Tourist Information

Bulgaria is now part of the EU. It is a country of lush, green meadows, stunning mountain scenery and soft, sandy beaches. It has attracted substantial investment, and now offers glamorous shopping malls, stylish yachting marinas and several PGA golf courses.

Ukraine is currently the eighth most popular tourist destination in the entire world, and is destined to become even more popular. Ukraine offers magnificent mountains, suitable for winter and summer tourism, beautiful beaches on the Crimean peninsula and an amazing collection of palaces, museums and parks.

Bulgaria

Bulgaria is a small country situated in south-eastern Europe. Bulgaria occupies the central part of Balkan peninsula on both sides of the Balkan Range. To the north, Bulgaria shares a border with Romania. The largest part of this border runs along the River Danube. To the south, Bulgaria borders with Greece and Turkey. The western borders lead to Serbia and Macedonia. To the east is the area most familiar to British travellers - the Black Sea coast.

A map of bulgaria

Bulgaria is an exceptionally scenic country, with majestic mountains and beautiful beaches. The Black Sea Coast is famous for its fine, sandy beaches, and for the warm temperatures of both the sea and the air. The larger seaside resorts attract many tourists from western Europe, and there are an increasing number of visitors to the smaller, less commercial resorts as well.

Many British holidaymakers will be aware of the spectacular scenery and winter sports facilities offered by resorts such as Bansko, Borovets and Pamporovo. There are also a large number of smaller ski resorts that are currently under-developed and tend to attract mainly local visitors.

Bulgaria is also famous for its spa waters. For many years, local people (and visitors from other Eastern European countries) have enjoyed the benefits of the natural mineral springs. Water temperatures range from 20 degrees Celsius to 60 degrees Celcius. Spa tourism is expected to be one of the growth areas over the next few years.

A number of championship-level golf courses are being built throughout Bulgaria. Some of these will be within a short distance of the sea-side resorts and others will be in the mountains, close to the ski resorts. In all cases, golfers will enjoy first-class facilities in beautiful surroundings.

Ukraine

Ukraine is situated in Eastern Europe. It borders seven countries, including Romania, Poland and Russia. Ukraine comprises 24 regions, known as Oblasts, and the Crimea, which is a self-governing republic. Ukraine is a very popular tourist destination for travellers from Canada, the USA, Europe and Asia.

Ukraine offers:

• Beautiful mountain scenery and parkland
• Castles, palaces and historic buildings with spectacular architecture
• World-class resorts along the Black Sea coast

Beach resorts in Ukraine can be found in Crimea and Odessa. Crimea’s mild climate and many mineral springs made the area a centre for health tourism in the former Soviet Union. Major investment has brought an excellent range of sports facilities, yachting marinas and leisure amenities to the area. Crimea also has historic sites such as the remains of old Greek towns Tyra, Olvia, Chersonesos, and Panticapaea. Until now the beach resorts catered almost exclusively for Russian tourists, but as more people become aware of the many attractions offered by the Crimea, this is sure to change.

The Carpathian mountains are already popular with tourists from the United States, Canada and Western Europe. There has been extensive investment and development of hotels in Lviv and other cities. The medieval centre of Lviv is included in the UNESCO list of historic treasures. The Carpathian mountains provide excellent skiing facilities. The snow cover is reliable and the ski season is long. Popular ski resorts include Slavsko(near Lviv) and Yaremcha. The Crimea, in addition to its beach tourism, will soon offer ski resorts in the Crimean mountains.

During the summer the Carpathian mountains are perfect for many other outdoor pursuits such as mountain biking, horse-riding and off-road activities. The rivers and streams of the Carpathians are ideal for canoeing and white-water rafting.

Although Ukraine is not reknowned for its cuisine, there are interesting dishes based on cereal mixed with vegetables such as potatoes, cabbage and mushrooms. These can be accompanied by fried or stewed meats. Desserts are often made from fruit such as cherries and plums, and sweetened by honey.