Lonely Planet Romania & Bulgaria
Page 80
Access to the tomb is by guided-tour only in groups of 10 or fewer. Register at the visitor centre on arrival and then wait until a tour spot opens up. Visitors are free to walk throughout the sprawling compound and visit an adjoining Muslim shrine from the 16th century.
The Sveshtari compound is located about 8km from the town of Isperih, and can be difficult to reach without private transport. Infrequent trains run to Isperih, but from there it's a long hike or taxi (about 10 lv). Taxi services also make the run from Ruse and back. Ask at the Ruse Tourist Information Centre.
Lake Srebârna & Around
Lake Srebârna, a shallow lake connected to the Danube by a narrow canal, features unique types of vegetation and unusual floating islands made of reeds. It also hosts more than 160 species of waterbirds, including colonies of endangered small cormorants and Dalmatian pelicans. There are elevated lookout posts set around the lake for birdwatching. The 80-sq-km area around the lake, known simply as Srebârna Nature Reserve, is a Unesco World Heritage site.
Srebârna village is the most convenient place to access the lake and has the best facilities. The nearby village of Vetren (4km to the west) is a good spot for fishing, and there are plenty of hikes and other outdoor activities to be enjoyed.
1Sights & Activities
The Museum of Natural History (%086-772 469; Srebârna; adult/student 5/1 lv; h9am-6pm Mon-Fri) in Srebârna village presents a good overview in English of birdlife and other fauna around Lake Srebârna. The main activities are birdwatching, hiking and fishing. Walkers can take the rocky, relatively flat 4km ecotrail that starts from the beginning of Srebârna village and runs along the lake.
Pelican TravelBIRDWATCHING
(%0885671058; www.pelican-travel.org; ul Petko Simov 16, Srebârna)
Guided birdwatching tours and nature walks (from 40 lv per group) are conducted by Englishman Mike Black of the Pelican Lake Guesthouse in Srebârna. Pelican Travel also arranges birdwatching and other outdoor tours throughout Bulgaria and further afield, such as to Romania's Danube delta.
4Sleeping & Eating
Srebârna village and nearby Vetren have several guesthouses, though they can be hard to find as village streets are poorly signposted. The best bet is to get detailed location advice from the guesthouse when you make your booking.
Restaurants are rare in these parts. Srebârna village has one centrally located restaurant, the Complex Diva.
Guesthouse LubaGUESTHOUSE$
(%0889441116, 086-772 462; www.srebarna-bg.com; ul Lebed 35, Srebârna; s/d 30/50 lv; p)
This handsome guesthouse is situated on a quiet street in Srebârna village, a couple of minutes' walk away from Lake Srebârna. The owner can speak a little English, but the website is in Bulgarian only. Rooms are attractive and clean. Guests can take meals in a small, traditional tavern on the premises.
Complex DivaGUESTHOUSE$
(%0898751478; www.complexdiva.com; ul Dunav 19, Srebârna; s/d 25/35 lv)
This Srebârna village guesthouse, restaurant and general store lacks architectural appeal, but does offer excellent value, clean rooms and a great location at the centre of the village. Each of the 12 rooms is simply furnished but has smart hardwood floors and comfortable beds. The restaurant is the only place in town to grab a bite. No credit cards.
KalimaritsaGUESTHOUSE$
(%086-762 554; www.housekalimaritsa.bg; ul Dunav 12, Vetren; d/apt 40/65 lv)
A Vetren restaurant that doubles as a guesthouse, the Kalimaritsa's grapevine-bedecked courtyard garden is lovely. Rooms are a bit musty and old-fashioned with their big floral carpets and garish fabrics, but they're passable for an overnight stay. Dining features grilled meats and fish (mains 5 lv to 8 lv).
oPelican Lake GuesthouseB&B$$
(%0885671058, 086-772 322; www.srebarnabirding.com; ul Petko Simov 16, Srebârna; s/d/ste 40/60/100 lv; paW)
The cosy English-owned Pelican Lake Guesthouse has two adjoining rooms with a shared bathroom. The hosts provide a wealth of local knowledge and activities, and birdwatching tours are free for guests. There's a small shared kitchen and a relaxing garden. Breakfast is 8 lv extra and evening meals are available on request. No credit cards.
8Information
There's no formal tourist information office in the area. Neither Srebârna village nor Vetren have ATMs.
8Getting There & Away
There is no bus station in either Srebârna village or Vetren. Buses traversing the main Silistra–Ruse route drop passengers on the roadside 1.5km from the centre of Srebârna village.
To reach Vetren, enter Srebârna village and keep following the main street, ul Dunavska. After 4km, you’ll reach Vetren, which stops at the river.
Silistra СИЛИСТРА
Pop 35,000
Sitting on the Danube, with picturesque views across the water to the Romanian shore, sedate Silistra feels a little out on a limb and visitors are thin on the ground. There's more than meets the eye here, though. Silistra was an important city, known as Durostorum, during Roman times and served as a fortress for the Roman province of Moesia. This rich historical heritage can be seen at the Archaeologicial Museum and in a preserved Roman tomb from the 4th century.
1Sights
Scattered ruins, including a hulking section of the 6th-century fortress wall and a number of early churches, can be seen between the main square and the riverfront.
Silistra has one of Bulgaria's prettiest riverside parks, and one of the treats of a visit here is simply to stroll the banks and look out over the Danube.
oArchaeological MuseumMUSEUM
(%086-820 386; ul Simeon Veliki 72; adult/child 2/1 lv; h9.30am-noon & 12.30-5pm Tue-Sat)
The Archaeological Museum houses an impressive array of locally excavated Roman and Slavic artefacts, housed on two floors and helpfully signposted in English. Highlights include a rebuilt-to-scale Roman chariot (the original fittings are in a glass case) on the ground floor, and a stunning collection of gold and silver coins that go back to the time of Alexander the Great.
The museum also organises group tours (minimum of five people) to the nearby Roman tomb of Durostorum (Silistra's Roman name). The tomb dates from the turbulent 4th century and is noteworthy for its remarkable frescoes, depicting the master and his wife, who were buried here, as well as their servants. Tours are infrequent and must be booked in advance at the museum.
Art GalleryGALLERY
(ul Simeon Veliki 49, cnr pl Svoboda; 1 lv; h9-11.30am & 2-5.30pm Mon-Fri)
The Art Gallery is in a grand yellow-and-white Viennese-style building on the central square. Inside you can view hundreds of 19th-century and contemporary Bulgarian artworks. Some of the modern works, especially, are breathtaking, though sadly there's not much English signage.
4Sleeping
Sleeping options in Silistra are limited to a few relatively expensive hotels.
Hotel SilistraHOTEL$$
(%086-833 033; hotel_silistra@abv.bg; ul Dobruzhda 41; s/d/apt 45/60/90 lv; W)
In the centre of town on the 5th floor of a shiny business centre, this place has nine big, fresh-looking rooms with laminated-wood floors. There's a restaurant and nightclub on the ground floor.
oHotel DrustarLUXURY HOTEL$$$
(%086-812 200; www.hoteldrustar.com; ul Kapitan Mamarchev 10; s/d 130/160 lv; pnais)
This modern five-star hotel, set in parkland overlooking the Danube, offers attractive, spacious rooms with balconies; ask for a river view, and watch the aerial display put on by the numerous resident swallows. Facilities include a big outdoor pool and an excellent restaurant. Half-board packages are especially good value.
5Eating
Silistra isn't exactly overflowing with excellent restaurants, but there are a couple worth seeking out.
oRiversideBULGARIAN$$
(%0888002691; ul Geno Cholakov 1; mains 6-12 lv; h11am-midnight; W)
This casual, modern restaurant, just off the park lining the Danube River and near to the Drustar Hotel, serves
excellent Bulgarian food, including perfectly spiced veal meatballs and fresh salads. Sit inside or outdoors at a small group of tables within the park. It's situated on one end of the Central Park shopping centre.
SladostBULGARIAN$$
(%086-822 177; ul Hristo Smirnenski; mains 7-14 lv; h11am-10pm)
Sladost is best known around town for its cakes and baked goods, but it also runs an excellent restaurant serving some of the city's best grilled fish and fish soup. It's located 700m east of the Hotel Drustar on an unnamed street that lines the Danube. From the centre, walk north on ul Hristo Smirnenski to the river.
8Information
There's no tourist information office. Silistra is a large town, with plenty of banks, ATMs, shops and pharmacies in the centre.
FERRY CROSSING TO ROMANIA
The frontier crossing with Romania stands 1km east of Silistra centre (follow ul Drastar). From there it is possible to catch a car-passenger ferry to the Romanian city of Călăraşi. The ferry runs every 30 minutes or so, though boats usually wait until they are full. At the time of research the fare per car was about 25 lei, payable only in Romanian currency; there are exchange booths nearby.
8Getting There & Away
Hourly buses and minibuses leave Silistra bus station (%086-820 280; www.bgrazpisanie.com; ul Moskova 1) for the Yug bus station in Ruse (12 lv, two hours). Buses also head to Varna (10 lv, two hours, one or two daily), Sofia (36 lv, six hours, three or four daily) and Shumen (12 lv, two to three hours, two or three daily).
From the train station (%086-821 813; www.bdz.bg; ul Haralampi Dzhamdzhiev 1; h9am-8.30pm), one daily train goes to Ruse (four hours, 12 lv).
Understand Bulgaria
Bulgaria Today
The EU is losing its lustre, and accusations of political corruption grumble on. But among younger people, there’s still plenty of reason to feel optimistic about modern Bulgaria.
History
From feisty Thracians and Bulgars to Greek colonisers and invading Romans, Byzantines and Turks, Bulgarians certainly have an eventful past.
Outdoor Activities & Wildlife
Bulgaria is almost tailor-made for the outdoors enthusiast. Hiking, climbing, skiing, scuba diving or birdwatching – you can try them all here.
Visual Arts, Craft & Music
Centuries of devotion have produced beautiful icons and murals adorning Bulgarian churches, while traditional folk music is truly joyous.
The Bulgarian People
The Bulgarians are proud of their Slavic heritage and are a sociable, laid-back people, who seem to never miss a chance to party.
Bulgarian Wine
They’ve been making wine here for thousands of years, and there are excellent varieties to sample all round the country.
Bulgarian Cuisine
Head to a traditional mehana (tavern) and try some tasty specialities like chicken kavarma or a bowl of chilled tarator.
Bulgaria Today
With a proliferation of new cultural projects and vacillating feelings about its EU membership, Bulgaria’s social and political landscape is rapidly evolving. Sceptics feel Bulgaria’s new dawn as part of the EU is losing its lustre; meanwhile accusations of political corruption grumble on. But among young people, there’s plenty of reason to feel optimistic about modern Bulgaria.
Best on Film
The World is Big & Salvation Lurks around the Corner (2008) A man takes his amnesiac grandson on a journey to rediscover the past.
The Goat Horn (1972) Harrowing tale of revenge in Ottoman-occupied Bulgaria.
Peach Thief (1964) An evocative romance between a Bulgarian Army officer and a prisoner, set during WWI.
Best in Print
Street Without a Name: Childhood & Other Misadventures in Bulgaria (Kapka Kassabova; 2008) Thought-provoking memoir of a young woman’s experiences in communism's last years.
Circus Bulgaria (Deyan Enev; 2010) Surrealist collection of stories based on Bulgarian legends and oddities.
The Porcupine (Julian Barnes; 1992) The former ruler of a fictional postcommunist country goes on trial.
Best in Music
Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares (1990) A now-legendary set of folk recordings from the national female choir.
Gadna Poroda by Azis (2011) The best chalga (Bulgarian pop-folk) album by the country's biggest star.
Song of the Crooked Dance (1927–42) A collection of vintage folk songs and traditional dances.
Growing Pains
Accession to the EU in 2007 was a crowning achievement for post-communist Bulgaria. But years later, Bulgarians regard their progress with a thoughtful eye. In 2015 Bulgaria had the lowest GDP in the EU, and an International Day of Happiness survey found Bulgarians with Europe’s lowest levels of contentment. High fuel prices – which formed part of the bitter groundswell of protests that toppled Boyko Borisov’s first term as prime minister in 2013 – continue to hinder small businesses.
Along with Romania, Bulgaria’s first few years of EU membership were subject to migration controls. These were lifted in 2014, allowing Bulgarians to work permit-free across the EU. But after years of being held at arm’s length by longer-term EU members, the country now finds itself wrestling with the thorny topic of migration into Bulgaria. An 80km wire fence was built along the Bulgaria–Turkey border in 2016, a crude attempt to curb illegal migration; at the time of writing, there were plans for a fence along the Greek border, too.
Freedom of movement has turned out to be a double-edged sword. Young Bulgarians thrive on their new-found mobility, many choosing to work abroad in Spain, Germany, Italy and beyond. The older generation are increasingly unnerved by the trend, some claiming they are unable to find young Bulgarians to work in small businesses at home. Others blame Bulgarian gloom on the fragmentation of families, a by-product of ambitious Bulgarians roving elsewhere to earn money.
Positive effects in recent years mustn’t be overlooked. An injection of EU funding for cultural treasures, Sofia's expanded metro system, Plovdiv being crowned European Capital of Culture 2019, the smoking ban in restaurants and bars – the victories are considerable. Accusations of corruption still bubble beneath the surface though, and EU membership has not proved the silver bullet Bulgarians were hoping for. More change is coming now that Bulgaria has met requirements to join the Schengen Zone. Meanwhile economic instability has prompted a deceleration of the process to adopt the euro as currency. Bulgaria’s 21st-century rebirth was never going to be easy.
Heritage Renaissance
Bulgaria’s cultural treasures have experienced a rough ride, and the fight for their preservation isn’t over. Under Ottoman rule, churches were sacked and Bulgarian language quashed. After being wrested from Ottoman oppression, art and architecture flourished under the National Revival period, but the rise and fall of communism made the country’s cultural life stagnate.
Many National Revival–era buildings languished in paperwork limbo after the fall of communism. Archaeological discoveries around this time, such as a string of tombs discovered in the 1990s in Kazanlâk’s Valley of Thracian Kings, suffered from a lack of funding and publicity. Limited investment in safeguarding cultural heritage, combined with a hunger from private collectors, resulted in thieves seizing priceless treasures, with Roman coins and Thracian masks especially prone to disappearing from museums.
But over the last few years, green shoots have sprouted for Bulgaria’s cultural treasures. A rare Thracian-Roman silver mask-helmet, stolen in 1995, was recovered in 2015 and redisplayed in Plovdiv’s Museum of Archaeology. Roman ruins uncovered during the construction of Sofia’s metro system, the Ancient Serdica Complex, opened to great excitement in 2016. Historic neighbourhoods have been spruced up, such as Plovdiv’s Kapana area, where young artists were incentivised to move into faded properties and transform them into galleries and cafes. Archaeological finds in recent years have reignited excitement in Bulgarian history, too: excavation of the country’s largest Thracian burial mound, Ma
ltepe, and further digs at Ruse’s Roman city Sexaginta Prista were among 2016’s highlights.
An uphill battle remains for Bulgaria’s historic riches. For every site restored with a little help from the EU piggy bank, others lie waiting their turn. Meanwhile, historians despair that tourist revenue never seems to convert back into investment for further archaeological endeavours. Still, though progress is slow and frustrations abound, the road ahead for Bulgaria’s heritage is brighter than it has ever been.
Population
7.19 million
Area
110,879 sq km
GDP Growth (2016)
3.5%
Inflation Rate (2015)
-0.2%
Average monthly salary (2016)
748 lv (€383)
History
Bulgaria’s history is awash in blood, gold and wine. Its most famous ancient inhabitants, the Thracians, were a civilisation of masterful horsemen, wine-drinkers and lovers of song, who left behind hauls of gold. Across Bulgaria loom grand churches and fortresses, commissioned by medieval Bulgarian tsars whose battles spanned centuries, while the most colourful way in which Bulgaria’s history lives on is through National Revival architecture. Countless towns glow with pastel-coloured mansions from the 1800s, contrasting against brutalist blocks that came during post-WWII communism.