Bulgaria a magical country
Bulgaria was more or less unknown to most Western European countries until the last few years. There are many parts of Bulgaria which remain undiscovered and existing resorts in the mountains and by the sea is just the tip of the iceberg. There is plenty of potential, especially with the prospect of Bulgaria joining the EU in 2007. They have to meet specific economic criteria before joining and are confident of being on plan with regard to unemployment rate and government borrowing. This has triggered a lot of inward investment with the promise of continued accelerated economic growth.
Initial interest in the Bulgarian Property market was concentrated on the coastal resorts along the Black Sea, however the market is now developing with an increasing variety of new property in mountain ski resorts, historic villages, luxury apartments in the capital. This is to cater for the increasingly more sophisticated demands and interest from international buyers.
Bulgaria Magic has a depth of knowledge of the property market in Bulgaria and we can tailor the needs of the prospective buyer and guide them to the property which meets all their requirements. Bulgaria magic has an extensive network of contacts in the developing areas in Bulgaria.
Bulgaria Facts and Figures
Population 7.8 million
Life Expectancy 72 years
Ethnic Make up 83.9% Bulgarian, 9.4%Turks, 4.7%Roma
Religion 82.6% Orthodox Christian, 12.2% Muslim, 1.7% Roman Catholic
Literacy 98.6%
Language
The Bulgarian language is spoken by all of the population. Bulgarian is not written in the Roman alphabet but in the Cyrillic alphabet and therefore uses the Greek letters, like Russian. If and when Bulgaria joins the EU, all the signs will have to be written in both alphabets which will enable visitors to more easily read them.
A lot of English is now spoken in Bulgaria, especially in the cities and the resorts where it is common for instance for the menus in restaurants to be in English as well as the local language.
Currency
The official currency of Bulgaria is the Lev and there are roughly 2.5 Levs to the pound sterling. The Lev is now fixed to the Euro prior to Bulgarian membership of the EU. Bulgaria plan to convert to the Euro within 2 years of joining the EU. Property prices in Bulgaria are usually quoted in Euros.
Cheap cost of living
Bulgaria remains one of the cheapest holiday destinations in Europe. It attracts families with children, who never dreamt of going on holiday to Spain due to the expense. Imagine Spain 15 years ago? The prices are a fraction of that! A meal in a good pub or bar with drinks could cost you well under £5!
Food and Drink
Bulgarian cuisine is wide and varied but is based on local produce of local farmers which gives it a distinct flavour. The mainly organically grown produce has similarities to Greek or Turkish cuisine. Bulgarian cooking has strong regional differences with many dishes being prominent in certain parts of the country. There are many different dishes based on pork or lamb or fish and vegetarian dishes are very popular, such as stuffed peppers and salads. A typical meal with wine will only cost you £10-£15 maximum even in the tourist areas.
Activities and Attractions
There is always plenty to do and see in Bulgaria. As well as the seaside resorts, there are mountains which offer fantastic country for walkers, mountain biking or horse riding in the summer as well as skiing in the winter. Bulgaria now has three fantastic skiing resorts Pamporovo, Borovets and Bansko with ski runs of up to 75Km.
Bulgaria has an extensive coastline on the Black Sea and it attracts thousands of tourists every year. The beautiful golden, sandy beaches are a big attraction and the sea temperatures are higher than the Mediterranean. It is non tidal and therefore swimming and water sports are very safe and enjoyed by all ages. There are also many cultural sites throughout Bulgaria, you can visit archaeological sites to explore the religious and political history of this fascinating country, some of which now have UNESCO World Heritage Status.
