 Bulgaria is located in Eastern Europe and is bordered by the River Danube and Romania to the north, by Turkey and Greece to the south, by the Black Sea to the east and by Serbia and Montenegro and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to the west. The country is traversed by the Balkan Mountains, which extend to the shores of the Black Sea and its golden beaches.
Despite a tumultuous history, Bulgaria is the oldest existing state in Europe to have held on to its original name (since 681 AD) and the majority of the population can trace their ancestors to the Bulgar incursion of the south Danube around that period.
Communist rule ended in 1990, when Bulgaria held its first multi-party election since WWII and began the bumpy process of bringing the country in line with European political values and introducing a market economy. Bulgaria joined the European Union on 1 January 2007.
 EU membership is sure to fuel Bulgaria’s quest to become a major tourist destination, up to par with its Greek and Turkish neighbours to the south. The popular Black Sea resorts are scenically appealing with their fine sandy beaches, sunny climate and safe seas, providing a woefully inexpensive holiday destination. Bulgaria is also emerging as a new bargain winter sport destination.
Bulgaria can offer an extensive range of accommodation, from luxury five-star to modest two-star hotels, small cosy hotels and private rooms, with facilities catching up to modern standards.
 A good selection of international chain hotels has established itself in the major cities, with hotels including Best Western and Novotel. Other main hotels are housed in stately buildings from the communist era, with varying degrees of renovation and service mindedness. Outside of the main cities, accommodation can be found in small villas with private rooms, particularly near the coast, but also in small towns and villages inland.
No matter where you decide to stay and how to spend your time, you are sure to be impressed with the beauty of the natural surroundings. From the awe-inspiring Balkan Mountains to the coastline on the Black Sea, the scenery and recreation opportunities should be taken advantage of.
Weather
 Unless you visit for skiing, summer is the most comfortable time in Bulgaria, with low humidity and temperatures averaging 24°C. Winter temperatures average around 0°C.
Bulgaria is located in the temperate climatic zone. The country can be divided into two climatic regions, with the Stara Planina Mountain rising up between them. Northern Bulgarian winters can be harsh, while the southern part of the country is much milder.
Winter temperatures range between 0°C and -7°C. Temperatures can plunge to below -20°C on exceptional occasions. The climate in spring is typically continental and variable. It is especially favourable for the cultivation of fruit trees, for which Bulgaria has been well-known in Europe for centuries. Summers are hot and scorching in northern Bulgaria, particularly along the Danube River.
Mediterranean air currents dominate the climate in southern Bulgaria. Summer temperatures do not soar to the extremes seen in Dobroudzha and along the Danube River and are generally moderate, with an average of about 29°C. The towns of Rousse and Silistra usually see the highest recordings, at times reaching over 35°C. Autumn is a mild and pleasant season in Bulgaria. The colourful forests in autumn further add to the scenic landscape. Rain is generally more frequent than in spring, with May, October and November being the rainiest months.
History
 The main influences on the history of Bulgaria have been its location between Asia and Europe and its proximity to powerful nations as well as the strong national territorial ambitions of different Bulgarian states. The aforementioned nations vied for territory and influence at the crossroads of important trade routes and military positions affording strategic advantages. Greek and Roman conquerors, preceding the Christians, greatly influenced the region and the local culture of the people who lived here. In the 7th century, the Bulgar tribes arrived from west of the Urals and went on to occupy the region non-stop for 13 centuries. Eventually, Bulgarian culture fused with that of the Slavs, who outnumbered Bulgarians and had preceded them by one century. In the 9th century, Bulgarians converted to Christianity and adopted a Slavic language, consolidating a distinct Slavic culture that later went through times of expansionist liberty and subordination to external political systems.
 From the 9th until the 14th century, Bulgaria was a dominant player in the Balkans due to its aggressive military practices and strong sense of national identity. Its main rival was the neighbouring Byzantine Empire, which competed with two Bulgarian empires for regional power and thus greatly influenced national politics. Constantinople fell to Ottoman Turks in 1453, marking the decline of the Byzantine and the Bulgarian political systems. Subsequently, Bulgarian cultural and political institutions were suppressed by the Turks for the next four centuries.
However, by the 18th century a Bulgarian cultural revival was made possible by flagging Ottoman rule. In the next century, an independence movement formed, spurred on by Western political ideas, which increasingly combined with the renewed Bulgarian national consciousness. But internal disagreement over the aims and methods to use and the growing weakness of the Ottoman establishment in Europe as well as the differing positions of the main European powers concerning Bulgaria caused difficulties for the movement. Russia drove out the Turks in 1877 and gained merit as Bulgaria’s guardian, but France and Britain limited Russian influence in the Balkans by forcing the establishment of a limited independent Bulgarian state under Turkish rule. The Treaty of Berlin was the mechanism for that limitation and revived enduring Bulgarian territorial disappointments by putting the crucial regions of Macedonia and Thrace past Bulgarian control. Both these disputed regions were home to considerable Bulgarian populations. Over the next 60 years Bulgaria would fight four wars in a range of alliances to rectify this grievance, but all in vain. No significant new territory was added to Bulgaria as a result of these wars.
 Many wars and much internal political mayhem followed from 1912 to 1944. Serbia and Greece had become the major territorial rivals by 1900, but Bulgaria did not gain much advantage over them with a WWI alliance with Germany. Following the war, the government of Aleksandur Stamboliiski, which promoted agrarian reform, failed to unite the country. The chain of unstable factions and types of government that succeeded Stamboliiski was only interrupted by Bulgaria’s involvement as an Axis ally in WWII. Soviet occupation followed in WWII, bringing the end of the monarchy and 41 years of continuous communist rule. Communism collapsed in 1989 with the fall of the Berlin Wall and Bulgaria joined the European Union on 1 January 2007.
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