Boundaries

A natural north boundary of Bulgaria is the river Danube , which is navigable along the Bulgarian bank for passenger and cargo ships. The Black Sea is natural eastern boundary of Bulgaria and its coastline is 378 km long. There are clearly cut bays, the biggest two being those of Varna and Burgas . About 25% of our coastline are covered with sand and are used by our seaside resorts.

Mountains

The southern part of Bulgaria is mainly mountainous. The highest mountain is Rila with Musala the highest peak on the Balkan Peninsula (2925m). The second highest and the mountain of the most alpine character in Bulgaria is Pirin with highest peak Vihren (2914m) and is the third highest on the Balkans, after Musala and Mitika (2917m) in Greece. The Rhodope Mountains and Vitosha are two other famous mountains in Bulgaria.

Plains

The plains and the lowlands in the country cover large areas to the north and the south of the Balkan Mountains. The Danube Plain is the biggest, bordering Yugoslavia to the west, the Dobrudja region and the Black Sea to the east, the river Danube to the north and the Balkan Mountains to the south. Many plateaus hills and valleys are characteristic of landscape, as well as some wide rivers flowing through it. Dobrudja is a rolling plan, situated in the north-eastern corner of Bulgaria. It is also called "the granary of Bulgaria" for the enormous quantities of wheat grown there. The so called Rose Valley is located between the long and narrow mountain chain of Sredna Gora and the Balkan Mountains north of it. Besides the widespread crops, they grow oil-yielding roses there. This is one of the privileges of the unique Bulgarian climate. Another is the world-famous Bulgarian yoghurt, made with the help of "bacillus Bulgaricus" as a vital ingredient of the yeast. The Thracian Lowland is the second biggest in the country starting from mountains that surround Sofia to the west and reaching the Black Sea to the east. It stretches between the Sredna Gora to the north and Rila , Rhodope Mountains and Strandja to the south. Crops typical for the southern longitudes are grown there and sometimes there are gathered two harvests. Many European travelers claim that Bulgaria is Eden on Earth. There is everything in it: a sea, rivers and lakes in the mountains and plains as well as hills, rocky and covered with woods, mountains, plateaus and plains.

Climate conditions

The republic of Bulgaria can be relatively divided into two climatic zones. The Balkan Mountains is considered to be the watershed between them Winters are colder in Northern Bulgaria and much milder in the Southern part of the country. Average winter temperatures vary between 0 and -7?C. In spring the climate is changeable continental. Summers are hot and humid in Northern Bulgaria, especially along the Danube . The summer temperatures in Southern Bulgaria are close to those of the Mediterranean countries. They do not reach the extreme temperatures of Dobrudja and those along the Danube and are usually moderate about 28-30?C. Autumns are mild and pleasant in Bulgaria. Autumn showers and rains are principle more frequent than those in spring. The months of May, October and November are the time when the most rains fall in Bulgaria. As a whole Bulgaria can be placed in the moderate climatic zone. It is only natural that in the high mountains the temperatures are lower due to their altitude. There are different agricultural zones appropriate for the growth of different crops. A typical example is the Rose Valley for the growth of the oil yielding rose, some regionsin the Rhodope Mountains where you can find the rare flower of Orpheus, the region of Sandanski where people grow olives and some citrus fruit, etc. There are some interesting areas from a climatic point of view, such as the Sofia Plan , the regions of Sliven and Varna , where strong winds blow almost throughout the year. In the first two cases they are due to the nearby passages in the Balkan Mountains , which let all winds blow constantly through them. In the case with Varna it is due to the specific microclimate of the Bay of Varna and the sea currents and streams coming from the north.