Beautiful nature and mountains, the Black Sea coast, ancient towns and villages… Apparently all this wealth, which is also the business card of Bulgaria to the world, makes a strong impression on foreigners. No wonder that once again this country took the top positions in some of the most famous tourist charts. And the good news is that in addition to a cheap holiday destination, Bulgaria is more often seen as a good place for rural, adventure and cultural tourism.

For example, National Geographic recommends the mining town of Pernik near Sofia, as one of the 15 best winter destinations. Readers are advised to visit the annual “Surva” mummer festival in which amateur groups from all ethnographic regions of Bulgaria take part.

In 2014 Sofia was part of the chart of 17 places one should visit before they become too popular. According to the editors of US news website, The Huffington post the city is steeped in youthful and cosmopolitan atmosphere at the backdrop of picturesque churches, outdoor markets and architecture dating back to the times of the Ottoman Empire. The popular site has published two lengthy articles about Bulgaria, pointing out 10 reasons why it is worth visiting the country. Among them are the bagpipes, roses, martenitsa, yogurt, etc.

Another Bulgarian city – Plovdiv also entered the world rankings in 2014. The Daily Telegraph described it as one of the 6 oldest continuously inhabited towns in the world. According to the article it was founded in 4000 BC, but there is evidence that an older settlement existed there dating back to 6000 BC.

Plovdiv also became part of the 2015 Lonely Planet guidebook to the best cities in the world. “At long last Plovdiv has emerged from its cocoon: all charming cobblestone streets, delicately painted houses, craft markets, quirky museums and temptingly affordable shopping,” the guidebook reads.

A religious temple in Sofia also entered a prestigious chart. In 2014 the synagogue in Sofia entered the top 20 of the most beautiful temples in the world according to Architectural Digest. The largest synagogue in the Balkans took 16th place in the ranking. "It was built in 1909 by Austro-Hungarian architect Friedrich Grünanger in Moorish and Venetian style and its magnificent interior includes Venetian mosaics and marble pillars, "reads the website of the newspaper.

In 2014 Bulgaria was a favorite vacation spot for Russian tourists. A chart by leading travel conglomerate TUI shows, which puts Bulgaria second in the top-three chart of the most popular European destinations for Russians. Spain is the top destination for Russian and third comes Greece.

Just like Russians British tourists also like to visit Bulgaria. Our country was ranked eighth in the top 10 of the best destinations for summer vacations in 2014 of Rough Guides. Its editors were impressed by the beautiful beaches near Varna. Bulgaria is compared to Croatia, but is recommended as a cheaper and not so popular holiday destination.

English: Alexander Markov