A horse riding holiday in Bulgaria is without doubt a perfect way to discover one of the best kept secrets in Eastern Europe. Bulgaria is changing from its communist past and associations with Russia / Soviet Union. As a result tourism is expanding, so now is the perfect time to come on one of Unicorn's riding holidays before the crowds arrive. If you really want to go far, far away and forget all about traffic, budgets and time, head to the mountains with the freshest air and the clearest rivers. There are not a lot of places like this left in Europe but we know a few of them in Bulgaria. Our riding holidays here are trail rides. Trail holidays are always a great way for single riders to participate and make new friends. These trails can also accommodate the heavier rider. Its culture of horsemanship, pleasant climate, the Balkan cuisine, the good wine and the famous Bulgarian hospitality are all waiting for you.
Bulgaria is a small country situated on the Balkan Peninsula in Eastern Europe. Its neighbour to the north on the opposite banks of the Danube is Romania. To its south you'll find the popular tourist countries of Turkey and Greece. To the east the Black Sea laps on Bulgaria's golden beaches. To the west are Macedonia and Serbia. The climate in Bulgaria is perfect for horse riding holidays - never too extreme despite being located in the far south east of Europe.
Bulgaria, along with Romania, cemented its links with Europe when it joined the European Union on New Year's Day 2007. This extended the EU further east - as far as the Black Sea. Bulgarians celebrated with a pyramid of light over their capital city, Sophia. Bulgaria offers great value for money and whilst you can pay in the official currency of the Bulgarian 'lev', euros are also accepted which is often a plus point for European tourists wishing to pay in euros. English is widely spoken, especially in the cities and large towns. You'll have fun trying to decipher the cyrillic alphabet though when you see it written on things such as road signs or in shop windows!
A real attraction for Bulgaria is its diversity. The country has several mountain ranges including the Balkan range which crosses the entire country from the western borders to the Black Sea in the east. All the mountain ranges are different, some are great for skiing, others are lower and greener with thermal spas. The ancient region of Thrace dates back several centuries BC and contains many treasures and relics to delight tourists and historians. The Bulgarian people living in each area of the country have their own customs, dialects and folklore - but unite in offering a warm welcome to tourists.
Here is a sample of the horse riding holidays in Bulgaria that Unicorn offers you. There are trail rides for confident intermediate riders who can challenge themselves and increase the pace if wanted. If you are after a great fun week on willing horses and an authentic experience at a slightly slower pace pick the Bulgarian Trail or Mountain and Wildlife Trail - Bulgaria. Either way, don't miss Bulgaria on horseback!
Bulgarian Trail
This horse riding holiday called our Bulgarian Trail ride, follows the ancient trails that for hundreds of years have connected the north with the south. You'll ride through towns with interesting architecture and old monasteries, and spend the night there. It starts from a small town on the northern side of the Balkan Mountains, and brings you to the highest point in the range, Mount Botev (2376 m). It continues through the Valley of Roses to the Sredna Gora mountains where you'll stay in a mountain chalet at Svezhen 1100 metres high. This area is one of the biggest producers of rose oil in the world. In fact the soil and climate are more favourable for rose cultivation than in Tunisia from where the rose originates! Then we ride into historic Thrace where the views of the Valley of the Thracian Kings are really impressive. The trail continues through the Central Balkan National Park before returning back to base. A superb trail riding holiday in Bulgaria.
Mountain and Wildlife Trail - Bulgaria
Yet another excellent horse riding trail ride in Bulgaria, this time taking you through the wonderful Balkan Mountains on the northern side. You'll ride on the top of the mountains as close as possible to a protected reserve high up in the mountains which is characterized by singing rocks - a set of unique natural formations that crown the ancient beech forest. You have a good chance to see rare animals such as the chamois, the brown bear and the golden eagle. Also roe deer, red deer, wild boar, wild cat and a large numbers of rare birds live in this area. The riding to the reserve is very varied as to the terrain and pace. The hilly paths and the open land on the top of the mountains are just perfect for big riding experiences. A wonderful combination of culture, nature and challenging riding await you on this riding holiday in the Bulgarians mountains.
Rhodopes Mountain Trail - Bulgaria
On this superb horseback holiday in the Rhodopes Mountains of Bulgaria you will experience first hand the warm hospitality and life of Bulgarian villages. The untouched nature of the towering Rhodope Mountains, is just beautiful. You'll see rare birds, wildlife and rich flora. In addition visit Bulgaria's second largest monastery, the Bachkovo Monastery. Eastern Europe and Bulgaria have a tradition of excellent horsemanship and the riding is at all paces where the terrain permits on responsive, fit horses bred in the area. Accommodation on this Bulgarian riding holiday is in simple guest houses with great character and a traditional welcome from local families.
Add-ons to your riding holiday
At Unicorn we know that many of our clients like to follow their riding holiday with non-riding activities or tours. In Bulgaria we suggest either a relaxing wind-down lazing on a golden beach along Black Sea after a hectic ride or how about a few nights in Sophia? Of course if you fancy something something else just let us know and we will arrange it for you.
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