BULGARIA

Bulgaria is located in the heart of the Balkans and offers it's visitors diverse scenery, interesting history and excellent value for money. A good time to visit Bulgaria is April to mid-June, as the weather is generally pleasant with many cultural festivals taking place. The Black Sea coast can get very popular which leads to hotel space becoming hard to come by. However if you are going for the excellent ski-in the season runs through mid-December to April.

Bulgaria has a generally good climate with summer temperatures inland normally reaching the mid-80's and coastal regions slightly higher. The Black Sea Coast region peaks during the months of July & August but is generally dry throughout the year. In the winter month’s temperatures generally still do not fall below freezing and the months of January through to March are considered to be the best for skiing.

Worldmark's range of services include:-

Due to our extensive overseas network we are able to offer any client a full range of services. These can be purchased individually or as part of a package.

* Discounted fares with British Airways.
* Discounted hotels.
* Private car transfers.
* Sightseeing & Guided Tours
* Theatre Tickets
* Rail & Air tickets
* Chauffeur & Car Hire

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Sofia

Sofia has a lengthy history, which dates back to the 7th century BC. Serdica as it was known then has been considered home by many marauding armies such as the Romans, the Byzantines, the Huns, the Slav's, and finally the Turks. The city dropped into a decline during the feudal unrest of the 1800's until when in 1879 the city was again re-throned as the capital city of the Third Bulgarian Empire. Some Sofia's past glories can still exist today with the castle gates & towers of Serdica, some public buildings and twisting streets still being seen to this day, but a large pat of the building has now been buried under it's modern counterparts.

As with most Eastern European city's Sofia under went severe rebuilding programme after WWII with many of it's old & historical building's being refurbished. To the East of the city the skyline is dominated by the beautiful ALEXANDER NEVSKI CHURCH and WAR MEMORIAL, the 14th century CHURCH OF ST.PETKA and the fashionable VITOSHA BOULEVARD with it's shops, bars & restaurants is also worth a visit.

Sofia is also home to many beautifully restored churches and interesting museums such as the NATIONAL HISTORY MUSEUM, the ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM and the NATIONAL NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM to name but a few

The city offers an excellent base from which to explore and sample the real Bulgaria.

We can offer discounted rates at the following hotels:-

Zografski Sofia Hotel, Radisson SAS Hotel, Sofia Princess Hotel, Hilton Hotel and Sheraton Sofia Hotel.

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Other destination suggestions:-

Mount Vitosha

Within a short car drive from Sofia sits this popular ski resort.

Rila Mountains

Can be found south of Sofia and a selection of guided tours are available locally. The ancient Rila Monastery can be found tucked away in a narrow valley and is one of the most popular attractions in the country. It has been lovingly restored to its former glory with all of its 1200 frescoes and glided iconostasis as they once were. The area also offers some excellent hiking & trekking options to many interesting archilogogcal sites and in the winter months some excellent skiing in Borovets.

Veliko Tarnovo

Now a bustling university town with many bars and restaurants. But it's history dates back to the Second Bulgarian Empire of 1185. It is a picturesque city with the Yantra River cutting the city in 2.The city is packed with interesting sites such as the Tsaravets Citadel, the Royal Palace and the Church of the Blessed Saviour.

Plodiv

Is the 2nd largest town in Bulgaria and has a wealth of historical archeologically to be explored and visitors can find remains of Thracian, Greek and Roman civilizations. This was typified with the discovery of a 3,000-seater marble amphitheatre, which is still in use today with many classical events. The "old town" district is a maze of beautifully decorated churches, pretty houses sitting along cobbled streets.

Varna

Located on the Black Sea coast and at the end of Varna Bay. It is a melting pot of ancient,medieval, renaissance and modern styles.It is considered to be an all year round destination with offers 10-11 hours of sunshine in the summer months. Varna offers travellers sun,sea and hisorty.

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UNESCO Hertage

The Bulgarian Contribution to World Hertage

For several decades now, under UNESCO aegis, attempts have been made to preserve the planet's most valuable cultural and natural heritage.The UNESCO List of World Heritage now features over 300 landmarks.Bulgaria are very proud to have Nine wonders included on this list.

There are seven cultural and two natural sites are included among them:
Rila Monastery
Nessebur
the Kazanluk Tomb
the Sveshtari Tomb
the Madara Horseman
Boyana Church
the Ivanovo Rock Monasteries
Pirin National Park
Sreburna Lake.

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The Bulgarian Ski Scene

The thought of excellent snow conditions, a cheap standard of living and reasonable hotel rates appeals to you, and then Bulgaria is where it is at. The Bulgarian ski scene has grown year after year for the last decade and it shows no sign of stopping. There are 3 major ski resorts in the country, with Borovets being the largest. Pamporovo in the Rodopi Mountains and Bansko being the least known.

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Travel Warning / Information

Crime levels are roughly comparable to the UK. Organised criminal groups are active in casinos, nightclubs, prostitution and elsewhere. Much local violent crime is the result of turf battles between criminal groups.

You should beware of groups of young pickpockets (often children) in city centres, especially busy shopping areas and underpasses. Thieves and pickpockets also target holidaymakers at Black Sea coastal resorts. You should leave passports and other valuables in a hotel safe or other secure place. (You are strongly advised, however, to carry a copy of the information pages of your passport as proof of identity).

Car theft is commonplace. Thieves target prestige and four-wheel drive models, but any unattended vehicle is at risk. If possible, you should use alarms and other visible security measures.

Due to heavy rain over the last month in parts of Bulgaria, road & rail travel has been disrupted in some areas. Particularly in the Pazardzhik, Velingrad and Smolyan regions of the Rhodope Mountains and in some outlying areas of the Sofia regionb. The situation is gradually returning to normal but further heavy rains are forecast for September.

We strongly recommend that you obtain comprehensive travel and medical insurance before travelling.

This information is correct and current as of 10/5/04 and was provided by the FCO Update service.

Health Information

We recommend that all travellers check with their GP prior to departure or refer to the the Department of Health’s website.

UK Citzens do not require a visa for travel to Bulgaria.

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Worldmark Travel
The Arena
24 Southwark Bridge Road
London SE1 9HF

Tel 020 7 922 0670 Fax 020 7 401 2545
E-mail Worldmark.uk@hrgworldwide.com

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