Time to Unwind in Bulgaria | We Made a Big Mistake!

Since we started our second backpacking adventure with a stopover in Bulgaria a week ago, we think it’s time to share our first experience in Bulgaria last year. 

Bulgaria was the 7th country visiting after two full months of non-stop travelling. 

We were constantly on the road packing, going to new destinations on long-hour bus rides, unpacking again, exploring each corner of every country, sleeping in hostels, parks, and bus stations, washing clothes with our hands, and so on.

Although we had the time of our lives, we needed a break from this rush. Yes, travelling long-term can become tiring at some point, and taking a break from time to time is essential.

What Did We Do? 

Bulgaria was the country where we took some time off to unwind. But did we take a break for a whole week? We still managed to do something crazy! Let’s talk about our biggest mistake later on!

Sofia 

Sofia is a city full of history and culture and surrounded by nature. Parks, which are more like forests, are found everywhere. Being the capital city of Bulgaria, prices in Sofia can sometimes be a little higher compared to other parts of the country. However, it’s still incredibly cheap and affordable.

We stayed in a comfortable apartment where we could wash all our clothes, cook proper meals, and rest well. Nevertheless, no, we didn’t stay in for a whole week! We still made sure to see as much as possible in this magnificent country.

Most Alluring Attractions in Sofia 

Sofia Ancient Ruins 

Sofia Ancient Ruins is worth visiting. A site where you can find loads of information about the ancient city of Serdika, buried under the modern Sofia. Most of the ruins are from the Roman era. 

Banya Bashi Masjid Mosque 

Banya Bashi Masjid is the only functioning mosque in Sofia. One can also notice it from the Ancient Ruins. 

Sofia History Museum 

With nearly 700,000 exhibits, this museum is the biggest in Bulgaria and one of the largest on the Balkan Peninsula.

Graffiti 

You can find a lot of street art in Sofia. Some of them are easily accessible on foot. If you’re interested in seeing them all, there are various graffiti tours which you can choose from. 

St. George Rotunda 

This church is a Late Antique red-brick domed rotunda built in the early 4th century. The oldest surviving building in Sofia is part of a larger archaeological complex.

The Parliament of Bulgaria 

The Parliament of Bulgaria is a lovely building in downtown Sofia. It’s pretty impressive and a fantastic inclusion in a city sightseeing tour.

Boyana 

Boyana is a neighbourhood of Sofia, part of Vitosha municipality, on the outskirts of Vitosha. We spent a day hiking in the forests, which was quite intense but very relaxing. Surrounded by giant trees, squirrels and a natural landscape of the Boyana waterfall, we felt so calm and peaceful.

Rila Mountains vs Our Biggest Mistake 

After spending some amazing time in Boyana, we wanted to keep breathing pure air rather than staying in the city, so we planned a day of road-tripping to the Rila mountains. 

The Rila is Bulgaria’s most elevated mountain range, having the highest peak at Musala at 2925m above sea level. We were so excited to see the seven Rila Lakes. Well… we failed! Nothing went as planned, or we better say, as we imagined!

We rented an electric car from Spark Company, which wasn’t the best decision! We fully charged the car as told before starting en route to the Rila mountains.x

What Happened? 

Everything ran smoothly until we reached halfway through the mountains, where we noticed we were almost out of power! It was weird running out of charge after only a few hours of driving, so we called the company to ask for help as we were in the middle of the mountains, and there were no charging spots nearby.

After a few minutes of explaining our location, the person behind the call couldn’t believe we drove the car to the Rila. He explained that automatically, the car loses charge faster as you go uphill, especially in the mountains, and these cars are ideal to be driven around the city. Let’s face it… it’s a city car, after all!

He was accommodating and immediately gave us the coordinates of the closest charging spot, but we didn’t charge it right away, as we decided to leave the car parked and hike the mountains first.

Yeah right! After walking and walking to the summit, the weather started getting colder, and we noticed we had pretty long hours to arrive. Unfortunately, we didn’t make it, as we decided to head back.

Although we didn’t manage to see the seven Rila Lakes and all the other attractions up there, we still enjoyed most of our time along the way, seeing all the magnificence of nature.

And like we always say, everything happens for a reason, so we took this as an excuse to visit Bulgaria once again one day! However, not just a stopover as we did a week ago, but for a longer time =)

TIP: If you rent a car in Bulgaria, we suggest checking all options through Discover Cars. Don’t choose a city car as we did if you plan on driving through the mountains. =)

Where to stay in Bulgaria 

Without a doubt, we highly recommend the apartment we stayed at to anyone who’s staying in Sofia. 

For all other options with the best rates, check your availability for your next booking in the search box below. It’s so fast and easy. Just insert your dates and choose your favourite accommodation.

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