BULGARIA | Socializing | Activities
Social Life
Young Bulgarians are generally friendly, relaxed and easy-going. "Coffee Culture" has a long history and is very popular in Bulgaria. Bulgarians, especially young people including students, have at least one coffee (espresso) every day at a public place with friends. That is why there are a lot of places to drink coffee. Most of them have courtyards and the weather in Bulgaria allows to sit outside and enjoy coffee and other beverages in the sun from February till October and even November.
Other places where Bulgarians socialize are restaurants, pubs and bars. It is quite common to get together to have a drink in the evenings, with your friends and/or workmates. In addition, unlike before, Bulgarians are arranging more and more of their celebrations (birthdays, anniversaries, etc.) at public places, not at home. Most restaurants serve traditional Bulgarian cuisine among other dishes, so you will have the opportunity to try delicious Bulgarian dishes.
Bars are very popular among young Bulgarians. They usually do not offer food, just drinks and some snacks.
Entertainment
Music and drama play a central role in Bulgarian culture. In all of the major cities and large towns are places which regularly host concerts and drama events. There are a lot of discos and nightclubs in Bulgaria, which offer live music and dancing.
Going to the movies is also a big part of Bulgarian culture. One of the biggest film events in South Eastern Europe, the Sofia Film Fest, takes part every year in March in the capital with many of the movies also shown in other big Bulgarian cities.
A cultural guide (updated every day) about all the events in the five biggest Bulgarian cities is available online, but only in Bulgarian: Programata. There you can find information about the show times, as well as annotations of the movies, plays, concerts, exhibitions, and all other cultural events. You can find the same information in booklets issued in the same cities once a weak (every Thursday, since the movie schedule usually changes every Friday). They are available for free on stands at restaurants and cafés.
Heritage & Nature
One of the great pleasures of spending time in Bulgaria is the chance to explore Bulgarian heritage. You will have a lot of opportunities to visit some old towns that are now turned into museums. The style of the architecture there is preserved and even new buildings like hotels and restaurants are built in the old style, creating a wonderful atmosphere. Another amazing thing to enjoy in Bulgaria is the beauty of the countryside. Your Bulgarian fellow students will be happy to show you around. Local people in these small towns are friendly and ambitious to show newcomers their unique nature, as well as the preserved architecture and crafts they are proud of.
Sport
Sport, particularly European soccer, plays a huge part in Bulgarian social life. Bulgarians, especially men, like to go to soccer matches and support their team or have get-togethers to watch the games on television. There are local soccer fan clubs in each city that are based on one or more football teams.