Bulgaria lies in the south east of Europe and
is home to an enviable Mediterranean climate which shifts more towards
continental as you move toward the interior. Home to some of the oldest cities
in all of Europe, the
country is remarkable with some beautifully well preserved towns and historic
settlements for you to take in on your travels.
Bulgaria has a border with Romania
which is marked by the Danube and a coastline upon the Black Sea. On the west it is bordered by Serbia and Montenegro,
and on the south by Greece,
so as you can imagine the country is home to some of the most beautiful
scenery in the world and complemented by weather conditions to match.
The coast of Bulgaria
is home to the largest area of low land- a contrast to the west and south which
see mountainous country that rises to over 7000 feet. As you increase in
altitude you increase in temperature extremes along with higher levels of
precipitation, so in the low lands you see much more moderate rainfall and more
mild conditions. Summers do have a tendency to get quite hot, and winters
fairly cold.
Coastal Region
Along the coast is where you will find
conditions that are most reminiscent of parts of the Mediterranean, and it is here that you will
find a few coastal resorts scattered which are perfect for summer getaways. The
town of Varna lies upon
the Black Sea coast and experiences warmer winters than any other part of the
country, however when the cold air blows down from the Russian Federation you
will be hit with bitterly cold conditions and during this time it is not
uncommon for the Danube and other smaller lakes and rivers to freeze over completely.
The winter months in Varna, on
average see daily lows of -1 ºC and highs of 6 ºC. Rainfall
is at its peak in December, with 63mm of precipitation recorded on average,
but drops dramatically in January when average precipitation across the month
is only 28 mm across about 8 days of the month. Rainfall stays fairly minimal
until June where it again picks up to an average of 64mm across the month. With
the introduction of summer comes daily highs of into the high 20’s and often
into the 30’s, complete with about 10 to 11 hours of uninterrupted sunlight.
One of the most popular
tourist getaways in Bulgaria
is the town of Burgas and the popular resort town of Sunny
Beach. Home to
beautiful golden sandy beaches, warm ocean temperatures and hours of sunlight
in the summer months, this part of the country is a favourite holiday
destination for both locals and international travelers alike.
Inland Region
As you move westward
you will gradually reach the higher lying parts of the country, including the
Bulgaria’s beautiful and historic capital, Sofia,
lies in the far west. Sofia
sits in the Sofia Valley,
surrounded on all four sides by mountains. Sofia’s climate is
continental- meaning it experiences high temperature amplitudes across the
year. January, on average, is the coldest month of the year, while August sees Sofia
experience highs in excess of 30 ºC for days on end. Winter in Sofia
really begins around November, when temperatures
drop down to 1.2 ºC in the night times and the daily
maximum only reaches 9.6 ºC. Winter is one of the driest times of the year
in Sofia, with January
actually recording the lowest precipitation for the year, at only 28mm, and
similar conditions in February with 31 mm of rain. While snow can be expected
in many areas across the country, due to Sofia’s
higher elevation it is possible to see snow cover well into spring, and you can
make the most of the winter snowfall by engaging in the variety of winter
sports that the region offers.
Rainfall
picks up in the
summer time, by May the city is being washed with 73mm of rain which picks up
to 75mm by June and stays above 50mm throughout the rest of the season. While
average precipitation is at its highest in late spring and early summer,
average days of rain is pretty consistent across the year, with each month
normally seeing about 10 days of rain, other than May and June which see 14 and
13 respectively.
The mercury begins to
rise by late May and June brings daily highs of 26.7 ºC before peaking at daily
highs of 30 ºC in August. Night time brings cooler temperatures of 12ºC to 13 ºC,
so this is a welcome relief from the days heats. Sofia is one of the oldest cities in Europe, possible to be traced back over 7000
years, so as a result you can wander the well preserved walls and take in the
architecture that dates back before 7th century BC.
Along with being home to some of the
oldest cities in Europe, Bulgaria
also plays host to about 540 different rivers- most of which are fairly short
and very shallow in parts- making many of them perfect for cooling down in on a
summer’s day. Along with a dense network of rivers Bulgaria
houses about 50 spa towns and resorts which a popular getaways in the warmer
months.
back to top
