Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, has an interesting history. It was occupied for over 2,000 years by Greeks, Romans, Ottomans and the Soviets. Each left their imprint on this beautiful historic city. There are numerous historic churches and buildings as well as the ancient Thracian and Roman city of Serdica which has been excavated and is open to the public.
Melnik is the smallest town in Bulgaria in the heart of Bulgaria’s wine growing region. It sits at the foothills of the Pirin mountain range and is famous for its ‘Melnik Earth Pyramids’, sandstone rock formations formed by erosion from rainfall and wear. We were keen to sample the Bulgarian wine and explore the beautiful countryside and medieval Rozhen Monastery.
Rila Monastery is the largest Eastern Orthodox monastery in Bulgaria. It is a popular site that is set in the beautiful Rila Mountains. Read this guide that details how to get there, what to see, and where to stay.
The Rila Mountains are the highest mountain range in Bulgaria and are a popular tourist destination. During the winter there is skiing to be enjoyed and in summer there hiking trails to explore. We visited the Rila Mountains to hike the famously stunning 7 Rila Lakes trail.
Plovdiv is an ancient city in Bulgaria featuring a historic old town, Roman ruins, and a stylish pedestrian shopping district. These are the unmissable highlights I enjoyed during my afternoon exploring this wonderful, lively city.
Sandringham Estate is the Queen’s country home. Located on the beautiful Norfolk Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, it sprawls over 240 hectares which includes farmland, woodland and heath. We visited on a sunny spring day to explore the gardens, museum, house and park lands.
Most people only visit York city and don’t realise that there is also a lot of fantastic sites and attractions in the nearby Howardian Hills which is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). The Howardian Hills features beautiful rolling countryside, quaint English villages, manor houses and abbey ruins.
York is a walled city in England that was founded by the ancient Romans. It features magnificent sites including a huge 13th-century Gothic cathedral, city wall, and a wonderful historic town centre likened to Harry Potters Diagon Alley.
Now that you’ve finally booked that European summer vacation you’ve been dreaming about, you need to start planning what you’re going to take with you. I’ve enjoyed many summer holidays in Europe, so I wanted to share with you my list of essential items to pack. I’ve also included tips about how I travel with hand luggage only.
After a long, cold winter we were desperate to get some sunshine, so we set off for the dramatic volcanic island of Lanzarote in the Spanish Canary Islands. Here we discovered beautiful beaches, amazing wine, dramatic volcanic landscapes and salt pans.