A gap year in Bulgaria

Gap years in Bulgaria

Are you looking for an unusual gap year destination? Bulgaria’s the latest must-visit country in the cool Eastern European portfolio. It’s got all of Europe’s best stuff (climate, food, wildlife) and none of its rubbish (picture menus, jelly shoes, crowds of lost Americans). What excuse can you use to visit on your gap year? A great job in a ski resort, that’s what. Spend your uber-cool gap year mingling with the jet set, behind or in front of the ski bar; then take a month off to trek the unspoilt natural parks and stuff yourself silly on Bulgarian pastries. Ski poles ready, darlings?

Gap Year Opportunities

With the sharp increase in tourist numbers, Bulgaria’s the perfect place to hone your people-skills. Up in the glamorous Pirin and Rila mountains, skiing is getting to be big business. You can apply for a job working in chalets or hotels, tend a bar at the après-ski, or simply head for the slopes yourself. Whether you choose to sharpen up your ski legs or earn your keep behind the scenes, it’s a great start to a fabulous gap year.

Getting Around

Eco-friendly enthusiasts will be pleased to learn that Bulgaria is accessible by train; buy a legendary Interrail pass and it’ll be easy to explore the jewels of eastern Europe on your days off. It takes a couple of nights to reach Bulgaria but you can choose some pleasurable detours en-route – Paris and Vienna, Brussels, Cologne, and even Budapest if you like.

About Bulgaria

With the average Bulgarian salary at £1500 per annum, living essentials are cheap: food and drink is around 2/3 cheaper than the UK, with a pint of beer starting at 40p. Bulgaria produces a lot of its own food, wine and beer, enabling prices to stay low. (In fact its people are widely known as green-fingered, self-sufficient types – many of the big houses have vineyards out back!) Its continental / sub-tropical climate makes it very pleasant, especially near the coast, for much of the year.

For all of these reasons, Bulgaria is currently a hotspot for property buyers and retired people. Holiday apartments are springing up all over the country, especially close to places like Sofia and Bansko.

What to see in Bulgaria

Mountains, flora, fauna, and a faceful of snow... what’s not to enjoy in this naturally-generous country?

Tourists usually head for one of two places: the ski resorts of Bansko and Borovets, or the Black Sea coast. Bourgas, on the coast, is one of the biggest resorts but others (like Varna and Sunny Beach) are growing, often with foreign investment, at a high speed. Still, you can currently rest your head at a coastal hotel for as little as £6/night.

Sofia, the capital, is a buzzing business city with the usual shopping malls and associated parking problems – lots of Bulgarians commute into the city for work. Tourists in search of Bulgaria’s heritage pieces end up at Nesebar or Veliko Tarnavo, both of which are astoundingly ancient settlements.

Despite its growing popularity Bulgaria has yet to be Anglocised by expats running chippies, which is splendid news for backpackers and nature enthusiasts. Visit one of three huge national parks – Pirin, Rila or Balkan – to seek out bears, eagles and wolves. Once your thirst for savage beasts is quenched, you can book into an hotel in one of the charming rural villages. Mountain biking, hiking, and birdwatching are all popular out here – you won’t be short of activities.