resources that will be helpful.
If this will be your first time in Bulgaria, check out our Bulgaria Trip Planning guide.
For transportation, check out our guide to avoiding taxi scams in the city. If you’ll be flying into Sofia, you can read our tips for flying in and out of the Sofia Airport.
Next, check out our gigantic list of 101 Things to Do in Sofia. We also have Sofia restaurant and bar recommendations. We also have articles for popular day trips from Sofia like Plovdiv and Buzludzha.
If you’re headed to the Black Sea, check out our guide to Bulgarian all-inclusive resorts and the best Bulgarian beaches.
We publish new content almost daily! For more resources for your trip (and to make sure you don’t miss anything new), bookmark our pages on traveling in Bulgaria and the Balkans.
Where to Stay in Sofia
Accommodations in Sofia offer great value compared to other cities in Europe. Here is a general range of what we mean by each budget category:
- Budget: A room in a hostel, usually $5-12 USD per night for a dorm bed or under $40 for a double.
- Mid-range: Around $40-80
- Luxury: Around $100 per night or more
Budget: For a hostel, we always recommend Hostel Mostel. I have never stayed at the Sofia location but several of my friends have and have always spoken highly of it. I stayed at the one in Veliko Tarnovo and it was excellent. Perks include a free vegetarian dinner in addition to breakfast included in your stay! Check rates and availability here. If you are traveling in peak season, be sure to book online, as Hostel Mostel is popular and tends to get booked up.
Mid-range: For a trendy new boutique hotel that is shockingly affordable, we recommend R34 Boutique Hotel. The location is fantastic, near the Ivan Vazov National Theater in central Sofia. It has gorgeous, loft-inspired details like exposed brick, giant windows, and streamlined but modern décor. It’s a great bargain, too – check rates, reviews, photos, and availability here.
Luxury: As far as we see it, there’s only one option for the best hotel in town: Sense Hotel. We go to their upscale, beautiful rooftop bar all the time when we have guests in town – it has one of the best views in the entire city and they make fantastic cocktails. With beautiful views over Alexander Nevsky, Sofia’s most iconic landmark, the hotel couldn’t be in a better location. Sense Hotel also boasts a state-of-the-art fitness center, an art gallery in the lobby, an excellent spa with luxe treatments, and an indoor pool. It’s truly the best choice in town. Check rates, reviews, photos, and availability here.
Looking for more hotel options in Sofia? Check out our full Sofia Hotel and Hostel Guide.
Planning a Trip to Bulgaria? Don’t Forget Travel Insurance!
Make sure you always travel to Bulgaria with a valid travel insurance policy. Travel here includes outdoor activities and travel to highly touristed sites. You need to be covered in case you have an accident or fall victim to theft. This is especially true if you’ll be doing any urban exploration looking for street art. Should something happen, travel insurance will help you recover your expenses and continue to enjoy your trip.
For travel insurance, I use World Nomads. I’ve been a happy customer of theirs for almost three years, and I’ve never had an issue when making a claim. I’m happy to refer them to anyone I meet.
Pin these Bulgaria Quotes for Your Trip
Stephanie has been living in and traveling around the Balkans for the past three years. She’s written for National Geographic Online, appeared on CNN Arabic and in the New York Times, and ridden more Balkan buses than is good for a person.
