With an invitation from Erasmus-Ypeer to attend a conference on the role of youth in spreading peace, my visit to Bulgaria was
My trip started from Istanbul, going by bus to Plovdiv, which is about five hours away from Istanbul, and returning from Sofia, the capital, to Istanbul by plane.
Most of my trip was in Plovdiv, which is one of the oldest cities in Eastern Europe
The city contains many World UNESCO Heritages attractions
Bulgaria:
Currency is Bulgarian Lev ($1 = 2 Lev)
Language is Bulgarian (most of them do not speak English)
Visa: it’s required, you can apply for a Bulgaria visa or use Schengen visa if you have it. (You can contact the Bulgarian Consulate in your country to ask about the documents required for submission.
For Iraqis who living in Turkey, you can apply through their office in Istanbul, Ankara or Bursa)
Food is not halal in most restaurants (except Turkish restaurants)
Hotels there are simple, the cleanliness is good.
Public transportation is good, but you need a Google Map to know the roads and transportation
Taxi is not available everywhere, in some spots or after 9:00pm it will be hard to find a taxi
Plovdiv:
Plovdiv is the second largest city in Bulgaria and is often considered its cultural capital for its thriving arts and music scene- in fact, it is the future European Capital of Culture for the year 2019.
It’s one of the oldest cities in Europe, with over 6,000 years of continuous human settlement. Evidence of its long, richly layered past is present throughout the city, from Roman ruins to Ottoman influences to Bulgarian National Revival architecture. Here are our favorite things to do in Plovdiv, from restaurants and cafes to sites to museums to great photo spots!
A city near the Turkish-Bulgarian border, about six hours by bus from Istanbul
(There are buses running to the city every hour from the OTOGAR bus station)
The road is quite easy (I don’t like to travel by bus)
Plovdiv merkez
Plovdiv center
Places to visit:
- Ancient theater of Philippopolis
- Old Town Of Plovdiv
- Ancient Stadium of Philipopolis
- Regional Ethnographic Museum Plovdiv
- Alyosha Monument
- Nebet Tepe
- Tsar Simeon Garden
City Airport:
The airport is domestic, flights to it are available from Sofia, the capital
The city can also be reached from Sofia by the old train (similar to the Orient Express) and also by buses. The journey takes about 3-4 hours
Dzhumaya Mosque
Statue of Milyo the Crazy
Nebet Tepe
Sofia:
Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, the least famous of the European capitals, my visit to it was for one day before my return to Istanbul
Sofia Sightseeing:
- st. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral
- Boyana Church
- st. George Rotunda Church
- Sveta Nedelya Church
- The Palace – National Art Gallery
- Regional History Museum Sofia
- Church of St. Nicholas the Miracle
- National Museum of History
- National Palace of Culture
The Airport:
Sofia airport is international, there are many flight from many cities. My flight was on Turkish airlines directly to Istanbul. it takes about 3 hours to arrive to Istanbul
