Bulgaria probably doesn't feature on many Bucket Lists, but it's a fascinating window into what life was like before the fall of the Soviet Bloc. Bulgaria's population has fallen by around 30 per cent since then, and many buildings are derelict. However if you're a castle chaser, Bulgaria has plenty.
Bulgaria's history began with the First Bulgarian Empire in 681 AD, which became a cultural hub where the Cyrillic script was developed. After nearly 170 years of Byzantine rule, the Second Bulgarian Empire flourished until the late 14th century, when it fell to the
Ottoman Empire.
Five centuries of Ottoman rule ended in 1878 following the Russo-Turkish War. In the 20th century, Bulgaria aligned with the Central Powers and Axis in the World Wars before becoming a communist state under Soviet influence in 1946. Since the 1989 democratic transition, Bulgaria has integrated into the West, joining NATO in 2004 and the European Union in 2007.
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