Bulgaria is not a country that has enjoyed the warmth of good publicity in recent years. Its admission to the EU was seized upon by mud-slingers keen to stoke fears of a looming UK invasion of Bulgarians. In the end, however, the exodus of Eastern Europeans never happened - and a trip to the capital of Sofia may yield a few clues as to why.
From the air, the cityscape is not immediately inspiring. Rows of Soviet-era buildings – many in a state of disrepair - pepper the fringes of the city. Yet at the centre Ottoman mosques sit side by side with grand Stalinist architecture, and artists find spaces in the cracks in between. This is a proud city that has been sculpted over more than two millennia by Thracian, Roman, Ottoman and Russian influences.
The local drink rakia is a fermented fruit distillate that comes in several varieties, all equally potent. With an average alcohol content of around 40 per cent – and maybe double that for the popular home brew – it is alarmingly drinkable. A glass with salad is a typical (and rousing) start to any evening.
The food, meanwhile, is consistently good, and while there remains an impatient disregard for ostentatious presentation, it is possible to eat and drink well for very little.
For this reason Bulgaria has become a popular go-to for stag and hen parties, but their influence on the capital should not be overstated. The bars and casinos they frequent can be easily avoided, and the best drinking dens are tucked away in this old city.
