Shumen, Bulgaria, is the proper metropolis to expertise actual Bulgarian customized, away from the vacationer bubble and traps. Take a look at my knowledge to the town and begin planning your journey!

One summer season season season, I stayed all through the Shumen space for months. All by means of that point, I took half in archeological excavations in Veliki Preslav, the capital of the First Bulgarian Emp.

Then I went on to go to a whole lot of cities in Bulgaria and neighboring locations: Veliki Preslav and Shumen, truly, nevertheless furthermore Madara, Sofia, Veliko Tarnovo, Pliska, Varna, Sunny Seashore & Nessebar, Athens, and Bucharest.

Shumen is a metropolis positioned in northeastern Bulgaria, an hour away from Varna. It won’t be the primary metropolis to pop up on a typical vacationer itinerary, however that’s exactly why it’s so particular. It’s a hidden gem in a position to be found.

Personally, it’s the very good metropolis to expertise actual Bulgarian customized, away from the vacationer bubble and traps. In case you’re looking for a base for lots of weeks, it’s the proper spot: it’s pretty priced, you presumably can preserve like an area, and the cherry on prime – to your following locations, you’ll uncover simple bus journeys to Romania, Greece, and Turkey.

Moreover, for many who wish to be taught concerning the early days of the First Bulgarian Empire, the Shumen province is the place for that.

All in all, Shumen is a superb place to go to in Bulgaria.

Finest Time To Go to Shumen

Shumen is gorgeous year-round, however the simplest time to go to is through the spring and summer season season season, as a result of it should can help you study from the gorgeous nature all through the metropolis.

Extreme Sights In Shumen

You’ll uncover on this knowledge my ideas for the simplest locations to see and vacationer components of curiosity in Shumen:

Factors To Do In Shumen

1. 1300 Years Of Bulgaria Monument

Let’s begin with most definitely most likely probably the most visited monument in Shumen and with most definitely most likely probably the most well-known monuments all through the nation.

The 1300 Years of Bulgaria monument, as you presumably guessed, commemorates the 1300th anniversary of the Bulgarian state. Born out of the brutalist motion, the monument retells the historic earlier of Bulgari in cubist and modernist designs, representing absolutely fully completely different durations over the previous few centuries. The sheer dimension of the monument alone makes it an awe-inspiring sight, so undoubtedly nicely well worth the detour.

It’s positioned on the acute Shumen Plateau, so have the flexibility to climb to get to the monument.

The Plateau might be an stunning park with many climbing trails, and it’s the starting line for paragliding expeditions. In case you ask me, it’s the proper out of doors prepare!

2. Madara Nationwide Historic & Archaeological Park

Just a few kilometers east of Shumen, solely a quick drive away, is the Madara Nationwide Historic and Archaeological Park, by which you’ll uncover the Madara Fortress and Madara Rider (or Madara Horseman), depicting a knight triumphing over a lion immediately carved on the Madara plateau, correct proper right into a 100-m-high cliff.

This carving entered the UNESCO World Heritage itemizing, as it’s the solely medieval rock work of its choice with no fully completely different parallel in Europe. The inscriptions all through the rock help retell important occasions of the First Empire and its ki,ngs Tervel, Kormi,sos, and Omurtag.

The park might be dwelling to fairly just a few landscapes, from forests and meadows to caves and waterfalls. There are limitless choices to hike the Plateau, bike, and even bird-watch alongside the paths!

3. Shumen Fortress

Perched on prime of a hill overlooking the town, the Fortress is a crucial monument as appropriately. It dates as soon as extra to the early Coronary heart Ages, all through the eighth century,y and because it has been witness to many battles and sieges, its ruins are an web web site of curiosity and 100% value a go to.

This stunning place affords an intriguing peak into Bulgaria’s earlier and a big ranging view of the town and the encircling countryside.

4. Tombul Mosque

Inbuilt 1744, the Tombul Mosque might be going one among many largest and most stunning Ottoman mosques in Bulgaria and a masterpiece of Islamic building.

The attractive inside and peaceable courtyard are wonderful for lots of hours of solace if you want them.

5. Biserna Cave

Chances are you’ll assume visiting a cave is a somber affair. Accurately, not the Biserna Cave.

Because of lights put in and the sparkly stalactite formations, the entire place is glowing. It’s undoubtedly an attention-grabbing sight, with the stalactites dripping water, the underground river, and the echo that each noise makes.

6. Regional Historic Museum

This museum reveals the wealthy historic earlier of Shumen and its province. It affords good notion into the facility of the First Empire, with artifacts and objects of curiosity from surrounding cities equal to Veliki Preslav, Pliska, Madara, and so forth.

The doorway value to the museum is spherical 2 to three euros.

7. Tasting The Native Delicacies

Shumen is the easiest metropolis to mannequin actual, native meals Bulgarian meals, as a result of the town, for most definitely most likely probably the most half, doesn’t pay money for and doesn’t cater to vacationers. Having visited a whole lot of cities in Bulgaria, I discovered that consuming areas in Shumen are the closest you will get to my Bulgarian mates’ do-it-yourself meals.

Within the occasion you’re there, don’t overlook to try the Banitsa, a filo pastry that you would be able to eat for breakfast.

My private favourite, Kavarma, is a meat stew slowly cooked to carry out the flavors. Completely implausible; I terribly advocate it.

In case you’re courageous, give Shkembe Chorba a try: it’s a soup produced from tripe and flavored with garlic, vinegar, and chili – two years later, I’m nonetheless decrease up on whether or not or not or not I remorse consuming it or not!

And via scorching summer season season season days, it might be best to eat Tarator, a chilly soup produced from yogurt and cucumbers – sort of like Tzatziki however as a soup. One small uncover: ensure that to ask for lots a lot much less salt as folks there might make it fairly salty, in my expertise.

Lastly, you MUST try Rakia, the Bulgarian alcohol that will make your head flip. No journey to Bulgaria may presumably be full with out testing it. In case you might someway get ahold of do-it-yourself Rakia – and likewise you would possibly, for a lot of who make mates in Shumen – even bigger!

Day Journeys And  Areas To Go to Shut by

The great thing about Shumen is that it’s a hub for buses and truly appropriately related by apply as appropriately, so you’ve got obtained gotten entry to fully completely different good cities merely.

From there, I managed to understand fully completely different good locations equal to Varna, Veliko Tarnovo, Sunny Seashore, Athens, and Bucharest.

Pliska

Half an hour away from Shumen is Pliska, the primary capital of the First Empire, the place you’ll be able to uncover the stays of the Grand Basilica, actually one among many largest early Christian church buildings in Europe.

Veliki Preslav

Veliki Preslav, the second capital of that very same Empire, might be a mere 30 min away.

Fulfilling actuality! Veliki Preslav is the place the Cyrillic alphabet was invented by means of the reign of Simeon The Good (one among many important glorious, if not THE most glorious, determine in Bulgaria’s historic earlier).

Nevertheless, personally, most definitely most likely probably the most satisfying situation to go to in Veliki Preslav is the Kostadinov rock monastery, an historic sanctuary immediately carved into the cliffs.

Varna

A well-liked coastal metropolis, Varna is solely an hour’s drive away.

All by means of my journey, I discovered the Balchik Palace and Botanical Gardens to be ns most definitely most likely probably the most attention-grabbing locations to go to. The archeological museum of Varna furthermore hosts the oldest gold treasure ever discovered.

Sunny Seashore And Nessebar

Whereas I favored Varna, for those who’ve purchased restricted time, I’d recommend skipping it to go straight to Sunny Seashore and Nessebar. They appear to be a bit additional away (2 hours), in order that they act bigger as a weekend journey spot, however there you’ll uncover stunning seashores, historic web pages and implausible nightlife.

Nesseba,r considerably,r is an under-appreciated treasure.

Veliko Tarnovo

Veliko Tarnovo, which is positioned 2 hours away by apply, is a gem, and so, so value visiting.

It is most likely one among many largest locations to see in Bulgaria. It’s a historic metropolis with an stunning medieval coronary coronary heart overlooking the river. It is usually dwelling to the Tsarevets Fortress and the Ascension Cathedral, one among many important attention-grabbing church buildings I’ve had the probability to go to.

The place To Protect In Shumen

Shumen affords numerous lodging alternatives for each funds and choice.

I terribly advocate Buyer Residence Bulgarka, it is sort of additional away from the town coronary coronary heart, however that furthermore means it’s all through the countryside. It is usually very stunning and atypical, and that’s why I want to recommend it.

For one issue additional centrally positioned, Avenue is a superb different.

Navigating Spherical Shumen

Getting spherical Shumen is straightforward, due to the town’s compact dimension and ambiance nice public transport system.

I wish to suggest renting a bike to get spherical and uncover the encircling space and take a whole lot of hours to study from the peaceable ambiance, observing the native wildlife, and having pleasing with the Bulgarian countryside.

Shumen FAQs & Vacationers Ideas

• Know Some Bulgarian: in my expertise, few folks in Shumen speak English, so I’d positively ensure that to be taught a whole lot of sentences in Bulgarian, or at the very least have an superior connection and a translating app on me on a regular basis!
• Lev Is The Abroad money: Bulgarians don’t use euros; they use Lev. Change your cash prior to the journey or use a world card like Clever.
• Use The Vacationer Knowledge Middle: you presumably can all the time get up-to-date knowledge all through the vacationer info coronary coronary heart
• Pay money for A Bulgarian Taxi App: Uber shouldn’t be accessible in Bulgaria, so it’s essential to amass a Bulgarian taxi app. TaxiMe is the one I used most incessantly all by means of Bulgaria, and I discovered it ambiance nice and helpful
• Get A SIM Card: for a lot of who run out of web knowledge, you presumably can merely get a SIM card with a sure amount of information; no ID or proof of residence is required

Why Shumen Deserves A Spot On Your Journey Pointers

There are quite a few factors to do in Shumen, however above all; the town affords the chance to expertise actual Bulgarian customized in a means you gained’t uncover in a number of vacationer locations.

It is usually the proper place to remain to prepare day and weekend journeys to those fully completely different widespread spots that you just merely positively must go to as appropriately. We now ought to do each, in spite of everything!

All in all, Shumen is a superb place to spend so much of weeks wandering spherical, consuming, exercising, utilizing, and experiencing Bulgarian customized and historic earlier.