Bulgaria

Situated at the crossroads of the East and West, Bulgarian territory has hosted many civilizations - Thracians, Romans, Byzantines, Slavs, Proto-Bulgarians, and Ottomans. The numerous cultural and historical remains (proofs) by Thracians, proto - Bulgarians, Byzantines, Greeks and Ottomans are buried within the picturesque nature , hidden in deep forests, in the numerous mountains under the fine sand of the Black Sea coast. Favoured by a moderate climate , the land of the roses is very rich in plants and forests which to a great extent are of natural origin. Thus one can find trees which are up to 1650 years old and a plant variety of 3500 species. One third of the territory of Bulgaria is lined by mountains. The person who prefers the active life can let himself be fascinated by the mountains.

As a country with a historical and cultural heritage, and attractive natural landscapes, Bulgaria has become one of the most visited tourist destinations in Europe.

The country has historical cities and towns, summer beaches, and mountain ski resorts. New types of tourism, including cultural, architectural and historic tours, eco-tourism, and adventure tours, expand the range of services available to visitors. Bulgaria, with its cultural monuments, is situated between the spacious golden beaches of the Black Sea and the fantastic mountain chains of the Balkans.

Bulgaria became a member of the European Union in 2007. The World Bank classifies it as an "upper-middle-income economy". Bulgaria has experienced rapid economic growth in recent years[update].Foreigners seeking additional homes have recently[update] boosted the Bulgarian properties market. Buyers come from across Europe, but mostly from the UK, encouraged by relatively cheap property-prices and the country's easy accessibility via air-travel.

Summer resorts exist on the Black Sea at Golden Sands, Sunny Beach, Saints Constantine and Helena, Sozopol, Nessebur, Sveti Vlas, Albena, and many others.

In the northern-hemisphere winter, Samokov, Borovets, Bansko and Pamporovo become well-attended ski-resorts. Bulgaria has started[update] to become an attractive tourist destination because of the quality of the resorts and prices below those found in Western Europe. Bulgaria has enjoyed a substantial growth in income from international tourism over the past decade[update].Bulgaria now[update] attracts close to 7 million visitors yearly. Tourism in Bulgaria makes a major contribution towards the country's annual economic growth of 6% to 6.5%.