Discover Bulgaria – through the eyes of Renate Sandvik

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[/lgc_column][lgc_column grid=”50″ tablet_grid=”50″ mobile_grid=”100″ last=”false”]Renate Sandvik, travel blogger and dreamer with a serious case of wanderlust, was participant the Norwegian Press tour to Bulgaria in August 2021, organized by the Ministry of Tourism. She was born in Bodø, just above the Arctic Circle, where she have lived most of her life. When you grew up as far north as you can get, it is perhaps natural that you often thought about what was below where you lived – and she always had a dream of exploring the rest of the world. Since childhood, she was fascinated by maps and globes, and names like Timbuktu and Ulan Bator fascinated me. As she spun around the globe in her grandparents’ living room, she thought to herself that one day she would have to see these places spinning past her alive. More about Renate you can find in her travelblog[/lgc_column]


Renate in Bulgaria

I participated on the Norwegian Press tour to Bulgaria in August 2021. It was a great adventure were we in just a week circumnavigated the country. We saw everything from the bustling capital Sofia to the quiet old streets of charming Sozopol.

Bulgaria has many fine port cities along the Black Sea. One of them is little Sozopol! Here, about 5,000 people live close to ruins from antiquity, in old wooden houses separated by small cobbled streets.

 

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With mountains and endless fields of sunflowers in-between. We swam in the Black Sea, floated in a red salt lake, covered ourselves in mineral mud, soaked up the sun, ate delicious food and drank rakia and some of the best wine I’ve had.

Black mud and red salt water? You can find it in Burgas, Bulgaria! The mud is full of minerals and the salt water is healthy and good for everything from skin to joints. Besides, it’s fun! Here you float around in exactly the same way as in the Dead Sea. 🤩 Have you tested it yourself?

 

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We saw the sun rise over the sea from a sail boat and later set over the hills from the medieval fortress in Veliko Tarnovo.

Bulgaria has many beautiful towns and villages. One of the most beautiful is perhaps Veliko Tarnovo. This is the country’s ancient capital, and the city is built up the hillsides. At the bottom the river flows, and at the top of the city sits Tsarevets hill. This was the high seat of the Middle Ages. Watching the sunset from the stone walls is recommended!

 

 

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We’ve followed in the footsteps of Thracians, Romans and Turks, and learned a lot about the history of Bulgaria.

Plovdiv is Bulgaria’s second largest city, it is also most likely the oldest. Yet I had no idea that it had so much soul. The old town is a beautiful sight from end to end. Here I could wander around for days ❤ Have you visited Bulgaria yourself?

 

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It’s a wonderful country, full of amazing sites both cultural and historic, and I can’t wait to see more of it in the future. Thanks for having me on this great trip!

September 11, 2021

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