The Republic of Bulgaria is a south-east European country, which occupies about twenty percent of Balkan Peninsula, and is washed by the Black Sea. The nearest neighbors are Greece, Turkey, Serbia, Romania and Macedonia. The country is famous for diverse landscape, where hills and plateaus coexist with deep river valleys and mountain ranges, among which there are the Balkan Mountains, the watershed between the Aegean Sea and the Danube. The climate of Bulgaria is continental and Mediterranean.

In the Bulgarian capital Sofia, which is considered to be one of the oldest cities in Europe, you can explore various archaeological sites such as towers and gates of Serdica, St. Sophia Church, built in the 11th century, and the largest Bulgarian Orthodox Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, in the gloomy crypt of which you will find the Museum of Icons. Connoisseurs of architectural masterpieces should visit the oldest metropolitan church of St. George, the building of the National Assembly of the 19th century and the Sofia Mineral Baths, which replaced the famous Roman baths. Those who are interested in cultural and historical heritage should take a tour around the Gallery of Foreign Art, the National Museum of Ethnography, the National Gallery of Art and the Museum of Natural History. You should also pay attention to the Botanical Museum and Gardens, and the Zoological Museum.

Another place of interest is town of Veliko Tarnovo, is a real reserve where you can see such architectural delights as the Tsarevets fortress, the royal palace, an ancient monastery of St. Peter and Paul, built in the 13^th century, as well as ancient churches of Forty Martyrs and St. Demetrius, founded in 10-11^th centuries. It is worth visiting local museums of the Renaissance and the Second Balkan kingdom, and amazing caves of Stara Planina. In the city-museum Nessebar you can admire many architectural artifacts of antiquity, among which there is the church of St. Stephen, built in the 11th century, and the magnificent Church of Holy Virgin. If possible, you can visit Varna and its cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption, famous for unique frescoes; the Maritime Museum and the only Dolphinarium in the Balkans; Gabrovo with its ethnographic park-museum of Etara; Plovdiv, with its gate Hisar Kapija of the 2nd century, the ancient Roman theater Trimontium and the Museum of Archaeology, Ethnography and National Revival; Shumen with its 12th century’s castle and the beautiful Tombul mosque of the 18th century.

The national currency of Bulgaria is the Bulgarian lion.

• Bourgas International Airport (BOJ), Burgas

• Varna International Airport (VAR), Varna
• Sofia International Airport (SOF), Sofia
• Gorna Oryahovitsa International Airport (GOZ), Gorna Oryahovitsa

• Krumovo International Airport (PDV), Plovdiv

Located on the Black Sea coast Bulgaria offers its guests a wonderful opportunity for exciting high-quality diving. Black Sea waters are characterized by rich underwater world, where you can find unique species of colorful fish, including bright mullets and gobies, as well as seahorses, jellyfish and crabs. You can get a lot of unforgettable emotions, exploring the harsh underwater rocks or searching for the lost sea treasures. Spectacular diving can be practiced on the northern coast of the Black Sea near the city of Varna and in the south near Bourgas.

A popular destination for deep-sea diving is the famous resort Pomorie with its picturesque lakes and estuaries; Mermaid (Rusalka) rich in secluded coves and unique underwater landscapes, with its complex of four dozen underwater caves; Yailata, where you can explore ancient wrecks; Resort of St. Constantine and Helena, with many small coves surrounded by steep rocky cliffs; and Sozopol - immersion in its marine world will bring a lot of delight both to beginning divers and to experienced ones. The waters of Sozopol keep many ancient wrecks, as well as the remains of ancient household items and submerged buildings, belonging to different epochs.

Also, you can enjoy high-quality diving in Elenite, Sunny Beach, Golden Sands, Ravda, Tsarev, Albena, Varna, Burgas, Nesebar and Silistar. A dive club in Sofia offers an unusual service – you can get an unforgettable experience of extreme ice-diving in Lake Iskar.