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If Westerners have an image of Bulgaria, it tends to be coloured by the murky intrigues of Balkan politics, with tales of poisoned umbrellas and plots to kill the pope. The nation has come a long way, though, since it threw off the 500-year yoke of the Ottoman Empire in the 1870s, and is now struggling to cope with the aftermath of Communist misrule. The Socialists retained power through the early 1990s, and moves towards free-market reforms were slow. The election of a right-of-centre government in 1997 brought some measure of economic stability, and in 2001, the former king, Simeon II, was democratically elected as prime minister. His party has pledged to fight institutional corruption, speed up the privatization process and, now safely in NATO, to prepare the country for membership of the EU (slated for 2007). In the meantime, however, low wages and high unemployment remain ever-present features of life.
Independent travel in Bulgaria is slowly becoming more common; costs are low, and for the committed there is much to take in. The main attractions are the mountainous scenery and the web of towns and villages with a crafts tradition, where you'll find the wonderfully romantic architecture of the National Revival era. Foremost among these are Koprivshtitsa in the Sredna Gora range, Bansko in the Pirin mountains and Plovdiv, the second largest city. The monasteries are stunning, too – the finest, Rila, should be on every itinerary. For city life, the bustling, if rather faded capital, Sofia, and the cosmopolitan coastal resort of Varna are the places to aim for.
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Aleksandâr Nevsky Cathedral, Sofia
One of the most awe-inspiring buildings in the Balkans.
Rila Monastery
Bulgaria's largest and most beautiful monastery, in the mountains south of Sofia.
Old Quarter, Plovdiv
A wealth of brightly painted National Revival houses, art galleries and Roman remains.
Koprivshtitsa
This picturesque village boasts Bulgaria's finest ensemble of National Revival architecture.
Archeology Museum, Varna
A treasure trove of Neolithic and Roman antiquities.
Nesebâr
The Black Sea Coast's prettiest resort, with several fine medieval churches.
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