“East or west, home is best!” Bulgarians often resort to this popular folk saying when they want to emphasize, with a degree of irony, someone's bias for something. And lest we find ourselves in the role of being partial ourselves, we will not convince you of the merits of Bulgaria as a tourist destination. We’ll bring the first-hand perspective of foreigners whose gaze is unbiased.

If you happen to be planning a vacation and considering Bulgaria as your destination, the answer might be “Yes” because “Bulgaria is a beautiful country, with majestic mountains, sandy beaches, picturesque villages, good food, and hospitable people.” This description comes from Iowa-born writer of Israeli origin Ellis Shuman who lived in Bulgaria for two years. In early July, the Huffington Post published his article entitled “10 Amazing Things You Didn’t Know About Bulgaria”. And he lists the ten reasons why anyone should visit this country. And these include the Bulgarian rose, the yoghurt, shopska salad, the Cyrillic alphabet, the oldest gold treasure in the world discovered near Varna, the rakia, the Rhodopean kaba gaida bagpipe, and the martenitsa.

Ellis Shuman also informs readers of a specific Bulgarian trait that often leads to comic situations of confusion and misunderstanding. “In the country, nodding one's head up and down indicates a negative response, while shaking your head horizontally actually means 'no'. To confuse things even further, when locals speak with foreigners, they often accommodate them by reversing the motions”, he warns.  He also highlights the fact that, during the Second World War, Bulgaria managed to save its entire Jewish population - more than 40,000 people from the horrors of the Holocaust. For the Bulgarian rose, he says that not only is it beautiful, but it yields 85% of the world’s rose oil, the main ingredient in the manufacture of perfumes. The yogurt in Bulgaria is reportedly the best in the world, with a unique taste because the bacteria used to make it, Lactobacillus bulgaricus, is only found naturally in Bulgarian air”, he explains and recommends to foreign tourists to try the thick sheep yogurt made in the mountains with honey or fruit jam dripped on top.

There is no way a foreigner who visited Bulgaria might fail to taste the Shoppe salad, considered a national dish, accompanied by a glass of well-chilled rakia. The author warns that its alcohol content is about 40%, when produced in a distillery, but can reach 80% and more if home-made. “Bulgarians read and write using the Cyrillic alphabet, and the country actually is the homeland of this alphabet, having adopted it much earlier than Russia”, Shuman explains. “If you happen to be in Bulgaria on March 1st, join in the celebrations of Baba Marta (Grandmother March). On this holiday welcoming the upcoming spring, Bulgarians exchange small tassels and bracelets of white and red yarn called martenitsa”, he adds. If these are not amazing enough reasons to visit Bulgaria, come to ski the slopes in winter or to relax on the sandy beaches in summer, he concludes.

Most of the people outside of Bulgaria don’t know how diverse and beautiful the latest member of the EU is actually, writes Steve Hänisch, who in 2012 left his job as a consultant in social media in order to become a blogger and start writing about trips to all corners of the globe. He arrived in Bulgaria for the shooting of a German promotional video “Erlebe Bulgarien”. His list of reasons why one should visit Bulgaria puts local people first.  “I met a lot of lovely people in Bulgaria”. “Also, the Bulgarian cuisine is already a good reason to book a flight ticket immediately!”, he recommends.

According to him, Bulgaria is also interesting for its rich history, breathtaking landscapes, numerous mineral springs, which make it a popular spa destination. Steve is also interested in the mix of styles that can be seen in Sofia - ancient architecture, concrete buildings and modern "skyscrapers." As advantages he points out the good quality offered at a low price and the country’s accessibility from various points in Europe. “Sofia is a great destination for a weekend getaway: cool bars, funny streetart, impressive sights and a lively nightlife guarantee a blast. Did I mention the free Wi-Fi everywhere?”, he writes.

Steve Hänisch does not fail to mention Bulgaria is also a terrific winter destination as he also stresses its strengths as a wine producer. “Oh…how I love Bulgarian wines! ;) Bulgaria is one of the biggest wine exporting countries in the world – Grape growing and wine production have a long history here, dating back to the times of the Thracians. Moreover the wines are amongst the best in the world – so: Nazdrave!”

For Tim Leffel who has circled the globe three times and dispatched articles from five continents, Bulgaria is like a breath of fresh air.  “Even most experienced travelers don’t know much about Bulgaria, even though it’s one of the best—if not the best—values in Europe. It’s also got far more green space than most of the other more crowded EU countries”, he writes in his blog. In Bulgaria, you can still feel like an explorer. He says in Bulgaria one can enjoy the ecological food at a low price, take advantage of spectacular hiking opportunities or visit one of our historical cities like Plovdiv and Veliko Tarnovo. The Rila monastery has recently found a place among the 50 most amazing places that every self-respecting tourist should visit in Europe. "Find serenity and peace in the Rila Monastery in Bulgaria," says the website Business Insider which compiled ​​the list.

English Rossitsa Petcova