Leisure in Bulgaria

Bulgaria is not a country where you can get bored. Whether after office hours or on week-ends, you can enjoy a range of leisure activities in most cities, and even in its rural areas. In fact, Bulgaria hosts a huge cultural heritage, along with splendid landscapes and breathtaking panoramas. You should definitely take the time to go out with your friends or family so as to discover and enjoy these.

Good to know:

The major leisure activities enjoyed by locals and expatriates in Bulgaria are as follows: boat trips, fishing, golf, skiing, spas, gardens and parks, among others.

Beaches

The most beautiful and popular beaches are found in the North and South of the country. Albena, the Sun Coast, Elenite, the Golden Sands, St. Constantine and St. Helena are foreigners' most favorite beaches as swimming is allowed there. In fact, swimming authorizations are displayed in different color codes. Green flags are raised to inform people that swimming is allowed. Whereby swimming is prohibited, red flags are raised.

Amateur fishing

Fishing at sea does not require a permit. However, a permit must be obtained for authorization to fish in Bulgarian lakes and rivers. There are various types of fishing permits, some of which are valid throughout the year while others are valid for six months, one monthly or even a single week. Fishing permits for less than 14 years old children and the disabled are free of charge. More than 60 years old women and more than 65 years old men are eligible to a 50% reduction on the license fees.

The fishing permit can be requested from the National Union of Hunters and Fishermen representative office or an approved fishing equipment store by the same Union on producing your identity card.

Good to know:

The fishing season is open in spring, but it is prohibited to fish between mid-April and mid-June. Some fish species show up in winter particularly.

Golf

The Bulgarian Golf Association aims to promote this sport on a broader scale in the country. Thus, most golf clubs have no restrictions regarding the registration of a new member, except that he must make sure of wearing the appropriate outfit and shoes to play golf. However, each club has its policy of which you have to be aware before registration.

Ski

If you like winter sports, you can visit ski resorts such as Bansko, Borovets and Pamporovo. Bansko, for instance, has seven lifts and nine tows and its ski slopes rise from 1,100 to 2,500 meters. Borovets, for its part, hosts three ski areas among which 60 km of slopes are illuminated at night for the most adventurous. Note that this resort is known to be one of the world biathlon's best skiing resorts.

Finally, Pamporovo, located in the Rhodope Mountains, is at 1,650 meters of altitude. It hosts not only ski slopes but also big hotels, shopping malls, restaurants, cafes, bars and many other leisure activities. It is an ideal spot for family outings.

Other activities

If you are less interested in winter sports, feel free to discover other activities such as hiking trail. But make sure to be accompanied by a guide. In Borovets, for instance, you can reach the Balkans' summit, or even try horseback riding in the mountains. You might as well fly over the region aboard a helicopter.

Parks and gardens

Finally, Bulgaria also hosts many beautiful parks and gardens where you can stroll and enjoy a picnic with your friends or family. Most of these are found in city outskirts. These are ideal in the afternoon both on working days and during the week-end when the weather is mild. However, you are not likely to find many theme parks across the country.

Useful links:

Expat.com ' Bulgaria Leisure Directory
Official Tourism Portal of Bulgaria bulgariatravel.org
National Union of Hunters and Fishermen www.slrb.org
Golf Association of Bulgaria www.golfbg.com