Why You Should Go to Shumen & Get Off The Beat Path In Bulgaria

Shumen, Bulgaria, is the proper metropolis to expertise actual Bulgarian customized, away from the vacationer bubble and traps. Try my information to the town and begin planning your journey!

One summer season season, I stayed contained in the Shumen home 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 loads of cities in Bulgaria and neighboring areas: Veliki Preslav and Shumen, the reality is, nonetheless furthermore Madara, Sofia, Veliko Tarnovo, Pliska, Varna, Sunny Seashore & Nessebar, Athens, and Bucharest.

Shumen is a metropolis situated 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.

In my view, it’s the fantastic metropolis to expertise actual Bulgarian customized, away from the vacationer bubble and traps. In case you’re looking for a base for loads of weeks, it’s the proper spot: it’s pretty priced, you presumably can hold like an house, and the cherry on prime – to your following areas, you’ll uncover simple bus journeys to Romania, Greece, and Turkey.

Moreover, do you have to wish to be taught relating to the early days of the First Bulgarian Empire, the Shumen province is the place for that.

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

Finest Time To Go to Shumen

Shumen is engaging year-round, however most likely the best time to go to is through the spring and summer season season, as a result of it must can help you revenue from the attractive nature all through the metropolis.

Extreme Sights In Shumen

You’ll uncover on this information my ideas for most likely the best areas to see and vacationer components of curiosity in Shumen:

Factors To Do In Shumen

1. 1300 Years Of Bulgaria Monument

Let’s begin with probably primarily probably the most visited monument in Shumen and with probably primarily probably the most well-known monuments contained in the nation.

The 1300 Years of Bulgaria monument, as you probably 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 totally completely totally different durations over the last few centuries. The sheer dimension of the monument alone makes it an awe-inspiring sight, so undoubtedly positively definitely worth the detour.

It’s situated on the acute Shumen Plateau, so be able to climb to get to the monument.

The Plateau could 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 exterior 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 artwork work of its choice with no completely totally different parallel in Europe. The inscriptions all through the rock help retell wanted occasions of the First Empire and its ki,ngs Tervel, Kormi,sos, and Omurtag.

The park could 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 accurately. 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 a web page of curiosity and 100% price 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 certainly one of many largest and most stunning Ottoman mosques in Bulgaria and a masterpiece of Islamic building.

The engaging inside and peaceable courtyard are superb for loads of hours of solace while you want them.

5. Biserna Cave

You’ll assume visiting a cave is a somber affair. Appropriately, not the Biserna Cave.

Due to the 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 displays the wealthy historic earlier of Shumen and its province. It offers good notion into the power 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 without doubt one of the greatest metropolis to trend actual, native meals Bulgarian meals, as a result of the town, for probably primarily probably the most half, doesn’t purchase and doesn’t cater to vacationers. Having visited loads of cities in Bulgaria, I discovered that consuming areas in Shumen are the closest you are going to get to my Bulgarian mates’ do-it-yourself meals.

Should you occur to’re there, don’t overlook to attempt the Banitsa, a filo pastry that you’d eat for breakfast.

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

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

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

Lastly, you MUST attempt Rakia, the Bulgarian alcohol which will make your head flip. No journey to Bulgaria could be full with out testing it. In case you probably can 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  Locations To Go to Shut by

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

From there, I managed to comprehend completely totally different good areas 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’d uncover the stays of the Grand Basilica, one amongst many largest early Christian church buildings in Europe.

Veliki Preslav

Veliki Preslav, the second capital of that very same Empire, usually is 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 (certainly one of many important wonderful, if not THE most wonderful, determine in Bulgaria’s historic earlier).

Nonetheless, personally, probably primarily probably the most fulfilling difficulty 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 probably primarily probably the most attention-grabbing areas to go to. The archeological museum of Varna furthermore hosts the oldest gold treasure ever discovered.

Sunny Seashore And Nessebar

Whereas I favored Varna, when you’ve obtained 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 notably,r is an under-appreciated treasure.

Veliko Tarnovo

Veliko Tarnovo, which is situated 2 hours away by observe, is a gem, and so, so price visiting.

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

The place To Maintain In Shumen

Shumen affords numerous lodging choices for each funds and choice.

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

For one issue additional centrally situated, Avenue is a wonderful various.

Navigating Spherical Shumen

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

I wish to suggest renting a motorcycle to get spherical and uncover the encircling home and take loads of hours to revenue from the peaceable ambiance, observing the native wildlife, and having satisfying with the Bulgarian countryside.

Shumen FAQs & Vacationers Ideas

• Know Some Bulgarian: in my expertise, few individuals in Shumen speak English, so I might positively make sure that to be taught loads of sentences in Bulgarian, or at the very least have an vital 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 ahead of the journey or use a world card like Clever.
• Use The Vacationer Knowledge Heart: you presumably can at all times get up-to-date information contained in the vacationer data coronary coronary heart
• Purchase A Bulgarian Taxi App: Uber shouldn’t be accessible in Bulgaria, so it’s important to accumulate a Bulgarian taxi app. TaxiMe is the one I used most frequently all by means of Bulgaria, and I discovered it setting nice and useful
• Get A SIM Card: for a lot of who run out of web information, you presumably can merely get a SIM card with a sure amount of data; 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 prospect to expertise actual Bulgarian customized in a method you gained’t uncover in quite a few vacationer areas.

It is typically the proper place to remain to rearrange day and weekend journeys to those completely totally different widespread spots that you just simply merely positively should go to as accurately. We now ought to do each, lastly!

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