Bulgaria has a rather complex administrative structure. The territory of Bulgaria is divided into 28 regions, each of which administratively includes about a dozen communities. For convenience, Bulgaria is conditionally divided into two large regions: Northern and South-Eastern Bulgaria, South-Western and South-Central Bulgaria.
This division is more of an administrative nature, while visitors and tourists are faced with a different distribution of regions, more related to climate and recreational opportunities. More about them below. The valley of the Danube River in the north is replaced by a chain of Balkan Mountains. To the south are the mountain ranges of Rila, Pirin, Vitosha, Stara Planina and the Rhodopes.
Hilly terrain occupies about a third of the country's territory. The rest of Bulgaria is hills and plains.
The names of Bulgaria's tourist-friendly regions are related to their geographical location:
Black Sea coast of Bulgaria.
This part of Bulgaria is divided by the Stara Planina mountain range and Cape Emine into southern and northern coastal regions. They stretch from the border with Romania in the north to the borders with Turkey and Greece in the south.
This is a 350-kilometer strip of beaches and resorts. Two major Bulgarian cities are located here: Varna in the north and Burgas in the south. The Black Sea coast is known for therapeutic mud complexes in Pomorie, Albena, Balchik, Varna, Shabla and Lake Atanasovsko. Many springs of mineral water are located in Rusalka, Kavarna, Golden Sands, St. Constantine and Helen, Lower Kamchia, Emona, Krapets.
Center of Bulgaria
The central regions of Bulgaria border Romania to the north along the Danube River, and adjoin Greece and Turkey to the south. The Stara Planina Mountains (or Balkan Mountains) divide this region in half. The Stara Planina is the longest and largest mountain range in Bulgaria.
The Balkans gave their name to the entire Balkan Peninsula. In the Balkan Mountains is the legendary mountain Shipka (1334 meters), which offers a magnificent view. Plovdiv, the second largest city in Bulgaria, is located here. In the vicinity of Plovdiv is located the most famous Bulgarian balneological resort Hisar, founded by the Romans.
The city of Gabrovo has gained fame as the Bulgarian capital of humor. In the heart of the country is the old capital of Bulgaria, the city of Veliko Tarnovo, where from 1186 to 1393 was the residence of the Bulgarian kings and the place of their coronation. In this region there are major cities of interest to visitors: Ruse, Stara Zagora, Pleven, Sliven and Shumen.
Northwestern Bulgaria
This region is home to Bulgaria's capital, Sofia, an ancient city whose history dates back to the time of the Roman conquerors. The region is bounded by the Danube River to the north and the Rila Mountains to the south.
North of Sofia are the Balkan Mountains. Three districts are located here: Vidin, Vratsa and Montana. The central cities of these tourist regions of Bulgaria coincide with them by their names. is located on the banks of the Danube River, in the most northwestern corner of Bulgaria.
The city of Montana is located on the Ogosta River near the reservoir of the same name. It is the largest transportation hub in Northwest Bulgaria. The town of Vratsa is located on the banks of the Leva River at the northern foot of the Vratsa Balkan.
Mountainous region of Bulgaria
The Stara Planina (Balkan Mountains) mountain system divides Bulgaria into two parts: the Danube Plain in the north and the Upper Infrakia Lowland in the south. This mountain range becomes a climatic barrier, stopping cold and dry winds from the north and warm, moist air masses from the south.
The Rila-Rodopa mountain range stretches to the southwest, with the country's highest mountains and ridges - the Rila, Pirin and Rhodopes. They are famous for their ski resorts. The quality of some of them is now not inferior to other European ones, and they are cheaper than the latter. There are such famous ski centers as Bansko, Borovets, Pamporovo.
Southwest Bulgaria also has balneological centers offering a wide range of spa services. These are Kyustendil, Sapareva Banya, , Bankya, Blagoevgrad and others.
