Visited Bulgaria a few years ago and was able to see quite a few regions, I was impressed by the cultural richness (they have some of the most complex and interesting folk music in the world by the way), the diversity of the geography, good food, and my money went quite far there. Definitely an underrated European destination!
@@keepcreationprocess yeap concur here as a Bulgarian myself hate the way they always try to cheat, cheating is ingrained in Bulgarians psychology and that all foreigners are stupid and wouldn't notice being taken for a ride. It drives me mad.
@@keepcreationprocess I'm Bulgarian and never got scammed. Can you share what types of scams have you encountered? It would be helpful for for other travellers. Oh wait... Taxi drivers... My advice is for every foreigner to install an app called Maxim it's our Russian version of Uber. We don't have Uber in Bulgaria because of the taxi cartel which is owned by politicians, but the one I mentione above works like a charm. You always know what the final price is and it's always cheaper than taxis. Good luck mate and please reply with what types of scams you're familiar so everyone can avoid them!
Better go to Plovdiv. Our capital city is a good place to stay but it has it downfalls at almost every corner of it. The centre is nice and the parts near Vitosha mountain but all the other places are pretty much buildings from the Solviet Union - ugly and boring(still have a nice touch with the history tho).
Hey Gabriel and dear Gabriel's followers for those of you who are more interested in the Bulgarian mountains here is some information. Rila mountain with the highest peak of 2925 called Mussala (translated from Turkish near to the god) is the highest mountain on the Balkan peninsula, the second one is the Mytikas 2918 in Greece mountain Olymp and the third one is the one from this video peak of Vihren 2913m. So Rila and Pirin montains are famous for its Alpine views. The wooden border in our country is up to 1800-1900m. Rila and Pirin are both famous for it's lakes. Rila 2629 km2 square meters and Pirin is a bit smaller 2,585 km2. Rila and Pirin are my favorite mountains because of the awesome panoramas when you are above 2000m. Snow cover above 2000m starts at the beginning of November and it still snows at the beginning of May. Normally in February and March the snow cover above 2000m is up to 2m. The warmest weather is July and August, but at the very tops of Pirin and Rila mountains there are weather reports for snow even during the summer months. We do have also Rhodope mountain which is meanly forest, se we call it the lungs of our country. Rhodope mountain is also significantly bigger 14,735 km² square meters. It's top peak is called Golyam Perelik 2191m. Stara Planina is the longest mountain in Bulgaria it stretches from the Serbian border all the way to the Black Sea. There is the longest touristic trek in Bulgaria kom-emine.com/?lang=en Stara Planina devides our country in south and north parts. There is also a big difference during the winter because of this mountain. North Bulgaria are getting much colder weather and more snow. Highest peak of Stara Planina is peak Botev 2376m Vitosha mountain is the one right next to our capital Sofia and it emerged as a result of volcanic activity long long time ago. From Vitosha peak Kamen Del there is a great view of the entire city of Sofia. There also also multiple lower and smaller mountains in our country. In Bansko i can share with you a very nice place which I used to visit at least 7-8 times during the years for just 20 euros per night very clean and good conditions. Wish you nice stay in Bulgaria with more sunny weather ahead :) Hyped to see the next videos.
What a wonderful video! Bravo, Gabriel! The population is 13,000? Seriously? In 2013 when I first came to Bansko there were about 9,000. Who are extra 4,000 people? Digital nomads? I have been to many places in Europe but this is only Bansko captured and warmed my Siberian heart for good. Siberian is coming to Bansko soon! Gabriel, keep travelling around Bulgaria and sharing great emotions with us. Молодец! Красавчик! Спасибо!
My father was from Bulgaria. We went to Bulgaria in 1977 and we needed a visa to go there. We left from Montreal (Quebec) Canada, with a stop over in Francfort and one in Vienna. A very long journey to get there. Nowadays, we can go to Bulgaria with only one stop over fromMontreal to Sofia, Bulgaria. As you say, Bulgaria doesn’t do much for tourism. If you go in July, August and September, the weather is warm, sometimes even hot, sunny and very little rain. It is most underrated but still very affordable. I wonder what brought you to Bulgaria? This country offers history, beaches, mountains and plains. There is the valley of the roses. Such a joy to be there. Thank you for this videao.
I was there last October! The climb from the hut was steep only at the beginning. After that the views and the little lakes were out of this world!! The parking lot of the hut was full, so we parked our car a little lower area😉
Thanks for this Gabriel! I was in Bulgaria in October2019 and was totally captivated by it. Loved Sofia, but especially Plovdiv and Veliko Tărnovo. Really hoping to visit again, and wish you were my travel mate!
Great information on traveling to Bulgaria. I am not sure if I will ever travel to Europe but if i did I would like to visit a country like Bulgaria. Love the hiking! Keep up the videos.
Supergreat video Gabriel, Bulgaria is definitely a place for me to go, i have hiked in the rain many times and after a rainy hike i always feel very refreshed
My wife and I spent a week in Bulgaria in late summer 1991. The only reason we ended up there is because a new Bulgarian airline, Jes Air, was offering super cheap tickets, flying from Ottawa, Canada. Our ultimate destination was Delhi, India. Truly off the beaten path in those days. I remember the only food available at the Sofia airport was cheese sandwiches! Though with plentiful tasty beer on offer, we did just fine :-) and the cheese was really good too -- like a tangy feta. We visited only two places: Sofia and Varna. That was great, but it looks like we missed a lot. Seems we're overdue for a return visit.
"With its cultural and historical heritage dating back 8000 years, Plovdiv is considered to be the oldest continuously inhabited city in Europe and one of the oldest in the world." Just sayin' ;)
Bulgaria is really a great country with very beautiful and diviersified nature with great history . You could find everything - beautiful and diffrent mountains, great seaside etcaitera. I recomend you to visit Nessebar , Sozopol , Plovdiv, Stara Zagora, Veliko Tarnovo ( the former bulgarian capital )
Back in the past, before these mountains were divided by guarded borders, the shepherds would do a yearly transhumance to the south and the flocks would be so enormous, they'd cover entire hill sides. Absolutely massive sea of sheep. Nowadays, it's tiny stuff. They can barely keep the local breeds alive. But still, it's so lovely to meet them in the mountains guarded from bears and wolves by these massive dogs 😍
beautifully presented even with less than camera- perfect weather . The Country was presented in a quality way given the challenges. This is a major reason this channel is successful among others in my opinion. Great job
Definitely underrated! I never been but it is in my list. There is nothing saying more self care than walking through beautiful mountains. I just cane back from Scotland and the walk in Glencoe mountains was epic, I feel refueled!
Hi Gabriel, you're doing a fantastic job in promoting Bulgaria, many countries put importance on promoting tourism like Greece and Turkey. Bulgaria doesn't really seem it promotes tourism to any extent there is truly little you hear about it after video and many others like yours that will change for sure.
I have a few Belgian, German and Austrian journalists who travel often to Bulgaria and work freelance. They all, not one has had a different experience, say that nobody wants positive stories about Bulgaria (and Romania for that matter). They want stories about corruption, gypsies and problems. It's not the paid promotion that brings people, it's interesting stories about the history, the people and the place. That's the unfortunate reality
You're a better man than I, Gabe. That was ME and it was rainin'? I'd roll up a spliff, crack another beer, and keep your backpack company in the car...
@@carlwermar8161 please...nobody wants to ski in the poor Greek ski stations.. where there is almost no snow during winter time. It is ridiculous to compare the bulgarian mountains with the greek ones in term of everything! Authenticity, nature, ski resorts, wildlife, mountain culture... Bulgaria is much better of course.
@@carlwermar8161 lol 😁 I said that the ski stations in greece are poor in term of conditions for ski... and you are talking about economy 😂 Believe me... you cannot comapre bulgarian ski resorts and mountains with the greek onces. It is just ridiculous. The whole balkans come to ski in BG... Taking about emigrants, there are no more bulgarians going to work in greece. This was 20 years ago. Greece is practically bancrupted country with no future for the young generetions. In Bulgaria you can find work very easy for around 600-700 eur net. Our living standard is constantly growing without social and financially help from Europe (like in greece)....
@@carlwermar8161 The greek GDP per capita is more than double that of Bulgaria's? Yes, that was true in 2008. You are 14 years late. According to the latest data from Eurostat, in 2021 the Bulgarian GDP per capita in PPS (adjusted for purchasing power) was 55 of the average for EU. The EU is set at 100 by default. The Greek GDP per capita in PPS is 65. That doesn't seem double now, does it? In fact, Greece is now the second poorest country in the EU after Bulgaria. Even Romania is richer than Greece. Also, the Bulgarian ski resorts are objectively better than the Greek ones, and that is due to simple geography. For the same reason, Bulgaria can never compete properly with Greek summer tourism since Greece has a much bigger coastline and over 200 islands.
@@carlwermar8161 You seem to not understand the concept of purchasing power and are quoting useless nominal amounts. According to estimates from IMF for 2022 (you can easily check these numbers), Bulgarian GDP per capita in PPP is 28,593, and Greek GDP per capita in PPP is 35,596. Learn basic economics first before commenting.
@@carlwermar8161 Where did you see nationalism? On the contrary, you seem to be bothered that people are leaving positive comments about Bulgaria in the comments which is why you felt the need to comment. You are the one that clearly has some issues. Also, I didn't deny Bulgaria is poorer, I simply called you out on your objectively false statement that "Greek GDP per capita is twice as high as Bulgarian GDP per capita". It is true that Greeks would have more purchasing power, but that is only the case if they travel to Bulgaria on holiday. For day-to-day living, the different currencies are irrelevant and what matters is the salaries in the local currency plus the price in the local currency which determines purchasing power. Once again, learn basic economics if you want to comment.
Thank you Gabriel for this beautiful video of my country, it is strange people around the world are still not aware of the diversity of nature and culture in Bulgaria.
When I see a foreigner in Bulgaria I always check if he wears sandals, seems like a very famous type of shoe for Western Europeans. :}Good luck in your travels Gabriel!
Great video's! Just came back from a Balkan trip with my girlfriend myself, visiting Sarande and Tirana in Albania, Pristina in Kosovo and Sofia in Bulgaria (plus a stop of a few hours in Skopje in North Macedonia). Really enjoyed it! Already thinking about going back to the Balkan in the future.
9:32 Iron Maiden shirt! Awesome video Bulgaria is beautiful and super green. This place deserves some more video work for sure like a heaven tucked away in the forest.
Hi, Gabriel. I hope you are still in Bansko, because I can recommend some places in the area that you can visit. One of them is the neighboring town of Dobrinishte. The town itself is very beautiful. It is known for its mineral and healing waters. From Dobrinishte you can also drive to the "Gotse Delchev" hut and from there you can take the lift to the "Bezbog" hut. The hut itself is located at the foot of Mount Bezbog (the name of the peak means "without a God" in Bulgarian), about which there is a legend from the time of the Ottoman Empire. To the hut is located Bezbog lake, which is amazing. Mountain routes also start from the hut in several directions. One of them are the routes to Bezbog Peak itself and Popovo Lake (which also has a legend about it). I hope I was useful to you. 😊
'Dubrovnik is probably an absolute zoo right now.' I lol'ed, glad I visited during the winter! I wish some of these locations were less crowded though; navigating Florence in the summer was a nightmare, but at the same time I wouldn't want to go during a colder season, because it'd take away from the life and beauty of the place.
Mountain weather is always unpredictable year round. The road you drive across is a black ski run called ‘The Tomba’ Great video of Bansko and her mountains 💕
You’re around 1 hour 20 minutes drive from the uniquely Bulgarian village of Kovachavitsa. Very photogenic and worth a visit. I’ve got a house there (where I’m currently staying). I’d be happy to give you more information if you need it.
Couch surfing network? There's a home visit league in Japan too that offers accommodations to travelers and strangers ( at first). Other people have figured this out too, believe it or not. There has been efforts to encourage global citizens and friendship. All over the planet. There was a time when this didn't seem so erratic and suspicious. What's happened? Everyone seems to know the cynical consequences before they happen - and as if we're always in some sort of compromising danger from others. Just try to not be consumed by the fear you choose to live in. Have some confidence in yourself and in your ability to deal with situations that are likely to emerge. 🌲😎🌲 Don't worry, be happy.
Just so you know i wanna thank you for this video. Bulgaria my homeland is really beautiful country im really happy you guys love it. You are always welcome. Come to Ple ven you gonna love it!!!
You have to visit The Rhodope mountains. If you go to The Rhodopes, you have to visit Trigrad, Gela, Snezanka peak and tower as well as Eagles eye and The Devils throat cave as well as the Yagodin cave. There aare a lot of other beautiful places you can visit there. Another aim you should have when filming videos is visiting better restaurants, more famous and luxurious once, because they are more expensive and most people in the big cities rather eat there than in the smaller once. Also the price would be completely different and way more expensive so you will see Bulgaria is not as cheap as it seems, but yes, still way cheaper than Southern and Western Europe.
Gabriel, This is the first time that I can remember you leaving your back pack ! Now , your battery is giving out . You have a great channel ! I really like the history and culture that you add to every video ! Thank you .
There is also "Nessebar" close to a touristy place called "Golden Sands" at the Black sea, a little town that must have been a Byzantine outpost at some moment in time. Went there in the earle nineties, beer cost 20 cents(euros) but in sober moments, i recognised these fantastic ruins and structures.
Loved it up there in the old town so lovely & yes in 90’s 3 pints for £1 uk pound 😱Outstanding. Plus shopska salad & their version of ouzo Mastika that’s amazing. Didn’t like the people so not been back since & many sea lice in sea 🤮.
That was really wonderful!!!!!! Beautiful ...even in the rain...........sooooooo a great 'taste'......of when.... full golden sun!!! Thanks Gabe.......you always have fun n make the best 🥰🎉
I have eaten in the same restaurant in 2012. Your video reminded it to me. It was winter and the mehana was full of people and music all over the place!
The rain looks lovely. It's 105, sunny with no rain for days and days here in Dallas. Send that rain over here, Gabe. We are more than happy to take it.
YES! I'm over here by Fort Worth--and the extreme heat and drought are a killer. The last rain we got was in June--and it wasn't much at all. We would LOVE to have that rain.
I visit bansko almost every winter which is the best time to visit in my opinion.I agree bulgaria ,along with croatia,is heavily underrated.beautiful nature,nice people,good food and also cheap.Consider visiting the black sea coast region(usually its packed with russian tourist but right now i don t think so).Hello from greece gabriel,have a great time
great video - the rain in not your fault - everything is still great, if I might add though, I think vitosha, rhodopes and balkan mountain range have more to offer in terms of picturesque mystical eco trails
Not sure if Bulgaria is the most underrated European country, but it certainly is underrated... A few years ago we had an experience like you this time with sudden rain in the Serbian mountains going to Bosnia... luscious green mountains and cozy little restaurants on the side of the road with live fish to pick and cook... When you go to the Rila Monastery, make sure to visit the ORIGINAL one, built by St John of Rila around the XI century... his story is very similar to that of St Francis of Asisi... and then visit the big monastery that is a holy site in the Orthodox faith, specially the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, but also a patriotic site, because its high walls were instrumental in protecting the Bulgarian language and alphabet as well as their Christian faith during the centuries long Ottoman occupation.
If you are still in the area, I would recommend checking out the Carpathian mountains from Romania, the landscape is spectacular and diverse and also the prices are similar to the ones from Bulgaria.
When travelling, it pays to check the temperature and weather of places to be visited because city weather is different from the mountains. Likewise, you love to hike, you can buy a waterproof cover for your backpack. Also seen a loose waterproof poncho (kinda raincoat) with hoodie, plus got the backpack and own body protected from the rain. I remembered the weather was fine in Glasgow but when we were at the Highlands it rained. Good thing I always bring my folded umbrella in my bag anywhere I go. 👍
Very nice country especially out of the large cities. Visas for long term stays are easy to get. I had a friend that had an apartment there for $200 USD per month. I'm old as some of the rocks up there.
not for Romanians though...lots of Romanians go to Bulgaria for ski - Bansko- or even in summertime to Varna to the Black Sea resorts, which they have better than Romania ! Cheers
Hey Gabriel, it's a pitty that you can't spend more time in the Pirin Mountain, it is undoubtedly the most beautiful mountain in Bulgaria. From the Vihren Hut where you parked you can take a trail to the "koncheto" (translated is the little horse, I encourage you to at least Google it and maybe you will change your mind and not resist to go there) and by walking on the high edges of the mountain you can go to the 3rd highest peak in the balkans called Vihren. I super highly recommend you to do it but it's a bit intense, you will need total of 9 hours to go up and back to the car but it's simply the best hiking trail in Bulgaria for most of the people. You need to do a short preparation of course to check the route on the map etc but it totally worth it to do it and stay another day, the views from the koncheto and Vihren peak are stunning and there are also some lakes on the way that you will spot depending on which side of Vihren you will ascend.
I agree that you cannot compare Bulgaria to Croatia in terms of resorts & crowds but would not say Bulgaria is the most underrated country in Europe at all, certainly not by Europeans. There was a popular trend among certain Western Europeans about 15 - 20 years ago to buy villas and apartments in Bulgaria at a fraction of the typical Western European price. More recent years have seen a greater influx of medical and dental tourism again fueled by serious cost savings to Europeans tired of being over-charged in their own countries
Me - I always liked to travel the world and see new things ( and I did seeing lots of countries around the world working on cruise lines) Gabriel- I AM THE TRAVEL !
Aboustly brilliant to watch once again these videos don't disappoint. I for sure know what hiking is like in trechous conditions. It seems like Bulgaria doesn't get that appeal like many other neighbouring countries around.
Gabriel, I think this is ONE country that I will never really want to visit all that much. And by the way, your money video which I just watched, was terrific! Thank you for giving us nuts-and-bolts advice for how to travel safest!
![[MV] A leap of faith...ความเชื่อใจครั้งสุดท้าย (From "Petrichor the series")](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/U1piZH2CNXA/mqdefault.jpg)
So glad you returned to Bulgaria! It's one of my favourite places on Earth.
my homeland glad you like it
Wow happy to hear that
@@MrSupermanpavel Unfortunately people are very stupid in Bulgaria
Same I’m from Bulgaria!
I have been married to a Bulgarian for 23 years, and I've visited many times. It's a wonderful and beautiful country.
Visited Bulgaria a few years ago and was able to see quite a few regions, I was impressed by the cultural richness (they have some of the most complex and interesting folk music in the world by the way), the diversity of the geography, good food, and my money went quite far there. Definitely an underrated European destination!
I love Bulgaria .Great sense of hospitality,proud people,amazing food.Will be there in August.Missing these awesome beer.
Great sense of scams as well - when it comes to treatments and quality and keeping their words and service.
Ако нещо не може да се справите с храната и бирата, може да потърсите услугите на професионални разложани в лицето на Чингата.
@@keepcreationprocess yeap concur here as a Bulgarian myself hate the way they always try to cheat, cheating is ingrained in Bulgarians psychology and that all foreigners are stupid and wouldn't notice being taken for a ride. It drives me mad.
@@keepcreationprocess I'm Bulgarian and never got scammed. Can you share what types of scams have you encountered? It would be helpful for for other travellers. Oh wait... Taxi drivers... My advice is for every foreigner to install an app called Maxim it's our Russian version of Uber. We don't have Uber in Bulgaria because of the taxi cartel which is owned by politicians, but the one I mentione above works like a charm. You always know what the final price is and it's always cheaper than taxis. Good luck mate and please reply with what types of scams you're familiar so everyone can avoid them!
@@keepcreationprocess that's true yes
Bulgaria, beautifull. Those rivers of Stones coming down on those beautifull mountains are unique.😊👍
Just spent 5 days in Sofia Bulgaria, wish i has stayed more days. It truly is an amazing place.
Better go to Plovdiv. Our capital city is a good place to stay but it has it downfalls at almost every corner of it. The centre is nice and the parts near Vitosha mountain but all the other places are pretty much buildings from the Solviet Union - ugly and boring(still have a nice touch with the history tho).
I might consider Bulgaria as my next European destination
Hey Gabriel and dear Gabriel's followers for those of you who are more interested in the Bulgarian mountains here is some information.
Rila mountain with the highest peak of 2925 called Mussala (translated from Turkish near to the god) is the highest mountain on the Balkan peninsula, the second one is the Mytikas 2918 in Greece mountain Olymp and the third one is the one from this video peak of Vihren 2913m. So Rila and Pirin montains are famous for its Alpine views. The wooden border in our country is up to 1800-1900m. Rila and Pirin are both famous for it's lakes. Rila 2629 km2 square meters and Pirin is a bit smaller 2,585 km2. Rila and Pirin are my favorite mountains because of the awesome panoramas when you are above 2000m.
Snow cover above 2000m starts at the beginning of November and it still snows at the beginning of May. Normally in February and March the snow cover above 2000m is up to 2m. The warmest weather is July and August, but at the very tops of Pirin and Rila mountains there are weather reports for snow even during the summer months.
We do have also Rhodope mountain which is meanly forest, se we call it the lungs of our country. Rhodope mountain is also significantly bigger 14,735 km² square meters. It's top peak is called Golyam Perelik 2191m.
Stara Planina is the longest mountain in Bulgaria it stretches from the Serbian border all the way to the Black Sea. There is the longest touristic trek in Bulgaria kom-emine.com/?lang=en
Stara Planina devides our country in south and north parts. There is also a big difference during the winter because of this mountain. North Bulgaria are getting much colder weather and more snow. Highest peak of Stara Planina is peak Botev 2376m
Vitosha mountain is the one right next to our capital Sofia and it emerged as a result of volcanic activity long long time ago. From Vitosha peak Kamen Del there is a great view of the entire city of Sofia. There also also multiple lower and smaller mountains in our country.
In Bansko i can share with you a very nice place which I used to visit at least 7-8 times during the years for just 20 euros per night very clean and good conditions. Wish you nice stay in Bulgaria with more sunny weather ahead :) Hyped to see the next videos.
Thank you Yavor! Bulgaria is a wonderful country.
👏
This is a great piece of information! Thank you, Yavor. Много благодаря!
What a wonderful video! Bravo, Gabriel! The population is 13,000? Seriously? In 2013 when I first came to Bansko there were about 9,000. Who are extra 4,000 people? Digital nomads? I have been to many places in Europe but this is only Bansko captured and warmed my Siberian heart for good. Siberian is coming to Bansko soon! Gabriel, keep travelling around Bulgaria and sharing great emotions with us. Молодец! Красавчик! Спасибо!
My father was from Bulgaria. We went to Bulgaria in 1977 and we needed a visa to go there. We left from Montreal (Quebec) Canada, with a stop over in Francfort and one in Vienna. A very long journey to get there. Nowadays, we can go to Bulgaria with only one stop over fromMontreal to Sofia, Bulgaria. As you say, Bulgaria doesn’t do much for tourism. If you go in July, August and September, the weather is warm, sometimes even hot, sunny and very little rain. It is most underrated but still very affordable. I wonder what brought you to Bulgaria? This country offers history, beaches, mountains and plains. There is the valley of the roses. Such a joy to be there. Thank you for this videao.
I agree with you, the most underrated in Europe. Every winter I leave Florida for a few months, and staying in Bansko for a skiing season.
You are Bulgarian yourself.
@@keepcreationprocess No, I am Serbian.
@@Limitless_mindz growing up in Bulgaria and moving to Florida?
@@keepcreationprocess Growing up in Serbia, moving to Florida and buying a real estate in Bansko...
Bulgaria looks like a place I would love to visit!
And the place will love, you to visit it too.
Welcome, ALWAYS.
I was there last October! The climb from the hut was steep only at the beginning. After that the views and the little lakes were out of this world!!
The parking lot of the hut was full, so we parked our car a little lower area😉
This is a great series Gabriel, I’m loving every minute, Bulgaria looks like a must visit. ❤️🇧🇬
Wow! I adore the Balkans and I’d love to visit Bulgaria one day.
Thanks for this Gabriel! I was in Bulgaria in October2019 and was totally captivated by it. Loved Sofia, but especially Plovdiv and Veliko Tărnovo. Really hoping to visit again, and wish you were my travel mate!
Great information on traveling to Bulgaria. I am not sure if I will ever travel to Europe but if i did I would like to visit a country like Bulgaria. Love the hiking! Keep up the videos.
Supergreat video Gabriel, Bulgaria is definitely a place for me to go, i have hiked in the rain many times and after a rainy hike i always feel very refreshed
Amazing that people are amazed. These countries have always been underrated and underexplored.
No, we tried, got mugged and robbed, then we stopped visiting. That's why it appears new and amazing, but wait, there's more...
@@Kivas_Fajo Oh snap, I got robbed in Spain and New York, what's the difference crimes everywhere?
@@ia3078 I think you could have spared this comment.
@@Kivas_Fajo Just like you could spare yours.
@@ia3078 I commented as to why Europeans from somewhere else don't go there. It's called empirical knowledge.
Why did you comment?
The things you do for us arm chair traveller's! Thank you for snorkelling up a mountain for us what a beautiful country 🇧🇬 ⛰🗻🏔
My wife and I spent a week in Bulgaria in late summer 1991. The only reason we ended up there is because a new Bulgarian airline, Jes Air, was offering super cheap tickets, flying from Ottawa, Canada. Our ultimate destination was Delhi, India. Truly off the beaten path in those days. I remember the only food available at the Sofia airport was cheese sandwiches! Though with plentiful tasty beer on offer, we did just fine :-) and the cheese was really good too -- like a tangy feta. We visited only two places: Sofia and Varna. That was great, but it looks like we missed a lot. Seems we're overdue for a return visit.
"With its cultural and historical heritage dating back 8000 years, Plovdiv is considered to be the oldest continuously inhabited city in Europe and one of the oldest in the world."
Just sayin' ;)
@@oshiotomakan6900 Оf course. :)
@@oshiotomakan6900 Yeah we landed from another planet not evolved from monkeys like everyone else.
Absolutely agree. Small countries of Southeast Europe are jewels to be discovered.
It's the second largest SE European country actually and the largest on the Balkans.
Bulgaria is really a great country with very beautiful and diviersified nature with great history . You could find everything - beautiful and diffrent mountains, great seaside etcaitera. I recomend you to visit Nessebar , Sozopol , Plovdiv, Stara Zagora, Veliko Tarnovo ( the former bulgarian capital )
Looks amazing. I hope I can visit. The eastern European countries seem to be up and coming these days. Maybe the future of Europe.
What a beautiful country, thanks for the video dude 👌
You have visited the oldest country in Europe and if you love history this is the right place.
omg those sheep were amazing sea of sheep! You make me want to go to all your awesome pointedly selected destinations! Bulgaria looks awesome!
Back in the past, before these mountains were divided by guarded borders, the shepherds would do a yearly transhumance to the south and the flocks would be so enormous, they'd cover entire hill sides. Absolutely massive sea of sheep.
Nowadays, it's tiny stuff. They can barely keep the local breeds alive. But still, it's so lovely to meet them in the mountains guarded from bears and wolves by these massive dogs 😍
Going to Plovdiv in October for 4 days.
Great videos Gabe 🇧🇬 🇧🇬
I might be going to Bulgaria in March and this place looks amazing!
beautifully presented even with less than camera- perfect weather . The Country was presented in a quality way given the challenges. This is a major reason this channel is successful among others in my opinion. Great job
Bulgaria is full of smaller cities with alot of nature
There is no bad weather, just inadequate clothing. The rainy weather makes it more dramatic, mystical and adventurous.
Very true.
Definitely underrated! I never been but it is in my list. There is nothing saying more self care than walking through beautiful mountains. I just cane back from Scotland and the walk in Glencoe mountains was epic, I feel refueled!
Agree.. we did Bulgaria a few years back before the pandemic. Amazing sights, food, beer & pretty cheap.
Hi Gabriel, you're doing a fantastic job in promoting Bulgaria, many countries put importance on promoting tourism like Greece and Turkey. Bulgaria doesn't really seem it promotes tourism to any extent there is truly little you hear about it after video and many others like yours that will change for sure.
I have a few Belgian, German and Austrian journalists who travel often to Bulgaria and work freelance. They all, not one has had a different experience, say that nobody wants positive stories about Bulgaria (and Romania for that matter). They want stories about corruption, gypsies and problems. It's not the paid promotion that brings people, it's interesting stories about the history, the people and the place. That's the unfortunate reality
Epic friggin video Gabe. 30mins of bliss!
Sweet, glad to hear it. 👍✌
You're a better man than I, Gabe. That was ME and it was rainin'? I'd roll up a spliff, crack another beer, and keep your backpack company in the car...
People travel from Greece to Bansko to ski in the winter. Looks pretty nice in the summer as well if you want to get away from the scorching heat.
@@carlwermar8161 please...nobody wants to ski in the poor Greek ski stations.. where there is almost no snow during winter time. It is ridiculous to compare the bulgarian mountains with the greek ones in term of everything! Authenticity, nature, ski resorts, wildlife, mountain culture... Bulgaria is much better of course.
@@carlwermar8161 lol 😁 I said that the ski stations in greece are poor in term of conditions for ski... and you are talking about economy 😂 Believe me... you cannot comapre bulgarian ski resorts and mountains with the greek onces. It is just ridiculous. The whole balkans come to ski in BG... Taking about emigrants, there are no more bulgarians going to work in greece. This was 20 years ago. Greece is practically bancrupted country with no future for the young generetions. In Bulgaria you can find work very easy for around 600-700 eur net. Our living standard is constantly growing without social and financially help from Europe (like in greece)....
@@carlwermar8161 The greek GDP per capita is more than double that of Bulgaria's? Yes, that was true in 2008. You are 14 years late. According to the latest data from Eurostat, in 2021 the Bulgarian GDP per capita in PPS (adjusted for purchasing power) was 55 of the average for EU. The EU is set at 100 by default. The Greek GDP per capita in PPS is 65. That doesn't seem double now, does it? In fact, Greece is now the second poorest country in the EU after Bulgaria. Even Romania is richer than Greece. Also, the Bulgarian ski resorts are objectively better than the Greek ones, and that is due to simple geography. For the same reason, Bulgaria can never compete properly with Greek summer tourism since Greece has a much bigger coastline and over 200 islands.
@@carlwermar8161 You seem to not understand the concept of purchasing power and are quoting useless nominal amounts. According to estimates from IMF for 2022 (you can easily check these numbers), Bulgarian GDP per capita in PPP is 28,593, and Greek GDP per capita in PPP is 35,596. Learn basic economics first before commenting.
@@carlwermar8161 Where did you see nationalism? On the contrary, you seem to be bothered that people are leaving positive comments about Bulgaria in the comments which is why you felt the need to comment. You are the one that clearly has some issues. Also, I didn't deny Bulgaria is poorer, I simply called you out on your objectively false statement that "Greek GDP per capita is twice as high as Bulgarian GDP per capita". It is true that Greeks would have more purchasing power, but that is only the case if they travel to Bulgaria on holiday. For day-to-day living, the different currencies are irrelevant and what matters is the salaries in the local currency plus the price in the local currency which determines purchasing power. Once again, learn basic economics if you want to comment.
“A journey becomes an adventure when you take an umbrella.”
Thank you Gabriel for this beautiful video of my country, it is strange people around the world are still not aware of the diversity of nature and culture in Bulgaria.
Yes, I am glad you understand and express how good my home country is for travel. Enjoy! 👍
Visited Sofia, Plovdiv, Shumen, Stara Zagora & Varna in 2019. Hope to revisit different places soon.
Come to my home town, come to Rousse :)
Great ambassador of Bulgaria is Gabriel Traveler
That’s a great hiking trail- even in the rain. Didn’t expect that from Bulgaria- thanks for showing a less crowded destination👍
Bansko is one of the most crowded places in Bulgaria.
If hiking is your goal - Bulgaria is top 3 in Europe for sure. Croatia and Monte Negro are the other two in case you are wondering.
When I see a foreigner in Bulgaria I always check if he wears sandals, seems like a very famous type of shoe for Western Europeans. :}Good luck in your travels Gabriel!
Pirin mountain is love . Great video Gabriel !
Quaint and so picturesque, I know they have great food, many kinds of savory pasteries and stuffed vegetables.
Great video's! Just came back from a Balkan trip with my girlfriend myself, visiting Sarande and Tirana in Albania, Pristina in Kosovo and Sofia in Bulgaria (plus a stop of a few hours in Skopje in North Macedonia). Really enjoyed it! Already thinking about going back to the Balkan in the future.
9:32 Iron Maiden shirt! Awesome video Bulgaria is beautiful and super green. This place deserves some more video work for sure like a heaven tucked away in the forest.
Hi, Gabriel. I hope you are still in Bansko, because I can recommend some places in the area that you can visit. One of them is the neighboring town of Dobrinishte. The town itself is very beautiful. It is known for its mineral and healing waters. From Dobrinishte you can also drive to the "Gotse Delchev" hut and from there you can take the lift to the "Bezbog" hut. The hut itself is located at the foot of Mount Bezbog (the name of the peak means "without a God" in Bulgarian), about which there is a legend from the time of the Ottoman Empire. To the hut is located Bezbog lake, which is amazing. Mountain routes also start from the hut in several directions. One of them are the routes to Bezbog Peak itself and Popovo Lake (which also has a legend about it). I hope I was useful to you. 😊
This is one of the best travel channel, especially about Morocco.
Thank you for promoting my old country Bulgaria
hey GT--another awesome video--thanks--keep up the good work.
'Dubrovnik is probably an absolute zoo right now.' I lol'ed, glad I visited during the winter! I wish some of these locations were less crowded though; navigating Florence in the summer was a nightmare, but at the same time I wouldn't want to go during a colder season, because it'd take away from the life and beauty of the place.
The parting of the sea sheep has to be a classic!
With some Bulgarians now in Iraq! Will be showing them this 🍻
Looking forward to that Ben 😁
Mountain weather is always unpredictable year round.
The road you drive across is a black ski run called ‘The Tomba’
Great video of Bansko and her mountains 💕
its* mountains, not her :)
Yes, I liked it so much I got residency. Has its rough edges, but that suits me. 🇧🇬👍🏼
You’re around 1 hour 20 minutes drive from the uniquely Bulgarian village of Kovachavitsa. Very photogenic and worth a visit. I’ve got a house there (where I’m currently staying). I’d be happy to give you more information if you need it.
@Gerry Freeman someone got peener on their minds? I don’t think you’re a troll but good luck with that toxicity
@@BrightEyes8513 you'll be surprised
Interesting characters posting here. Not my scene but each to his own I guess.
@@garykb1 look at the gay dude pretending he's not gay
Couch surfing network? There's a home visit league in Japan too that offers accommodations to travelers and strangers ( at first). Other people have figured this out too, believe it or not. There has been efforts to encourage global citizens and friendship. All over the planet. There was a time when this didn't seem so erratic and suspicious.
What's happened? Everyone seems to know the cynical consequences before they happen - and as if we're always in some sort of compromising danger from others.
Just try to not be consumed by the fear you choose to live in. Have some confidence in yourself and in your ability to deal with situations that are likely to emerge. 🌲😎🌲 Don't worry, be happy.
Another Wonderful and fantastic clip, from the Amazing Gabe. Fantastic County you are in Gabe, look forward to many wonder clips. 😀👌🏻👍🏻🙏🏻
Just so you know i wanna thank you for this video. Bulgaria my homeland is really beautiful country im really happy you guys love it. You are always welcome. Come to Ple ven you gonna love it!!!
You have to visit The Rhodope mountains. If you go to The Rhodopes, you have to visit Trigrad, Gela, Snezanka peak and tower as well as Eagles eye and The Devils throat cave as well as the Yagodin cave. There aare a lot of other beautiful places you can visit there. Another aim you should have when filming videos is visiting better restaurants, more famous and luxurious once, because they are more expensive and most people in the big cities rather eat there than in the smaller once. Also the price would be completely different and way more expensive so you will see Bulgaria is not as cheap as it seems, but yes, still way cheaper than Southern and Western Europe.
Gabriel, This is the first time that I can remember you leaving your back pack ! Now , your battery is giving out . You have a great channel ! I really like the history and culture that you add to every video ! Thank you .
There is also "Nessebar" close to a touristy place called "Golden Sands" at the Black sea, a little town that must have been a
Byzantine outpost at some moment in time. Went there in the earle nineties, beer cost 20 cents(euros) but in sober moments,
i recognised these fantastic ruins and structures.
Do you mean Sunny Beach? The one filled with Russian tourists? Steer clear - it's like Blackpool with good weather!
@@witlof5492 Yes, it was Sunny beach. Terrible place, but Nessebar was OK.
@ einer lauritzen Yes, I spent a week in a lovely hotel in Nessebar. Please don't tell too many people, otherwise it too will be spoiled!
Loved it up there in the old town so lovely & yes in 90’s 3 pints for £1 uk pound 😱Outstanding. Plus shopska salad & their version of ouzo Mastika that’s amazing. Didn’t like the people so not been back since & many sea lice in sea 🤮.
@@einarlauritzen1602 agree
The parting of the sheep sea combined with the music made for a hilarious scene
Cool.
Wow Gabriel! You never let a adventure go to waste 😀😎🌲even if it was raining you still went for it. Thank you Gabriel for sharing! ❤
That was really wonderful!!!!!! Beautiful ...even in the rain...........sooooooo a great 'taste'......of when.... full golden sun!!! Thanks Gabe.......you always have fun n make the best 🥰🎉
I have eaten in the same restaurant in 2012. Your video reminded it to me. It was winter and the mehana was full of people and music all over the place!
Fantastic video. Salute 🇮🇹🇮🇹🇮🇹🇮🇹🇮🇹
The rain looks lovely. It's 105, sunny with no rain for days and days here in Dallas. Send that rain over here, Gabe. We are more than happy to take it.
YES! I'm over here by Fort Worth--and the extreme heat and drought are a killer. The last rain we got was in June--and it wasn't much at all. We would LOVE to have that rain.
Gabriel! Welcome back man! Tell me when you come back next time Id love to meet you and show you some really cool places. 👍🇧🇬
I visit bansko almost every winter which is the best time to visit in my opinion.I agree bulgaria ,along with croatia,is heavily underrated.beautiful nature,nice people,good food and also cheap.Consider visiting the black sea coast region(usually its packed with russian tourist but right now i don t think so).Hello from greece gabriel,have a great time
great video - the rain in not your fault - everything is still great, if I might add though, I think vitosha, rhodopes and balkan mountain range have more to offer in terms of picturesque mystical eco trails
Not sure if Bulgaria is the most underrated European country, but it certainly is underrated... A few years ago we had an experience like you this time with sudden rain in the Serbian mountains going to Bosnia... luscious green mountains and cozy little restaurants on the side of the road with live fish to pick and cook...
When you go to the Rila Monastery, make sure to visit the ORIGINAL one, built by St John of Rila around the XI century... his story is very similar to that of St Francis of Asisi... and then visit the big monastery that is a holy site in the Orthodox faith, specially the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, but also a patriotic site, because its high walls were instrumental in protecting the Bulgarian language and alphabet as well as their Christian faith during the centuries long Ottoman occupation.
how was the beer? smooth and cool? love the mountains. rain in mountains the best
Super average but nothing wrong with it, especially nice and cold.
If you are still in the area, I would recommend checking out the Carpathian mountains from Romania, the landscape is spectacular and diverse and also the prices are similar to the ones from Bulgaria.
When travelling, it pays to check the temperature and weather of places to be visited because city weather is different from the mountains. Likewise, you love to hike, you can buy a waterproof cover for your backpack. Also seen a loose waterproof poncho (kinda raincoat) with hoodie, plus got the backpack and own body protected from the rain. I remembered the weather was fine in Glasgow but when we were at the Highlands it rained. Good thing I always bring my folded umbrella in my bag anywhere I go. 👍
Very nice country especially out of the large cities. Visas for long term stays are easy to get. I had a friend that had an apartment there for $200 USD per month. I'm old as some of the rocks up there.
Very charismatic speaker, thank you very much for the episode. Much appreciated.
not for Romanians though...lots of Romanians go to Bulgaria for ski - Bansko- or even in summertime to Varna to the Black Sea resorts, which they have better than Romania ! Cheers
Wow it looks amazing. Thank you for sharing!
Food, it's variety and tastiness is unparalleled!
Hey Gabriel, it's a pitty that you can't spend more time in the Pirin Mountain, it is undoubtedly the most beautiful mountain in Bulgaria. From the Vihren Hut where you parked you can take a trail to the "koncheto" (translated is the little horse, I encourage you to at least Google it and maybe you will change your mind and not resist to go there) and by walking on the high edges of the mountain you can go to the 3rd highest peak in the balkans called Vihren. I super highly recommend you to do it but it's a bit intense, you will need total of 9 hours to go up and back to the car but it's simply the best hiking trail in Bulgaria for most of the people. You need to do a short preparation of course to check the route on the map etc but it totally worth it to do it and stay another day, the views from the koncheto and Vihren peak are stunning and there are also some lakes on the way that you will spot depending on which side of Vihren you will ascend.
brilliant video!! loved it! new sub and bell ❤
Hiking in the rain didn’t look so bad!
I agree that you cannot compare Bulgaria to Croatia in terms of resorts & crowds but would not say Bulgaria is the most underrated country in Europe at all, certainly not by Europeans. There was a popular trend among certain Western Europeans about 15 - 20 years ago to buy villas and apartments in Bulgaria at a fraction of the typical Western European price. More recent years have seen a greater influx of medical and dental tourism again fueled by serious cost savings to Europeans tired of being over-charged in their own countries
Exactly 👍
Nice video 👍well done 👏😁
Me - I always liked to travel the world and see new things ( and I did seeing lots of countries around the world working on cruise lines)
Gabriel- I AM THE TRAVEL !
I've just discovered your channel and we are watching it with my Gf from Sofia, Bulgaria where we are from. I guess you are still in Sofia. Enjoy 🥳
Eastern Europe is good value for US tourists especially when you see the costs of travelling in Western Europe.
We ate in that restaurant in Bansko. So pretty 😁
Thanks for trekking in the rain for us Gabe!
My pleasure. 😁
Aboustly brilliant to watch once again these videos don't disappoint.
I for sure know what hiking is like in trechous conditions.
It seems like Bulgaria doesn't get that appeal like many other neighbouring countries around.
Very wet vlog😁 but realy beautifull area
Gabriel, I think this is ONE country that I will never really want to visit all that much.
And by the way, your money video which I just watched, was terrific!
Thank you for giving us nuts-and-bolts advice for how to travel safest!
Why so?
Beautiful Alps on the bolkans
ALWAYS a good time for a a beer! cheers!😍
Reminded me in Iceland 🇮🇸 where I was driving through a sea of sheep 🐑