Before buying houses in Bulgaria – get to know a little Bulgarian Geography

If you are considering making a move to Bulgaria and finding a Bulgarian property for sale, it is as well to know a little bit about the country first.  It’s always surprising how many people buy houses in Bulgaria without finding out what this wonderful country has to offer. With a wealth of snowy  mountain peaks, crystal clear lakes, lush valleys and golden coasts, there are so many opportunities to explore.

Bulgaria is a small country sandwiched between Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south and the Black Sea laps the shores to the east. The capital of Bulgaria is Sofia which lies to the west of the country close to the Serbian border.

Bulgaria totals 110,994 sq km (roughly the size of Iceland) with approximately 7.5 million inhabitants.

Bulgaria was divided into 28 regions or ‘oblasts’ in 1999. Each region bears the name of its devolved capital and is divided again into municipalities. There are 264 municipalities each with their own administrative centre. For example, the Veliko Tarnovo region has 10 municipalities with a total population of 258,494 residents.

Bulgaria is a country of exciting diversity with mountain ranges, fertile plains, rivers, lakes and miles of coastline to explore.

Sofia – Capital of Bulgaria

Lying at the foot of Vitosha Mountain, Sofia is a bustling city of some 1.7 million people. Founded around 2,500 years ago around its mineral springs, it is today a combination of old orthodox churches, huge communist monoliths and flashy new shops. As a real mixture of old eastern culture and the new western one it is trying to adopt, you will find theatres, museums and galleries right alongside McDonalds, KFC and Starbucks.

Mountain ranges in Bulgaria

Sofia itself sits at the foot of Vitosha Mountain (highest peak Cherni Vrah or Black Peak 2290m) which stands proudly over the city. Because of its proximity to Sofia, the mountain has been made easily accessible and is therefore a popular destination for tourists and Bulgarians alike.

Other mountain ranges include the Balkan or Stara Planina mountains (highest peak Botev 2,376m) which runs for 560km west to east in north central Bulgaria. It is home to the Central Balkan National Park where there are several important nature reserves in which you can find brown bears, wild boar, wolves and deer. Here you will also find the geographical centre of Bulgaria at Uzana, a small resort near the town of Gabrovo, close to the Bulgarka Nature Park. You will also find Veliko Tarnovo, the old capital of Bulgaria nestling in the foothills of the Stara Planina.

The highest mountain range is the Rila Mountains situated in southwest Bulgaria (highest peak Musala at 2,925m) occupied in the main by the Rila National Park where there are many large glacial lakes and hot springs. It is also where the popular ski resort of Borovets is located and the magnificent Rila Monastery.

The Pirin Mountains, again in the southwest of the country (highest peak Vihren 2,914m), is mainly covered in coniferous forest where many large mammals can be found. It is also where the town of Bansko is situated, famous for its International winter sports activities.

The Rhodope Mountains in the southeast (highest peak Golyam Perelik 2,191m) famous for its lakes, caves and gorges is home to the Pamporovo ski resort. This beautiful and untamed area has very few inhabitants and contains over 15 reserves with many species of birds of prey.

The little known Osogovska Planina in the southwest bordering on Macedonia (highest peak Ruen 2251m), is mainly covered by deciduous forests with crystal clear mountain rivers and streams inhabited by chubb, barbel and trout, literally a fisherman’s paradise.

The Bulgarian Plains

The Danubian Plain spreads northwards from Veliko Tarnovo and the foothills of the Stara Planina towards the river Danube and Romania. The landscape is characterised by rolling hills blessed with rich fertile soil and is highly suitable for the production of grain cereals, rapeseed, sunflowers, vegetables and of course grapes. Prominent towns include Suhindol, Dobrich, Rousse and Lom. Yantra Homes have many properties in this area.

The Thracian Plain lies to the south of the Stara Planina and extends southwards towards the Rhodopes and eastwards where it meets the Black Sea. This low lying area experiences a milder climate than many areas in Bulgaria and is mainly cultivated with fruit, vegetables and grapevines. Prominent towns in the area include Yambol, Plovdiv, Burgas and Sliven.

Valley of the Roses

North of the Thracian Plain lies the Valley of the Roses, which, as its name implies cultivates roses – lots of roses, enough in fact to make Bulgaria one of the world’s top producers of the highly valued rose oil. The centre of this production is the town of Kazanlak where each year in May they celebrate the Festival of Roses with singing and dance displays.

The Bulgarian Coastline

Bulgaria has over 300km of coastline along the Black Sea with 130km of safe sandy beaches making these areas very popular as summer holiday destinations for many Europeans. Major cities on the coast include Varna with the resorts of Golden Sands and St Constantine close by. Burgas, with its stunning old port of Nessebar, now a major tourist attraction with many bars and restaurants lining the quaint cobbled streets. Popular summer destinations in the area include Sunny Beach and St. Vlas just a few kilometres away. Both Varna and Burgas have their own airports. Further south are the resorts of Sozopol and Kiten which are well known to Bulgarians but little explored by foreign visitors.

Many people that have houses in Bulgaria, never want to leave the country for their holidays, but if you love to travel, the neighbouring countries of Greece, Turkey and Romania can all be reached by car, coach or train in a few hours.

Veliko Tarnovo property specialists Yantra Homes, guarantee that we will do all we can to ensure you achieve your goals as quickly as possible, and with the minimum inconvenience. You will not be disappointed by our customer service, why not contact us today.