Should you travel to SOFIA, BULGARIA? | Cost, Safety + Attractions
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- Опубликовано: 27 сен 2020
- Sofia was not what I expected... it was so much better! Bulgaria is definitely a destination that the average North American tourist doesn't know much about. I was genuinely surprised with how beautiful and clean of a city Sofia was, how modern it's amenities were while preserving its incredibly rich history and also how budget friendly the prices were. Some people are concerned about the safety of going there, not only with Covid going on, but with the protests happening all across the country against corruption in the government. In this video I hope to give you a clearer picture of what you might expect, because it's definitely a destination worth putting on your bucket list! xx
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![My Neighbor, Charles | 이웃집 찰스 Ep.132 / The Bulgarian IT man Chris from bulgaria [ENG/2018.03.15]](/img/1.gif)
This week revealed for me something which I believe is a true testament to a city. Two of my friends of mine in Sofia lost property. One lost her iPhone and my boss actually lost his wallet with his ID, BG300 in cash and all his bank cards.
Both had their property returned intact within 2 hours.
I know from personal experience that the chances of that happening in London is less than 0.1%.
Well done Sofia.
My MacBook got stolen in Varna this summer and the police found it less than 2 weeks later.
We have many Facebook groups for mutual help like that- probably we dont trust the police that much and take take of eachother ourselves
in nyc its 100% chance to never be found
@@simonat7256 my contact with the police so far was excellent. whenever i had need of them they helped me very much. the immigration is a little bit stiff but no problems there at all. i had contact with young officers who were eager to help me and where very typical. i lived in bulgaria from 1997
@Marauder Мародер Точно!
I am from Canada. My first visit to Bulgaria was summer 2012 . I really was shocked how Bulgarian cities,towns, and villages were so beautiful. Then, in summer 2013, I quit my job and moved to Bulgaria ,Plovdiv to live forever but unfortunately , I could not get a permit to stay.No matter where you go, South or North , West or East , The entire country is beautiful .Rich culture and life style, organic and healthy food, best drinking water, lovely music and people , and very safe to live.
John, this is quite strange situation, the rules for staying should be the same as everywhere in Europe. If it's not something personal, what was the reason for the denial?
@@jassenjj Canada is not in the European Union. As a Canadian, it is very hard to stay even though I took with a lot of money to stay ..to retire in Bulgaria.
As a Bulgarian, born and raised in Sofia, I think you managed to capture the spirit of the city quite well. Good job!
hello, what do i need to come to bulgaria? do i need to complete a form?
I went by myself to Sofia pre-COVID andas a single woman, I found people to be very polite, considerate, kind and helpful. Many of the older people only speak Russian instead of English but a nice smile, a 'Dober den' and politeness can go a long way. They try to help you even if there is a language barrier, usually they commandeer a younger person to help you in English! I was impressed. The food is fantastic, the housing at that time was very reasonably priced and I felt safe. I missed it so much when i left.I hope I can go back soon..
It makes me happy to see that tourists like yourself can have a good time here because generally bulgarians have a very negative opinion about the country and a lot of us run away to other more wealthy countries. I chose to stay but many do not. Videos like this give me some hope that we can fix things in the future it's just nice to hear some positive opinions once in a while.
I'm french and I love Sofia, I feel better in Sofia than in Paris. That's why I spend all my free time there and I will be back after 3 days :-). Wealthier countries also costs you more to live in, at the end it's not so much different.
@@BitcoinBulgaria1992 I'm glad to hear that :)
I'm from France and lots of us are going to eastern europe
@@lorenzoscimone6391 That's cool I've never met a french person here before mostly russians and asians haha
@@bret4o9 aha well I'm going to Sofia next month and I have already 12 french friends there. Maybe you'll have the occasion to meet one of us
I'm so happy to see people enjoying our city and country! For those of you who want to explore more of Sofia I highly recommend buying a one day card for the public transport, it costs 4 leva ( 2.40 USD) and you can use it ALL DAY for ALL TYPES OF TRANSPORT! ^^ That way you save money from buying individual tickets!
hey, do i need to complete a form to come?
@@rebecca6834 It is not necessary. You buy it the same way you buy your ticket.
Don’t forget about Plovdiv, also you can visit Belogradchik rocks and the Magura cave next to them. Also towns like Koprivchitsa, Veliko Tărnovo,Troyan, Teteven, Melnik, Zheravna, Nessebar and 7 Rila lakes, Rhodopi mountain, Buzlidzha monument, Shipka monument, House of Vanga in Petrich and the surrounding areas are also beautiful.
Nice video, hope you will enjoy your travelling in Bulgaria. 👍🏻
That's s great list! Yes! You should absolutely make time for anyone of these :)
My grandma lives in Plovdiv!
I arrived to live and work in Sofia on the 26th September after spending 3 years in Malta. I agree with everything you said. A wonderfully green, serene and tranquil city. I've fallen in love completely after only a couple of weeks. The people are incredibly gracious and charming, parks are outstanding, it's clean, safe and beautifully laid out so very accessible and easy to get around.
Excellent video. Thank you. Must check out that restaurant.
Thank you! Glad you're enjoying it as well!
Daz mate, did you look at the state of the pavements and the roads? The city is a fucking mess.
@@alexanderstefanov6474 You obviously haven't been to Malta, or for that matter Barnsley in the UK. If you want to see roads full of holes visit Yorkshire in the UK.
If you want to see pavements covered in rubbish, dog shit and dangerous paving visit most places outside of Valletta in Malta.
@@alexanderstefanov6474 I always find Sofia quite clean and well maintained compared to other places. Guess it’s easier to see the good things when not in the city the whole time. When based in the place people tend to focus on the bad things just. :)
@@darrenledger5438 hi Darren, thanks for sharing your experiencie.
I got this video from the recruiter after telling him I was in doubt about moving to Sofia because of crime index and considering I am a widow mom of a 12years old son.
So this give me hope, actually I live in Lisbon Place I love,but rents are too expensive and salary is not enough so I started sending my cv again and I am in process for a job in Sofia and also one in Netherlands,near Belgio.
You live there seems you feel fine, don't you? Where are you from? If I can ask...i am from buenos Aires,very Dangerous city that's why I don't come back even if there I am a lawyer and here a content moderator,but safe comes first than status or money.
Would you think is easy to relocate there? Language Is hard right?
Thank you so much for replying I would appreciate.
Sofia especially in the center is the safest city in the world i ve been more than 12 times 👍👍👍
@Marauder Мародер you are in serious need of a professional help. I heard they got free places in Kurilo. it is because of people like you that Bulgarian gets a bad rep. Sofia is safer that most cities have been to and lived in. And I am a woman, so I agree with this Greek guy. if you got out of your hole, you may know this.
Thank you, you are right.
I must be so unlucky then because i was attacked on a main road with traffic.I was about to grab a taxi when it happened.I was there for vacation for 3 days.
@@anastasiab4824 Well I'm a Bulgarian and a taxi driver tried to scam me once when visiting Sofia, so I can't really vouch for Sofia. I'm from Varna and I can vouch for Varna though. Even though my mom once got pickpocketed, but that happened like 15 years ago, 3 of my friends got robbed like 4-5 years ago ( by gypsies ) and a friend got into a fight with some drug addicts 2 years ago, lol. But other than that, not much happening over here.
@@Ne0LiT haha I believe that anything can happen anywhere.But It's strange..a taxi driver scamed you but a taxi driver saved me.He came driving next to me because i was screaming very loud and the guy got scared!But i think this could happen in my country or in any other country i would visit.Everything is a lesson🙂
Great video, I have been to Bulgaria twice and loved it. I would recommend to anyone that has the chance to try and attend an opera in the Roman theatre of Philippopolis in Plovdiv. It is an experience you will never forget.
I think that's a great video, well put together and everything well described, Ive lived in Bulgaria for over 15 years now, I choose it after visiting 89 country's my decision making process was correct!
Girl you are my hero.! Even Bulgarians dont make such beautiful videos about Bulgaria
We Greeks love the capital Sofia. Greetings to our neighbours ♥️
I'm a local citizen born an living in Sofia and videos like this show how beautiful my city is. We tend to forget to notice all these nice places and monuments in our everyday lives as we see them daily and are always in a hurry for work or whatever else. Glad you enjoyed your stay, loved the video & subscribed :) Now going to watch the other one for Varna and others if there are any.
I have been to Bulgaria 6 times now and I share your enthusiasm and love for the country. Do visit Kazanluk and Shipka, Trjavna, Veliko Tarnovo, Aladzha monastery close to Varna. Still so many beautiful places to discover.
Bulgarians are one of the most friendliest people you will meet...❤️
Thank you for such a beautiful video, even that I am not Bulgarian, I just love this country and I'm here from 2016. For me, Bulgaria is piece of Heaven! ❤️🤗
I am a Canadian who is moving to Sofia pretty soon. From 2014 until this year I lived in Germany, and I took a holiday last Christmas to Sofia. Fell in love with the city. Had a friend there who told me that there are actually a lot of companies who are looking for people who can speak German and English. She recommended me to relocate to Sofia and gave me a website for all the jobs. I applied and... the next thing I know, I am hired (funny enough by a Canadian company, Telus)! Now I am just working on my paperwork (stupid Covid-19 makes everything so slow). But hopefully I will be there within a month or two. Can't wait
That's awesome! I saw Telus buildings in Bulgaria and initially thought what the hell are those doing here?? lol Makes sense now. Hope you have a wonderful time there!
@@AlinaMcleod LOL yes, when I just arrived I saw the Telus Advertisements everywhere on the street and was like "what the hell" LOL, same reaction!
@@AlinaMcleod Btw, I am surprised that you had a nice experience at that Restaurant Hadjidraganovite Izbi. It was recommened to me by that friend of mine as well, and while I did love the decoration (I dined in the cellar, back when I visited there was no Corona lol), the food took FOREVER to arrive. I think I waited at least 40 minutes before being served and the restaurant had like 5 customers at that time. So I was actually quite disappointed... but after seeing your experience maybe I will go visit again when I am there
Hello, fellow Canadian! I am thinking of eventually relocating to Sofia as well. Do you mind giving me the website "for all the jobs"?
@@seti4429 sorry for late reply. It will help if you speak another European language. I speak German so I am with the Telus German Team. Just Google Telus International Sofia and see what position is available. Good luck!
I'm Italian leaving in Sofia since 2017, I really love this country. By the your very beautiful woman.
@Marauder Мародер nothing wrong with fucking cheeseburgers
Awesome content, Sofia looks amazing and is definitely a place more people should be travelling to. Great videos like this will encourage more people to explore and visit beautiful countries like Bulgaria!
Thanks so much!!
We tell all our friends that are thinking of coming to visit us here in Bulgaria... be warned... most people that come to Bulgaria dont want to go home....... really !
yeah that's why i wanna move there from india
Hi from Spain. I'm planning to move to Sofia the next month and it was very interesting to see that at this time is completely sure. Thanks
well, in Spain is like new Inquisition! so....! go ahead! home is where you can be free!
It's so wonderful to see people enjoying our country and our city!
This seems to be a very charming city, I hope I can visit sometime in the future when all this is over. Seeing and sharing places like this is why I love traveling and make videos so much!
Actually the public transport is cheaper than that. You're abe to buy card for the day wich is for all kind of transports including metro and busses and it costs only 4 leva per day wich is like 2 euro. One important thing you have to know is when you use that kind of card everytime you want to use the metro you have to check your card by getting it marked at the counter.
What I like is that people are calm and serene, I think, not so agitated like in western countries.
Yes that was definitely something I noticed as well.
it's not what you think it is.
@@kristiant96 too true
If bulgarians knew how much here "budget friendly expenses" are they would laugh in her face. Tourists being clueless as usual
Bulgarians are defo not calm or serene
I’ll be going in May. From the USA. I can’t wait.
I'm from Sofia and it's normally to be my favourite Bulgarian city. We have a lot of monuments and our schools are pretty elite
thank you alina...i have a married daughter and a grandaughter in sofia..her husband is bulgarian and we are from the philippines..wish we can visit sofia when better days come.
I’ve been seeing more and more Filipino people in Bulgaria these days. You are very welcome here 💕
Hi! You are welcome here! And I hope you will have great time!
Alina,
I really Enjoyed the Tour of Sophia that You narrated... You are a Fabulous Host ... and you also have a very Lovely Personality ... I learned a lot about Bulgaria from You ... you are such a Natural Person to Listen to and you have great Qualities as a Person as well...
Michael
We are in Sofia right now, your review was really interesting . thank you
Bulgaria is a beautiful place to visit. Nice beaches and great farmland agriculture, clean air and farmland tasty food 👍
Fantastic video! Very well-detailed with excellent camerawork, stunning drone footage, and insightful narration (especially the voiceover!). Sofia looks beautiful and with a perfect mix of ancient and modern architecture. The decor and wine cellar inside the local restaurant was a treat to watch. You put in your heart and soul into creating this wonderful video, and it shows. Hats off 👏
Thank you so much, Rahul :)
I went to Varna once. Lots of pickpockets, especially in the areas of gypsies. Downtown architecture was very cool. I only had a day to check out what I could, but a super nice cab driver gave me a personal tour. He even took me to his home for dinner and introduced me to his family. Incredibly nice people.
This is nicely filmed Alina,
I currently live in Sofia, and you are showing all the exact places where I usually walk around.
I have learned some very good historical facts thanks to your video and I appreciate living in Bulgaria even more. Thank you :-)
Well, I followed this video accidentally as it was about my city and then started wondering...hey, a beautiful and smart woman and...a Canadian?!? But than, at the wine cellar, when I heard Alina speaking in flawless Russian everything was explained. Anyway...nice review of Sofia. Keep up the excellent work, Alina!
Hello Alina. Older generations in Bulgaria who lived in totalitarian times know Russian language(it were mandatory for learning in schools), new generations born after that time know better English.
I really appreciate that she doesn’t expect Bulgarians to speak Russian though. I think she knows that younger Bulgarians learn English and not Russian.
Yeah they learn but they don't speak... I have very big problems with it here, since I also don't speak Bulgarian yet
Ulyana Tkach wtf, no. We don’t learn it and we don’t learn it. The Soviet times are over dear, this is the European Union.
@@iusemathinreallife I mean English, a lot of young people in Bulgaria can't speak English...I was not trying to be rude, specially not to you because you clearly speak it well...
Ulyana Tkach According to the EF English Proficiency Index 58% of all Bulgarians speak English, which is above average for Europe and higher than countries like France, Spain or Italy www.ef.com/wwen/epi/regions/europe/#
Awesome Bulgaria! 🇧🇬 so much to see and do and such great people.
Hadjidraganov’s restaurant always a favourite 👍🏻
I am half bulgarian and spend every single summer of my childhood in Sofia. After graduating from high school I never really had the time to return but this video showed me just how much I miss the city. Have to go back there once it's easier to travel again.
I visited Bulgaria a few times and I always had great time. Nice people and beautiful cities. In the future I want to climb Mount Vitosha.
Go to Pirin, Rila, Rodopi or Stara planina, way better
Planning to stay there after for a bit the pandemic, looking forward to seeing city and hiking the mountains, thanks for tips.
Nice, have a great time!
I would highly recommend Seven Rila Lakes and Rila monastery, Yagodina cave, Trigrad gorge, the gorge of Erma river, Prohodna cave. Just Google some of them and pick some that you like the most. I hope you have a great time!
i go to sofia for the 6 time.. i dont know what i love this place but so beautifull place and silent streets make me go again and again and again.
Unfortunately I have never been to Bulgaria, but I have heard from many Italians who moved to this country in order to live there that life is very good and cheap, besides being safe. Nice video
About public transport: you can buy a day card (4 leva ) in every metro station and use it for every public transport in Sofia all day long
This looks really cool! Sofia was definitely not on my radar, but I'll have to put it on my list!
Happy to hear that :)
Extend with Tryavna, Veliko Tarnovo, Plovdiv... At least.
@@mamatidea Thanks for the recommendation!
Hi, Alina! Good travel-vlog! I'm Bulgarian-Canadian, currently residing in Bulgaria 🇧🇬 🇨🇦 Greetings! P.S. Varna is my favorite Bulgarian city, enjoy it in full!:)
Thank you! 😃
Hey beautiful, how are you doing, is nice meeting you here, I’m Hendrick by name, I’d love it if we get to know each other much better, thanks 😊
Glad I found your channel. I visited Plovdiv back in 2018. Had an amazing time. The UK is now on lockdown so this channel helps :)
I love your Videos!! I lived in sofia for 2 years way back!! that city has changed alot
Love how you filmed a famous Bulgarian Instagramer and he was on his phone in the shot. Also, loved the video as a Bulgarian❤️❤️❤️❤️
Кой и коя минута? 😅
@@dantep8787 6:46 мисля, @dzamii1
WOW ...very lovely place i want to travel there SOON....💖👍 WATCHING HERE IN THE PHILIPPINES🇵🇭✨
Simply gorgeous, Thank you Alina...
Nice Vlog! Planning to visit Sofia soon. Cheers from London! 😊
Hope you have a great time!
Another informative and interesting video Alina, thanks. Your comment about the need for us to support the non-digital arts in times like this is so true and it was good to see you covered one of the socio-political issues of the day also. I really like how vloggers do this and it annoys me when they ignore obvious stuff that needs mentioning, so well done on this.
Great Video. Bulgaria is a happy place :)
One of the most authentic videos I’ve seen for sofia from a foreigner and I’m deffo subscribing
That’s wonderful to hear, thank you!
Great video very informative! Thanks for sharing.
That man with the shirt brave in minute 6:45 is a famous influencer here in Bulgaria. His name is Dzami
I visited Varna last summer. Great introduction to a Black Sea beach town that was mostly frequented by locals. As a Canadian traveling n Bulgaria, I found the locals curious and friendly. Seafood was plentiful and cheap in Varna, especially the local mussels.
Thank you for the great video Alina! I am from Sofia and i travel alot lately, but there is no other place like Sofia!
Thank you, Sofia and Bucharest are among my desired next destinations
Sofis is much safer and better city ....
Never been there, but it looks wonderful. I love the historical and architectural aspects of a country that has been run by various regimes over the centuries. And agreed, real art needs to always be supported lest we lose it through financial hardship. Good to see you made the trip with relative ease Alina. How long will you be staying in Bulgaria?
I will be here for another 2 weeks minimum! Loving it :)
@@user-wy8kt5ns4d , those are everywhere in Europe...
Wow, you came to my neighborhood (Krasno Selo), I even spotted two of my neighbors. 😃
I like ur neiborhoods crasnoe celo i visit very often the open market there and always stop for a pizza in tha little shop i live near u when i visit sofia in lagera greeting from greece to bulgarian neighbors !!!
As a vlogger from Bulgaria, I definitely approve :)
I'm from Sofia❤️ Thank you for visiting our city 😊
I'm here now having a blast.... No covid, no rules everything is opened. I lovd this place 🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾
i'm going tomorrow to sofia. have any recomendations?
@@slabaugh5 Depends what you're into. Nightlife only secret places are opened
@@choco.es.unlimited isn't everything closed again
Best videos ever I came across about Bulgaria. Wonderful job.
Thank you very much!
This was a great video! ❤️ 🇧🇬
Thank you for the warm words. Even though I've been living abroad for a very long time, Bulgaria will always be my home
Thanks so much for this video, and as always, I am so impressed of what you find and share with us. I love the restaurant scenes and markets with all the great displays. You have mastered how to capture the local and give us true information of situations there. I think it is everyone's situation in life that we have to experience all these protests, we need to all stick together and support the dreams we all have. Alina, thank you for always being there for us, and sharing not only what you see, but also your heart in making us believe there are still wonderful people in the world and where to find them. We all found one special person in you, we love you and always wish the best for you. Cheers!!
Glad you enjoyed the video! Thank you :)
Appreciate the prices of food & accomodation - travel fares, you’re doing a great job
Thank you!
thank you for showcasing the protests as well!
thank you for making this video! ❤️
Great video of Sophia :)) I was amazed of how beautiful the city is :)) keep the up the great videos:))
Wow i love the beautiful nature of bulgaria nice adventure alena
Great video! I'm really happy (and surprised) that tourists like you enjoy our country!
I MISS BULGARIA SO MUCH!!!!!!
Alina, nice mix of live commentary and voice over in this video. GREAT WORK AS USUAL!
Glad you enjoyed it!
After this nice video i want to go to BULGARIA😀
And you are very welcome! 🇧🇬🇨🇦
Bulgaria is amazing 😍 🇧🇬
Thanks for another adventure and I was enjoy to watch it while at work. Stay safe and God blessed.
Glad you enjoyed it!
I live in Bulgaria since when i was born and you should definitely visit Kazanlak. Its a beautiful small city with a lot of history and a lot of roses
OMG!!! The man with the white shirt (6:43) is Dzami ! Very popular Bulgarian comedian!
That place is so beautiful and amazing, I'm going to go back there no matter what.
Definitely you have go to PLOVDIV is most beautiful city in my country you will like it for sure 👍 👌 😊
I want to say ONE BIG THANK YOU for that amazing review! Although so many people say all that negative things to us, you want to share the positive ones and to inspire someone to visit our country! We appreciate that! Our nature is amazing, as you said. Vitosha and Sofia`s parks are little bit of what we have. Thank you once again, I will surely watch your other videos!
Looks Beautiful I would go!! A Fantastic veiw and job ...thank's for talking us along,it's been a tremendous adventure Alina my friend, be safe Luv&Peace from Sask Can.🙂✌⚘
Really enjoyed the video. A very beautiful city.
Another enjoyable city. I am impressed how you include so many different things in you videos. As you know we are getting ready for winter here in Canada. So keep the videos coming for the long winter nights.
What a great video - thanks so much. I'm planning on visiting Bulgaria next year and your video has me really excited about my trip.
This is a very proper, sweet and up to date review of Sofia, I am impressed. ^^
Just fyi, the main pedestrian street is called Vitosha after the mountain because it is heading towards it and is offering a great view of the mountain itself.
Great job, Alina!
I am from Sofia, living in Canada for the past 24 years, and going back to Bulgaria quite often...
You should definitely visit Rila Monastery if you can!!!
Cheers!
The beauty is back! Good to see you 😘
Thanx for sharing your travels in Sofia, Alina. Be safe!
Красивый город,красивое видео!👍😉
Already know that it’s gonna be a great video!
Thank you :)
Beau reportage et joli guide
Great video, Alina ! ❤️
Love your channel, Bulgaria is one of my list
Happy to hear that!
Спасибо за теплие слова,дорогая Алиночка!Да благословить и спасить Вас Господь!Аминь!
Im very happy that youre enjoying bulgaria
Another adventure with Alina. Great video!
Thank you 😁