Boutique hotels in Bulgaria

Bulgaria is a quiet bargain for travelers who like history, wine and mountains: Roman ruins and Ottoman houses in Plovdiv, a medieval capital on a river bend in Veliko Tarnovo, Black Sea harbors and wooden Revival villages in the Balkan range. Its boutique hotels are often restored houses of 200 years' age, with a good restaurant, a wine list and very low prices.

Cities

Sofia has design hotels near Vitosha Boulevard, Plovdiv has the finest Renaissance houses, and Veliko Tarnovo and Varna have fortress and seaside hotels.

Villages and mountains

Koprivshtitsa, Zheravna, Kovachevitsa, Bozhentsi, Shiroka Laka, Tryavna and Arbanasi are Revival-era villages of whitewashed houses. Bansko, Borovets and Pamporovo are ski resorts, and Rila is the monastery and mountain region.

Coast and wine

Nessebar, Sozopol and Balchik line the Black Sea. Melnik and the Thracian Valley have wine estates with boutique hotels.

When to go

May to June and September are best for the cities and wine; July and August for the coast; December to March for skiing.