Rancagua

Start your day by walking through Sofia's yellow-bricked streets near Saint Nedelya Church, where morning light hits the gold-leaf domes. Later, ride the Simeonovo cable car up Vitosha Mountain to see the city spread across the valley. In Plovdiv, touch the worn stone seats of the Roman Amphitheatre before heading to Kapana's art studios, where local painters work beside open-door galleries. End an afternoon in Veliko Tarnovo by climbing Tsarevets Fortress walls as the Yantra River curves below, then grab a grilled kebapche at Han Hadji Nikoli near the old cobblestone market.

Historic Sites and Architecture Sofia’s Saint Alexander Nevsky Cathedral holds daily services where you can hear Byzantine-style choir chants beneath its 45-meter central dome. The National Archaeological Museum displays Thracian gold artifacts like the 4th-century BC Panagyurishte Treasure in rooms with original 15th-century Ottoman bath tiles. In Plovdiv’s Old Town, the 1847 Kuyumdzhioglu House has uneven wooden floors and hand-painted ceilings you can explore for 10 leva (€5). Don’t miss the 11th-century Boyana Church at the foot of Vitosha Mountain—its frescoes show medieval Bulgarian tsars with vivid green and ochre pigments.

Local Food and Markets Try banitsa pastries filled with cheese or pumpkin at Sofia’s Women’s Market, where vendors sell them warm from metal trays for under 2 leva (€1). In Plovdiv’s Kapana district, family-run mehanas like Pavaj serve clay-pot baked beans with smoked pork and paprika-dusted flatbreads. Veliko Tarnovo’s Samovodska Charshiya Street has copper artisans demonstrating traditional craft techniques next to stalls selling rose jam and walnut baklava. For dinner, order slow-cooked kavarma stew in a covered earthenware pot at Shtastlivetsa, overlooking the Roman Stadium ruins.

Transport and Practical Tips Trams in Sofia run every 8-15 minutes between 5 AM and midnight—buy tickets from kiosks near stops before boarding. From Plovdiv’s Central Station, direct buses leave hourly for Bachkovo Monastery, a 40-minute ride through the Rhodope foothills. Rent bicycles at Veliko Tarnovo’s Tourist Information Center to cycle the 6 km riverside path to Arbanasi village, passing walnut orchards and 17th-century stone houses. Most museums close Mondays; check posted signs for seasonal hours. Carry small bills—many rural gas stations and family guesthouses don’t accept cards.

Day Trips and Nature Hike Vitosha’s Cherni Vrah peak via the Aleko hut trail, a 3-hour ascent through pine forests to 2,290 meters. The Seven Rila Lakes require a 4-hour round-trip walk from the Panichishte chairlift—pack waterproof boots for muddy sections near Lake Kidney. Near Burgas, take the 8:15 AM bus to Sozopol and walk the wooden boardwalks past 1920s fishermen’s cottages to Dyuni Beach’s quiet coves. In September, join grape pickers in Melnik’s vineyards for a day, then taste Shiroka Melnishka wine in cellars dug into the sandstone cliffs.