Some of the first places a visitor to Sofia will go to are the Church of St George and the Cathedral of St Alexander Nevsky.

“Another thing I really liked was the ancient Roman ruins throughout the country. More specifically, the fact that most of them weren't turned into some tourist attractionwhere you have to buy a ticket and wait in line to see them. We just kind of stumbled upon all these ruins while wandering through Sofia, and they're not, like, gated or anything, so you can just walk through them.There's even some ruins in one of the metro stations nearby. And not just Sofia, we saw similar ruins in Varna and Plovdiv. Actually, a lot in Plovdiv.” 

“I think Bulgaria is falling into the same category as Albania, which is an amazing tourist destination that people don't know about. Because our time in Albania we were amazed that nobody goes there and so far in the first couple of hours of Bulgaria I'm like - dude, this place should be famous,” - says Steve from Canada, who is visiting Sofia and Veliko Tarnovo with its Tsarevets fortress with his partner.

“Every medieval capital needs a good fortress, and this one looks like something out of Lord of the Rings. Kind of goes up and up and up into the mountain. It's almost so medieval that it looks mythical. Coming to this fort is really like going back in time and it is such a great experience.”

“This city is older than Rome, it's older than Athens which is mind-blowing.It's got the amazing, what do you call it, the edgy arts district of all the great bars,restaurants, craft beer and then you've got the hills. So Plovdiv has blown us away, this place really needs to be on the map of one of the must-do cities in Europe.”

“Well you guys, I am in complete awe of this beauty. Is that not absolutely stunning? I really like this kind of nature where you get a blend. You get a blend of mountains, some glittering lakes, beautiful wide open spaces as well. I really think the nature in Bulgaria is greatly underrated because for a European country they're actually quite large and have a very diverse sort of landscape. So if you're somebody who really enjoys hiking and just being out in the great outdoors Bulgaria, come to Bulgaria who would have known?” - Alina is amazed. And here's what she adds:

“I really wasn't expecting to love this country this much and I really hope that that came across in my videos. I know so many people have actually already messaged me saying that they're now planning a trip to Bulgaria. So that really warms my heart when you guys get inspired by my videos and come hear yourselves because it is a place that is just unforgettable.”

“Now let's talk about the things I really liked about Bulgaria and spending a month in Sofia. Number one is the food quality. I feel like the minimum threshold for what people consider to be edible food is just so much higher in Bulgaria than it is in America. But seriously, all the ingredients in Bulgarian just tastes so fresh, like just higher quality, especially the tomatoes. 

Oh my God, the tomatoes in this country are so incredibly good. I'm sitting here months later still thinking about Bulgarian tomatoes, and I always thought that Italy was the land of great tomatoes. But honestly, I think they're better in Bulgaria,” - American Sean is emphatic. And after tasting the mish-mash (eggs fried with chopped tomatoes and peppers), Canadian Steve comes to this conclusion: 

“The amazing thing is that they don't put many spices. You taste tomatoes. You taste peppers. You taste salty cheese. But you don't taste 10 or 15 different spices. This is the opposite of Pakistani and Indian food. Where you only taste spices. It is very quality, ingredient driven.”

Desolate and abandoned places like the monument on Buzludzha Mountain - one of the world's most eerie and beautiful reminders of the past - attract lovers of so-called 'dark tourism'. Looking for bleak, abandoned, haunting places that evoke the past? Bulgaria has plenty of them. Mat and Julia have made a fine, if amateurish, documentary about the Buzludzha monument, featuring archaeologist Dora Ivanova. Dora Ivanova - founder of the Buzludzha Project Foundation. This is how Julia describes her experience at the end of the film:

“This is much more than just walking around an abandoned building. We met an incredible group of people who share both the passion and the dedication to not just restore a monument, but to breathe new life into it and build a better future. It's not an easy task and certainly not a quick one, but these people, led by Dora, are proof and should be an inspiration to us all that you, me, anyone can make a difference if you want to.”