Bulgaria, where was that again? This south-eastern European country lies between Romania, Greece and Turkey on the shores of the Black Sea. Covered by extensive forests and mountain ranges, Bulgaria impresses with natural beauty. As one of the oldest countries in Europe, it looks back on a long and variable history, beginning with the earliest traces of mankind in Europe. Bulgaria is the home of the Cyrillic alphabet and of yoghurt. Come and discover a country full of surprises.

With the "Partner Country of the Month" campaign, we want to shine a spotlight on the countries, regions and partner universities of TU Dresden that aren’t necessarily the first to come to our students' minds when thinking about a semester abroad.

© Stepcho / Wikimedia Commons

General facts and figures about Bulgaria

Capital: Sofia
Population: about 6.5 million
Official language: Bulgarian
National holiday: March 3 (day of independence from the Ottoman Empire)
Currency: Lev (лв / BGN), 1 € = 1,96 lev

You can find further facts and figures on wikipedia, on bulgariatravel.org or e.g. on wikivoyage.

Small language excursion:

• Hello – Здравей zdravey
• My name is … – Казвам се … kazvam se …
• Excuse me - Извинете isvinete
• Thank you – Благодаря blagodarya, or frequently: Merci
• Where is (the bathroom)? – къде е (тоалетната) – Kude e (toaletnata)?
• I don’t speak Bulgarian. - Аз не говоря български. As ne govorya balgarski.
• Yes – да da
• No – не ne
• See you - Чао chao

Bulgarian is part of the Slavic language family and has much in common with Macedonian and Serbian. A special feature of Bulgarian is its lack of cases, whereas a full 6-7 of them are typical of Slavic languages. Bulgarian is written in Cyrillic script. Today, Cyrillic is probably most closely associated with Russian and Ukrainian, but it was invented in Bulgaria in the 10^th century. Therefore, Bulgarian is the oldest recorded Slavic language.

Our partner universities offer a wide variety of courses in Bulgarian and English, and some in Russian as well. It’s completely possible to study entirely in English during your exchange. However, please check the exact requirements before applying.

Not too long ago, Russian used to be the most widely known foreign language in Bulgaria, but the ratio has reversed in favour of English. Younger Bulgarians, especially in the big cities, often speak English very well. So don't be afraid of the language barrier - but to delve deeper into local culture, some knowledge of Bulgarian is certainly helpful. You can study Bulgarian e.g. online at bulgaro.io or at the VHS (starting from German).

Did you know that ....?

© Quinn Dombrowski / flickr

• in spring, the trees in Bulgaria are full of red and white ribbons and yarn dolls? They are called Martenitsas. Bulgarians gift them to each other on the first day of March and wear them as bracelets or pendants afterwards. On seeing a blossoming tree, a stork or a swallow, the Martenitsa is tied to a branch to celebrate the beginning of spring.

• in Bulgaria, the meaning of nodding and shaking your head is reversed? Contrary to most of the rest of the world, Bulgarians mean "yes" when shaking their head and "no" when nodding.

• Bulgaria is the world's largest producer of rose and lavender oil? Rose oil production has a long history in Bulgaria. Cultivation takes place mainly in the Rose Valley. During the picking season from May to June, the whole valley is filled with the scent of roses. What’s more, Bulgaria overtook France in lavender oil production during the last decade. So, the French Provence is far from the only place to find colourful lavender fields.

• Thracian fire dancing is celebrated in some villages of southern Bulgaria? The Thracians lived west of the Black Sea in antiquity. This fire dance, called Nestinarstvo, is an ancient custom and counts among the world’s cultural heritage. For dancing, fire is set in a circle. The dancers move barefoot over the burning ashes in intricate steps.

• that Bulgaria is part of the Blue Heart of Europe? This refers to the many natural river landscapes on the Balkan Peninsula. About 80% of its flowing waters are in good or very good condition - more than almost anywhere else in Europe. Bulgaria is also special in other ways to do with water. Except Iceland, it has more thermal springs than any other European country.

Cooperation with TU Dresden

You can find an overview of all cooperations of TU Dresden that you can use for your exchange in our database. It is also often worth your time to ask professors in your own faculty who might have direct contacts to your partner university of choice.

Our Bulgarian partner universities via Erasmus+

• Plovdivski Universitet 'Paisii Hilendarski' - Plovdiv
  • Slavic Studies
  • German as a Foreign Language
• University of National and World Economy - Sofia
  • Business Administration and Economics
• University of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geodesy - Sofia
  • Civil Engineering
  • Hydro Sciences
• Technical University of Sofia 
  • Manufacturing Science and Engineering 
• Trakia University - Stara Sagora   
  • Medicine    
• Medicinski Universitet - Varna
  • Medicine

Don't miss...

© Община Пловдив / Wikimedia Commons

A concert in the Ancient Theatre of Philippopolis. Plovdiv's most famous building bears witness to the city's many millennia of history. As one of the best-preserved Roman amphitheatres, it still impresses with its good acoustics. In summer, it's a unique venue for concerts, plays and many other events. The genres played are various, like the many metal bands that have rocked the ruins. Upcoming events can be found on e.g. on Facebook.

© Ivailo Djilianov / flickr

July Morning at the Black Sea. It's a Bulgarian hippie tradition - on June 30th, people gather in many places at the coast of the Black Sea to spend the summer night outdoors, sitting around bonfires, celebrating and playing music. Early in the morning on 1st July, they greet the rising sun with the song July Morning by Uriah Heep. Sometimes, there's a band (as on the cliffs of Kamen Bryag), sometimes people sing in small groups.

© Raggatt2000 / Wikimedia Commons

Rila Monastery is an important national monument and a must-see among Bulgarians, who have usually visited it at least once in their life. During the period of Ottoman rule over Bulgaria (1396-1878), much of its cultural heritage was preserved here. The monastery impresses with its architecture and countless frescoes. Buses go from Sofia, making it easy to visit as a day trip. If you have a little more time, the surrounding national park with its many mountain lakes and forests is also worth a visit.

© Zde / Wikimedia Commons

The Archaeological Museum Varna in our partner city is home to the oldest gold treasure in the world. The 3,000 gold pieces stem from the Neolithic period and were found at the gravesites of a necropolis near Varna. In addition to this crown jewel of the collection, the museum contains many other finds dating from prehistory to the 19th century. So it's well worth a visit.

© Стоян Петков / Wikimedia Commons

The Melnik Earth Pyramids amaze with a landscape of bizarre shapes washed out of sandstone and limestone rocks. Besides the eponymous earth pyramids, you can find steep rock spires, stone mushrooms and formations resembling alpine mountains in miniature. There is a direct bus line running daily from Sofia to the small town of Melnik, which is the starting point for hiking tours through the pyramids.

Let's get cooking...

Bulgarian cuisine combines Eastern European, Greek and Turkish elements into a unique mix. Typical ingredients are salty cheese, fresh or pickled vegetables and yoghurt, which is often said to have its origins in Bulgaria. The savory and herb mixture chubritsa is a common seasoning, as is lyutenitsa, an ajvar-like sauce made from peppers and tomatoes. Well-known dishes include Shopska salad, banitsa, a cheese filo pastry often eaten for breakfast, and the summery cucumber soup tarator. Rakia, a fruit brandy, is considered the national drink.

Bob Chorba

The hearty soup Bob Chorba is a national dish of Bulgaria. It tastes especially good when cooked in a clay pot put into a fireplace, but a normal pot on the stove will do. Bob Chorba is eaten all year round. It’s also part of the Christmas Eve feast, which is peculiar in requiring an odd number of dishes (usually 7, 9 or 11), all of which must be vegan. Besides Bob Chorba, the feast typically includes dishes like pumpkin strudel, stuffed cabbage and vine leaves, and bread with a lucky coin baked into it. Cooking a whole feast might be a bit too much effort – so here is just the recipe for a good Bob Chorba.

© Gillgaramond / Wikimedia Commons

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 300 g dried white beans
• 2 onions
• 4 small carrots
• 4 bell peppers (preferably red)
• 2 tomatoes
• 4 tbsp. neutral oil (e.g. rapeseed oil)
• 200 ml tomato puree
• about 1 liter of water for cooking
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. chilli powder or paprika powder
• 3 stalks of parsley
• 6 stalks of peppermint
• chubritsa to taste – alternatively summer savory with a pinch of herbes de Provence
• chrunchy toasted bread as a side

Preparation:

1. Soak the white beans in water for 5-6 hours or overnight. After soaking, drain the water, rinse the beans briefly and put them in a pot with about 1 liter of water.  

2. Add a little oil, salt and chilli or paprika powder. Bring to the boil and then reduce the heat and let simmer for 45 minutes. Meanwhile, chop the onions, carrots, bell peppers and tomatoes.

3. The beans should now be firm to the bite. Add the carrots, bell peppers, onions, tomatoes and tomato puree and let simmer for another 30 minutes. Meanwhile, finely chop the parsley and mint.

4. Finally, add the mint and parsley to the soup and season with salt and chubritsa. Serve with crunchy toasted bread.

(Many thanks to koch-rezepte.me!)

Contact and further contact persons

Have you had any great experiences in Bulgaria? Did you successfully spend a semester abroad in Sofia, did you have inspiring culinary experiences or do you have any tips for places and things that you shouldn't miss? We would be happy to share your experiences either here, on Facebook or, if you like, in a digital information event with other TUD students. Get in touch with us:

© Sven Ellger

Advice on studying abroad

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Ms Federica Serra

Infocenter/ Study abroad; TUDworldwide: America

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Contact Information

Organization Name

International Office

International Office

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Visiting address:

Fritz Foerster Bau, Office 161 Mommsenstraße 6

01069 Dresden

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Address postal

Postal address:

TUD Dresden University of Technology International Office

01062 Dresden

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Office hours:

Tuesday:

10:00 - 12:00

13:00 - 15:00

Please register at the SCS (FOE, floor 0).

Office hours by phone:

Thursday:

10:00 - 12:00

Do you want to get first-hand information?

Would you like to know more about Bulgaria? Ask our regional ambassadors - TUD alumni who are active in many countries around the world and can give you information and advice for your stay.

Getting in touch is very easy: On this interactive world map, markers indicate the cities where our regional ambassadors live. There is a short profile with contact information for each one.

Partner Countries Archive

Have you missed a partner country? No worries! Here are all the pages of our previous months for you to read up on:

October 2022: Chile
July 2022: Denmark
June 2022: Thailand
May 2022: Ukraine
April 2022: Portugal
February 2022: People's Republic of China
January 2022: Iceland

November 2021: Romania
October 2021: Mexico
July 2021: Sweden
June 2021: Taiwan
May 2021: Netherlands
April 2021: Vietnam
February 2021: Czech Republic
January 2021: Brazil

December 2020: Austria
November 2020: India
October 2020: Estonia
July 2020: South Korea
June 2020: Hungary