KEY FACTS

Bulgaria and the Rousse Region

Bulgaria is located in south-eastern Europe, in the heart of the Balkans. It is bordered by Romania across the River Danube to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, and 350 km of coastline on the Black Sea to the west. Bulgaria is a land of contrasts, with a highly diverse landscape: the north is dominated by the vast lowlands of the Danube and the south by the highlands and elevated plains. The country is steeped in history, and proudly boasts no less than eight UNESCO World National Cultural and Heritage sites.

With a population of just under 8 million people, mostly centred on nine key cities, nearly 1.5 million live in and around the capital, Sofia. Rousse region is situated in the north-eastern part of Bulgaria and is one of the medium sized regions in the country, covering 2,803 square miles, and a population of 267,621 (2001 figures). The northern boundary of Rousse region is the River Danube, which is also the country boundary between the Republic of Bulgaria and the Republic of Romania. The City of Rousse is the capital of the Region. The capital city of Romania, Bucharest, is approximately 45 miles away, and within easy reach by car or train. Rousse is well connected to the rest of Bulgaria by road and rail – with easy access from Sofia, Pleven, Veliko Turnovo, and Varna, and from Bucharest in Romania.

Rousse is the most “European” city in Bulgaria, and has often been referred to as “Little Austria” because of its architecture, however, there is still much visible evidence of its Communist past in many building and monuments. The city boats a wide variety of restaurants (many with English menus and English speaking staff), café bars, nightclubs, large shops etc, and has a bustling daily market where all manner of goods can be found. Crime is very low, it’s simply not tolerated here. There is very little graffiti, and no rubbish strewn streets. The local people are very friendly people: they actually like the English and want us to be there.

Above: Rousse City Centre

 
Above: some of the sites from Rousse (first half) and nearby Shumen (second half)

All you could possibly want is here: excellent food, fine wines and very, very cheap prices. From our own experience: 8 of us went to the very best restaurant in Rousse, the spectacular “Leventa” built underneath the colossal TV tower (the tallest in the Balkans, incidentally). We all had a starter (including the mouth-watering speciality of goose liver), main meals were a mix of chicken, lamb, steak and fish with ample vegetables and potatoes, and a variety of deserts to finish. All of this was accompanied by Cabernet Sauvignon and soft drinks, and finished off with coffee. The total bill was under £10.00 per head. Just try doing that in England: and the Bulgarian people don’t tolerate small helpings!

There are a number of ways of reaching Bulgaria from the UK. Depending upon when you wish to travel and how far ahead you are booking, the prices can vary significantly. We have tried a number of different routes, and it's worth shopping around for the best fare. We have flown from Luton to Sofia with Wizz Air, from Heathrow to Sofia with British Airways, and Gatwick to Sofia with Air Bulgaria, the national carrier.  There are a number of other options, including indirect flights offered by Lufthansa and KLM, amongst others, and summer-only flights from the UK to Varna. The flight time is approximately 3 hours. 

All of these flights arrive in Sofia, which is approximately 300km south west of Rousse. One option to be considered from 2008 is a new international airport which is being opened south of Bucharest in Romania: this will take direct flights from the UK, and is only 60km from Rousse. Once operational, this will probably be the easiest means of reaching Rousse. Our village, some 10 miles south east of Rousse, also houses the (currently closed) Rousse Airport – which is being redeveloped and should become operational in 2008/09. Whilst it has a long runway capable of handling Boeing 747 jumbo jets, it is likely that it will be used for internal or charter flights only. It is hoped that this may offer a short internal flight from Sofia, for those that fly to Bulgaria’s Capital.

Above: Entrance to Rousse Airport

Car Hire

Depending upon where you start your journey in Bulgaria, there are a many different car hire companies. Assuming that most travellers start in Sofia, then the well known names of Budget, Hertz, Alamo and Easycar.com will all be able to assist, and provide a new/nearly new car for anywhere between £150 and £400 per week (dependent upon car type and season, obviously). However, there are a number of cheaper options that we have opted for on previous occasions. In October 2006, we rented an Opel Astra Estate (1.6 Automatic) for 100 Euros (all inclusive) with 100 Euros deposit from a company called Sikon Group Ltd (see www.sikongroup.com for details).  OK, so the car was not that new and had a high mileage, but we blended in with the local traffic and everything was absolutely fine.

Driving in Bulgaria

To drive in Bulgaria you can use your national license preferably accompanied by an international one. Road signs follow international standards. On-the-spot fines are in operation for speeding, drink driving, not having the correct documents, etc. If you leave your passport with a hotel reception ask for a copy (or the original) if intending to drive a rental car.

The use of seat belts is mandatory in Bulgaria. Child car seats are required by law, but only on the back seats. Speed limits are 50 kph in the cities/towns, 90 kph out of town and 120 kph on the few motorways. The same speed limits apply for motorcycles; motorcyclists must drive with helmets and with lights on at all times. At crossings that are not regulated, the driver who is on the right has the right-of-way, but this rule is frequently ignored.

Drive on the right, overtake on the left, cross only when the traffic light is green, give right of way to vehicles approaching from the right at crossroads and to buses in urban areas.  It might also be useful to know that if someone flashes their lights at you it means that they expect you to get out of the way and not that they are going to let you go first. It  is also the all-Bulgarian warning: Police ahead!

Please bear in mind that horse-drawn carts, motorcycles and scooters can sometimes be found on major roads driving at night without lights. Please be very alert, especially when driving at night.

In case of emergency, drivers should contact the police at telephone number 166 and/or the Roadside Assistance at telephone number 146. For an ambulance, call 150.

The Road Police can be found all over Bulgaria, at all times of day and night, conducting random vehicle checks. If pulled over do not get out of the vehicle, but have ready your driving licence and all relevant vehicle documents. It is common to see police vehicles driving around with their blue lights on all the time as the norm: if they are attending an emergency they will also turn on their siren.

Money

The Bulgarian currency is the Leva (LV, or LB locally), which is made up of 100 Stotinki. It is easiest to withdraw cash from a cash machine once you arrive in Bulgaria, as this currency is not readily available instantly in UK high street banks.

Coins range from 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 Stotinki to 1 Leva. Bank notes are available in denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 Leva, although 20 Leva notes are typically the largest issued by cash machines. Be aware that due to the lower cost of living within Bulgaria, cash machines have daily withdrawal limits that will be significantly lower than in the UK. Most machines will allow 400 leva/day, although some are restricted to 200 leva/day.

The Leva is fixed against the Euro – 1 Euro = 1.95 Leva

Against the GBP, currently 1 Pound = 2.80 Leva

Rule of thumb: Bulgarian price divided by 3 = price in British pounds
 

Recreation & Places of Interest

Rousse has a wide variety of historical and cultural landmarks – and the Tourist Information Office has plenty of information to help find it all. Rousse is famous for its unique historical and archaeological nature reserves, including the Ivanovo Rock Churches (listed on the UNESCO World Natural and Cultural Heritage List), the Cherven medieval fortress and the Rusenski Lom Natural Park. Click here for a link to the unofficial site of the National Transport Museum in Rousse.

Above: Rousse City Centre

 
Above: 24 hours in Rousse!

Travel to the centre of the country (approx 90 minutes by car), and visit Veliko Turnovo. The second Bulgarian kingdom came into existence at Turnovo when Ivan I was proclaimed Czar in 1186. It was the capital of Bulgaria under Ivan II, who built the Church of the Forty Martyrs in 1230. The city fell to the Turks in 1393. A Bulgarian constitution was drafted in 1879 at Turnovo, where the full independence of Bulgaria was proclaimed in 1908. In 1965 the city was renamed Veliko (“Greater”) Tŭrnovo. A “must see” is  Tsaravets, the mediaeval stronghold located on a hill with the same name, which served as the Second Bulgarian Empire’s home from 1185 to 1393: housing both the royal and patriarchal palaces. This is the town’s major tourist attraction, although the nearby town is modern with a wide range of modern shops and a variety of restaurants.

Above: Modern (left) and Ancient (right) Veliko Turnovo

Approximately 300km south west of Rousse is Bulgaria’s capital city of Sofia. Many visitors to the Rousse region will have flown into Sofia, and passed through it on their way to their final destination. If you have the time, the 3.5 hour drive to Sofia is worthwhile, even more so if you plan a night stopover in order to see all that the city has to offer. There are mile upon mile of modern shops and hundreds of cafes and restaurants, all inter-mingled with a architectural treasures from this ancient city.

  
Above: Alexander Nevski Cathedral (left) and the National Theatre (right): some of Sofia’s many architectural splendours

Odd Customs

In Bulgaria, the locals will nod their head when they mean “no”, and shake their head from side to side when they mean “yes”. To complicate this, if they realise that you are a foreign visitor, they may reverse this to the more accepted meanings. Best is to listen for the words “da” for yes and “ne” for no. Think about this from the Bulgarian perspective: be aware that if you nod your head to indicate your agreement to something, it may not happen!

Bulgarian News (in English)