Bulgaria works as two separate trips. The Black Sea coast — Varna, Burgas, Nessebar, Sunny Beach — runs a summer resort season, while Sofia, Plovdiv and the mountain monasteries inland are year-round and considerably quieter. Thracian, Roman and Ottoman layers sit close together in the interior.
The guides on this page cover Sofia, Varna, Burgas, Nessebar and other destinations. Coastal season runs roughly June to September; outside it many seafront hotels and restaurants close entirely. Inland, winter brings ski resorts in the Rila and Pirin ranges. Distances are short but roads through the mountains are slower than the map suggests, which matters when combining the coast with Sofia in one trip.