 Bulgaria
is crossed by mountain ranges - The Balkan chain, the
Rhodopes, the Rila range and the Pirin Mountains. The
healthy climate, days guaranteed snow, the spectacular
scenery, the modern winter resorts and reasonable prices
tempt more and more foreign fans of snow winter holidays.
The biggest winter resorts are Pamporovo, Borovets,
Malyovitsa and Bansko. There one can find perfect ski
slopes, either for beginners or professionals. Besides
chair and cable lifts, ski equipment and teachers, the
resorts offer all you need to have an unforgettable holiday
- from five-star hotels with satellite TV, to romantic
huts, small family hotels, and holiday villages with the
more intimate charm of finnish chalets. 
The variable sport facilities for table tennis, bowling,
fitness, body-building, sauna, and swimming will make
your holiday healthy and purposeful. At excellent restaurants
you can enjoy Bulgarian culinary delights, and night life
goes on at attractive bars, clubs, and discotheques.
If you come in summer, you won't regret it. The amazing
variety of the flora and fauna, the virgin forests, the
crystal clear rivers and springs, the picturesque scenic
routes and the mild climate are ideal for walking, climbing,
exploring caves and cycling. Those, who would like to
be close to nature,  can
stay at private guest houses, tourist huts, monasteries
and camping sites. Dobriniste, Semkovo, Chepelare, Momchilovtsi,
Stoikite, Shiroka Luka become more and more popular as
mountain resorts.
Bulgarian village, Folklore
Bulgaria is famed for its unique folklore heritage.
One of the messages of the mankind, transmitted in Space
to alien civilizations, is the Bulgarian folk song "Izlyazal
e Delyo haidutin". It was selected among musical
offers from all over the world and now it sounds in infinity
together with Bethoven's "Ode to joy". No wonder
it is believed that the fantastic scenery of the Rhodopes
is the birthplace of the mythical Orpheus.
Every Bulgarian village keeps and conveys to generations
its rituals, traditions, unique musical and dance folklore
and its folk costumes. the most famous and colourful ritual
festivals are Trifon Zarezan (connected with the traditional
pruning of grapes on 14th February); Koukeri processions
(the first sunday before Lent), commemorating the start
of the agricultural year in spring; Baba Marta (connected
with the coming spring and the exchange of "martenitsi"
- good-luck charms); the colourful barefoot fire dancing
(on 21st May, Sts Constantine and Helena, commemorating
the coming summer) and the Rozhen and Koprivshtitsa folklore
Festivals. If you opt for the so-called "vilage tourism",
you would have the chance to experience the atmosphere
of the authentic village life and to try the national
culinary specialties.
 Summer
Seaside Resorts
Bulgaria is really an amazing country. Just a few hours
drive and you leave back the high mountain scenery. Now
you can walk barefoot the hot, soft sand and swim in the
cool waters of the Black Sea. The hot and dry summer with
average temperatures of 25-28C (air) and 18-25C (water)
and remarkably long coastline (378 km) have made the Black
Sea a preferred destination for summer holidays. Here
too nature's beauty is breathtaking. Deep bays alternate
with romantic rocky cliffs, peaceful dunes, vineyards
and orchards. The mouths of Kamchiya and Ropotamo rivers
are unique nature reserves.
Sunny Beach, Golden Sands, Albena, Elenite, Dyuni, Sts
Constantine and Helena and St Vlas are the biggest and
most famous modern resorts, centered round Varna and Bourgas.
The resorts offer excellent sport facilties for sailing,
driving, wind surfing, water-skiing, as well as for tennis,
bowling, riding, volleyball and fitness. You can stay
at a five-star hotel, private holiday house, camping or
holiday village. You can enjoy the widest possible choice
of excellent restaurants, serving exquisite seafood delights,
bars, casinos, clubs and cafes.
 If
you search for the intimate charm of secluded beaches,
the unspoiled atmosphere of traditional fishing villages,
go to south. The cobblestone streets and timbered houses
in Nessebar and Sozopol are very romantic. Here, in addition
to hotels and holiday vilages, well run and cozy private
accommodation are expecting you.
Balneotherapy complexes
Bulgaria has over 600 natural hot springs (with temperatures
of between 10C and 102C), whose healing power and wholesome
effects were appreciated by the Romans.
 At
the seaside resorts Sts Constantine and Helena, Golden
Sands, Albena, Bourgas, and Pomorie, you can make your
choice of a health programme and therapy - thermal water
and mud-bath treatments, fitness, beauty or dietary programmes.
The centres are equipped with ALBENA
swimming pools, saunas, sport facilities, jacuzzis, solariums.
Different specialists and masseurs are at your disposal.
Thus you can combine traditional bathing summer holiday
with a healing programme. The resorts have attractive
offers for the winter too. The winter resort of Borovets
also has a Balneotherapy centre. Some of the traditional
inland resorts with fully-equipped health centres include
Sandanski, Hissarja, Kjustendil and Velingrad. Balneotherapy,
phyto- and electrotherapy are applied here. Bulgaria has
attractive routes for the lovers of hunting and fishing.
At the numerous architectural reserves and monastery complexes
you could retire to feel the authentic atmosphere of the
Bulgarian Revival period house, to get acquainted with
the traditional Bulgarian crafts, to experience the charm
of the Orthodox temples.
For infomation:
Bulgarian association of Tourist agencies - BATA
1000 Sofia
Tzavigradsko shausse, BIC-120T
FL. 6, off. 614
Tel/Fax: (+359-2)-774503, 98554201
Email: bata@interrinet.bg
For more information:
http://www.mi.government.bg/eng/tur/orgs.html
http://www.mi.government.bg/eng/tur/centr.html
Organisation Structures in Tourism
Ministry of Economy
According to the Tourism Act, the Ministry of Economy
has the engagement to implement the state policy in the
field of tourism and to co-ordinate the activities of
the ministries and other institutions towards its implementation.
The major priorities of its activities are the inter-state
relations in the field of tourism, the regulatory provision
for the tourists activities, national marketing and advertising,
assisting the activities of the regional, local and branch
tourist organisations, IT procurement, marketing research,
analyses and forecasts for the tourist market, development
of the tourist product and training the staff employed
in tourism.
National Tourist Board
It functions as a consultative body with the Minister
of the Economy. It aims at assisting in the implementation
of a national policy in tourism. The members of the National
Board are representatives of the tourism-related ministries
and institutions, local, regional and branch tourist organisations
and the Bulgarian airline companies.
State administration bodies ? Ministry of Economy,
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Interior, Ministry
of the Environment and Water, Ministry of Culture, Ministry
of Agriculture and Forests, Ministry of Education and
Science, Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works,
Ministry of Transport and Communications, Ministry of
Finance;
National Association of Municipalities in the Republic
of Bulgaria;
Bulgarian Air-Line Companies - the Balkan Air-Line
Company;
Branch Tourist Organisations ? Bulgarian Association
of Tourist Agencies, Bulgarian Hotel and Restaurant Association,
Bulgarian Tourist Chamber;
Bulgarian Association of Tourist Agencies /BATA/
BATA was established in 1992. Members in it are over 200
companies of proven professional experience in tour-operation
activities, tourist agency and other activities relating
directly or indirectly to tourism. A non-profit association,
which represents, assists, and protects the interests
of its members. It takes part in the work of international
tourist organisations, co-ordinates and encourages the
participation by its members in national and international
events. BATA is a member of UFTAA - the World Federation
of the Associations of Tourist Agents, of the Russian
RATA, of the American ASTA, of the Portuguese APAVT, of
the Japanese JATA, of the Black Sea Tourism Co-operation
(BSTC). It is the co-ordinator for the issuing IATA -
UFTAA cards for agent discount. It has a registered economic
structure of its own - "Bata Service" - as licensed
tour-operator and tourist agent, which assists the BATA
members in organising various events, services, staff
training, etc.
Tel.: (++359-2) 981 45 80
Bulgarian Tourist Chamber (BTC)
A non-profit Association established in 1990. The Chamber
has commissions set up for consultations in hoteliership,
restaurateurship, staff training, and economic problems
of tourist companies. Presently it has about 800 members
- individuals and legal entities. It has regional structures
in towns of Varna, Bourgas, Plovdiv, Pleven, and Veliko
Turnovo. A member of the Bulgarian Industrial Association.
Tel.: (++359-2) 987 40 49
Bulgariam Hotel and Restaurant Association
A non-profit Association, which organises, co-ordinates,
and encourages the development of private hoteliership
and restaurateurship in this country. It works out programmes
on developing the activities of its members and popularises
their achievements and capacities in Bulgaria and abroad.
It monitors the observing of professional ethics, the
principles of loyal competition between its members, and
assists for raising their qualifications.
Tel.: (++359-2) 989 05 38
Bulgarian Association for Alternative Tourism (BAAT)
A non-profit Association, which assists the development
of alternative types of tourism - rural, agrarian, eco-,
and mountain tourism; ornithology, religious, etc. It
co-ordinates the interests and the actions in the forming
and implementing the tourist product of the respective
alternative types of tourism.
Tel.: (++359-2) 989 05 38
Bulgarian Association for Rural and Ecological Tourism(BARET)
A non-profit Association, whose tasks relate to the promotion
of rural and ecological tourism, developing the tourist
supply in towns and regions of preserved natural-and-ecological
fund, etc. The Association has developed the "Bulgarian
eco-paths" national programme.
Tel.: (++359-2) 971 34 85
Regional Tourist Organisations ? Pirin Tourism
Forum, Bourgas Regional Tourist Association, 'Stara Planina'
Association, Varna Tourist Chamber;
Local Tourist Organisations ? Tourism Board - Smolyan,
Tourism Board - Veliko Turnovo, Tourism Board - Kazanlak,
Tourism Board - Plovdiv;
Commission on Trade and Consumer Protection
The Commission has the functions of a controlling body
under the Tourism Act. It is a subdivision of the Ministry
of Economy; it has regional structures and monitors the
observation of regulations in the field of tourism.
Local and Regional Tourist Organisations
These are non-profit organisations uniting companies and
organisations of the respective levels interested in the
development of tourism. Their activities are focused on
marketing and advertising, IT servicing of tourists (through
tourist information centres), development and implementation
of programmes on the development of tourism, monitoring
of demand and supply, development of tourist products
and training in tourism. As of January 2000 this country
had 53 local and 4 regional organisations functioning,
which maintain 24 tourist information centres.
Municipal Administrations
The Tourism Act envisages that municipal administrations
have the status of the basic institutions for the development
of tourism on a local level. This takes place through
the programmes on the sector's development, assisting
the local marketing, IT servicing of tourists, categorisation
of tourist sites as stipulated by the Tourist Act, as
well as exercising control over their activities.
The Official Web Page of Bulgarian Tourism is Supported
by the National Information and Advertising Centre
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