Things NOT to do in Bulgaria are good to know, especially If you are traveling to Bulgaria for the first time. Like every country, Bulgaria also has things that would be better to avoid doing.
Knowing things to avoid and not to do in different countries can avoid some embarrassing situations and make your vacations smoother.
Top 10 Things NOT to do in Bulgaria
Bulgaria is definitely a country that should be on everyone’s list to visit and if it is not in this blog you’ll change your mind. As a different culture, there are certain things visitors, especially people traveling for the first time to Bulgaria, as long as they avoid them will have a guarantee an amazing time.
Let’s dive into some of the top things not to do in Bulgaria
The man is a slave of his own will, but a master of his own work.
Colonel Boris Drangov
Do Not Visit only the Big Cities
Bulgaria is such a unique country with rich architecture and history worth exploring, and there are so many places you can visit and things to do so please do not limit your stay just to the biggest cities like Sofia, Plovdiv, and Varna.
Make your homework ahead of time and prepare a plan for places you want to visit, UNESCO Heritage sites, breath-taking Bulgarian mountains, historical places, beaches and many more.
Also Read: Top 10 Places to Visit in Bulgaria
Don’t Buy Bottled Water
We all know about the plastic issues and you’ll be making a favor to the environment by reducing plastic pollution but the point here is that Bulgaria has so many springs and public accessible water places that there will be always a fountain nearby.
Bulgaria has 225 mineral and thermal springs and it is known historically for the healing powers of its water. You can keep with yourself a reusable water bottle and fill it up.
Bulgaria is the second country in Europe after Iceland by the number of mineral and spring water sources!
Don’t Rely only on Public Transportation
The transportation in Bulgaria is not famous for its punctuality. If you are making plans and have to use public transportation keep in mind that there is a high chance to be late. The train transportation across the country is not fast either and it may take longer to get to a certain place.
If you are planning to visit Bulgaria and to explore it the best thing is to rent a car, and the top breathtaking places in Bulgaria are hard to get to without a car.
Don’t Forget to Learn More About the Bulgarian History
Bulgaria has such a unique and long history with so many well-preserved historical places where you can explore traditional architecture, crafts and learn more about the history. Bulgaria is one of the oldest countries in Europe.
Let’s not forget that Bulgaria has over 1000 years of history that dates back to the founding of Thrace and Moesia during the 6th century A.D., and Slavic tribes!
Bulgaria is among the European countries with the richest history with more than 40,000 cultural monuments, placed right after Italy, Greece and Turkey.
Do Not Go to Popular Fast-food Chains
Bulgaria has so delicious Bulgarian cuisine and visiting the country you must try the local food. and avoid the well-known fast-food chains that you can have at home too.
There are many authentic Bulgarian restaurants which you’ll find are really cozy and cheap, offering the famous Bulgarian dishes include shopska salad, bob chorba, moussaka, stuffed peppers (palneni chushki), parlenka, tarator, and more! Small pubs and restaurants are also quite cozy and cheap,
Don’t Start on Politics
Bulgarians really like talking about politics but you’ve been better if you do not start that topic especially about the current leading political parties. Political conversations can get quickly heated up and that is something you want to avoid.
And do not try to make fun of Bulgarian politicians either and there are many mixed opinions about whose fault led to the current situation in Bulgaria. It is not recommended to talk about communism with old people.
Don’t Buy Cheap Alcohol
You can find often cheap alcohol and it may sound pretty good but there are many counterfeit and cheap alcohol. Don’t buy cheap liquor as it can cost you even your life due to alcohol poisoning after drinking it.
Don’t Trust Nodding as a Way of Expressing
Bulgarians shake their head side to side (much as other countries would shake for “no”) for agreement, and to say yes. If you agree with something that someone is saying, you can shake your head like this while they’re talking.
The legend for this says that Turks used to put a knife hard against Bulgarians’ throats during their oppressions and ask them if they wanted to die. As the knife prevented them from speaking, they had to either nod or shake their heads. Were they to shake their heads for “No, I don’t want to die”, they would slit their own throats.
However, many Bulgarians who have lived abroad tend to adapt to the situation so they do it the right way with foreigners and the “Bulgarian” way with locals.
Don’t Talk Bad About Bulgarian Football
Football is the most popular sport in Bulgaria and you can talk about football topics just avoid talking about how bad is the Bulgarian football team and why is not winning anything.
You can find common ground for topics like Premier League, European league, the Champion league just avoid talking about the Bulgarian national football team and the Bulgarian football clubs’ presence in the European club leagues.
Don’t Make Fun at Bulgarians
Bulgarians like most of the Balkan countries like making self-critical jokes about themselves, their country of their friends but do not like when a foreigner do jokes at them or their country. This could be taken as a major personal or national insult so it is best to avoid it.
Have You Been to Bulgaria? What Would You Add to the List?
Let me know your experience when you have visited Bulgaria, especially if you are first-time visitor or if you know some other things Not to do that we should add to our list. Tag @stunning_bulgaria on Instagram and hashtag it #stunning_bulgaria.
While I have you here, may I suggest a few other places you should visit on your next trip:
Thank you for visiting our blog. I hope you enjoy it and you’ve learned something new about Bulgaria.
