It was only a few years until Bulgaria caught up and became a major holiday destination. In fact, the country has always been a major tourist destination.Most of the tourists used to arrive from the former communist bloc countries. Much has changed – there are now millions of international travellers pouring into Bulgaria’s beach and ski destinations annually. Many are enjoying a village holiday in Bulgaria.

About sixty percent of Bulgaria’s territory is covered with mountains ranges separated by long valleys, dotted with hundreds of small towns and village. Many of these towns and villages have made a major push to become attractive tourist destinations and many of them have been successful. Actually, this is the preferred type of travel for most Bulgarians. This has become known as village tourism, although the destinations are not always in villages. Increasingly, foreign tourists are discovering the appeals of this type of a holiday.

A typical village tourism (селски туризъм in Bulgarian) outing is over the weekend but it could also last a week or longer. The destination is typically a village or close to a small town where holiday seekers can enjoy natural beauty. This could be next to a mountain or a lake as is the case with the Central Balkan area. There might be some cultural attractions nearby such as monasteries or a town with a renovated historic center such as Lovetch, Veliko Turnovo or Plovdiv. So, the appeal of village tourism is that it puts one squarely into nature but, by virtue of Bulgaria being a relatively small country with short distances, one is also very close to various attractions. Sometimes, it is the village part that is the main attraction. Many Bulgarian villages presents sights long forgotten in the West such as a old woman walking around with a few goats, donkey carts, and old time village pubs.

Another appeal, and that’s very relevant to many Bulgarians who live on a budget, is that village tourism is relatively inexpensive. Out of the main cities, the industry offers hundreds of private rental villas as well as B&B’s run by their owners. They have 3 to 4 rooms and a small restaurant, essentially a B&B. Staying in the guest houses or renting a villa cost a fraction of what it cost to book a hotel room or a private apartment in one of the main resort. 

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