BULGARIAN PARTICIPATION SPORTS AND LEISURE ACTIVITIES
Bird Watching
With hectares of pristine countryside and a vast range of divergent natural habitats, Bulgaria offers abundant opportunity for twitchers. Over 350 species call the place home or pass through on regular migratory journeys, stopping for a few days to re-energise, and Bulgaria has several internationally important protected areas with over 150 species regularly on view
Canoeing and Kayaking
There are myriad Bulgarian freshwater lakes, and well-developed river systems to enjoy, it is no surprise that canoeing and kayaking are popular activities here, particularly in the spring when water levels are high with the melt water from the mountain snows. However, equipment hire isn't widespread and it's not always so easy to find competent tuition in English if you are a beginner. Several of the restaurants on the banks of Lake Iskur rent out kayaks and pedalos by the hour or day. Make sure that you have life jackets -particularly for children.
Bulgarian Hiking
Bulgaria is an exceptional destination for hikers. With outstanding scenery, well-marked footpaths and a network of mountain huts offering simple accommodation it's possible to extend hikes over hundreds of kilometres and to spend weeks en route, a complete alternative to the Sofia city break or Bulgarian Black Sea beach type of holiday.
Numerous short day-hikes of between 1 and 20 kilometres can be found in the Vitosha National Park just south of Sofia, the Rila Mountains in the southwest, Pirin Mountains in the Rodopi Mountains and the central Stara Planina range. You can pick a route to suit your pace and fitness level; all you require is sturdy footwear and appropriate clothing for the weather conditions.
Bulgarian trails are marked by coloured signs that correspond to plotted routes on good maps. These are easy to follow requiring no specialist navigation skills.
The Bulgarian Association for Rural & Ecological Travel (BARET) is responsible for instigating a number of ecotrails either through some of Bulgaria's most notable countryside or incorporating its most famous monuments. These include a route from Dryanovo Monastery and one in Vrachanska Balkan National Park.
Bulgaria has over 300 mountain huts on longer-distance and more challenging routes offering basic overnight accommodation, warm food and sanitary facilities.
Bulgarian Horse Riding
The slow pace of trekking on horseback is excellent for wandering through the Bulgarian countryside and is becoming an increasingly popular option at the major tourist hotspots. For those with no experience, however, there are few places to get lessons in English.
Bulgarian Mountain Biking
Increasingly popular along the hiking routes all across Bulgaria, mountain biking is limited at the moment because of a lack of places to rent equipment. The easiest places are at the Bulgarian ski resorts, where the winter pistes become summer trails and you can rent equipment at Mount Vitosha, Borovets and Pamporovo.
Mountain biking is particularly easy in the Stara Planina, where tourist offices affiliated with the AssociationStara Planina hire bikes by the hour or day - and gradients aren't as steep as on Vitosha.
A new initiative with Swiss assistance has designated a series of mountain bike tracks around Troyan, Gabrovo and Teteven with rides of different lengths and ability levels, linking major tourist attractions to form a tour of several days. Maps will be available at tourist offices in each of the towns. You can also rent a bike and a guide if you want one.
Bulgarian Mountaineering and Climbing
Bulgaria's mountains make an excellent playground for the experienced climber. The birthplace of the sport, the Iskur Gorge, is still popular, while Maliovitsa in the Rila Mountains is a centre of excellence, with several alpine peaks close by. The serrated surfaces of WhiteRocks National Park attract free climbers and mountaineers for their short testing ascents, while several of the peaks over 2,000m offer reasonable challenges for a more organised expedition.
The Bulgarian Alpine Club (bul. Vasil Levski 75, Sofia. Tel: (02) 930 0532; www.bac.netbg.com) can offer information and help with arranging climbs.
Bulgarian Potholing and Spelunking
Blessed with some exceptionally fine cave systems - over 4000 documented caverns and potholes, the longest being over 15km long, the deepest at 415m - Bulgaria offers challenges for even the most experienced caver. The best Bulgarian sites are in the karst regions west of Vratsa, in the western Rodopi Mountains and the Pirin karst. Beginners are not well catered for and are advised to enjoy the guided tours of some of the larger cave complexes rather than head underground alone.
Club Extreme (www.dubextreme.org) offers tours. No training is provided, only guided trips - therefore unsuitable for beginners.
Bulgarian Watersports
 When it comes to watersports Albena is the Bulgarian capital. This purpose-built resort offers everything that the enthusiast of any age would want, from banana boat rides to water skiing, windsurfing and jet skiing. Numerous kiosks on the beachfront offer equipment rental but not instruction.
Watersports, but not necessarily the whole range, are also available at Golden Sands, Sunny Beach, Sozopol, Pomorie, Primorsko and Dyuni along the Black Sea.
Children
Bulgaria is not particularly set up for children but that is not to say it's not child-friendly. It's more perhaps that because children are freer to play in the old-fashioned sense than they are now in the West they are often left to make their own entertainment. The Bulgarian attitude to children is positive. They stay out late, are welcomed at restaurants and boisterous behaviour is generally indulged rather than frowned upon. Though there are few specific attractions for children, Bulgaria has some advantages. The Bulgarian town and city centres will usually have a core of traffic-free streets where you won't need to keep your kids glued to your side for fear of their getting run over. Most Bulgarian towns and cities have areas of parkland and shady squares where kids can let off steam. Most parks have a small collection of child-sized battery-powered coin-operated cars and trucks but few have swings and slides. Popcorn and candyfloss sellers cater to even the largest appetites.
The Bulgarian Black Sea resorts are by far the most child-friendly areas for activities. Of course the beaches keep children of all ages happy throughout the day but top that with a good range of watersports, small funfairs at each of the resorts, a couple of bowling alleys and karting tracks for older kids and you have something for the whole family. Most three-star hotels and above have decent-
sized pools and four-star hotels normally offer communal entertainment, though dedicated 'kid's clubs' are not common (you will find them at the Hotel Pomorie at Sunny Beach and the Hotel Sirene at Golden Sands).
There's always something to fill the evenings in every resort. The streets are lined with shops and stalls offering face painting, temporary henna tattoos and hair braiding, or old fairground-style games of chance. There's even the opportunity to have your picture taken in Victorian or other historical costume.
Festivities and Saint's Days
There's always a festival going on somewhere in Bulgaria and there's nothing that children love more than a parade, be it merry or sombre. Folk dancing in traditional costume is a major form of cultural expression and as Bulgarian children are enthusiastic members of dance troupes this enthusiasm is bound to rub off on visiting children. There's always an associated fair with rides, market stalls, and snacks. There should be enough going on to fill the whole day.
Bulgarian Skiing
The majority of ski runs in Bulgarian resorts are greens and blues, perfect for young children just starting out. Packages to Bulgaria are good value, making it the perfect place for a first time trip or a taster holiday.
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