Attractions Bulgaria

Archive for August, 2009

If you are visiting the Bulgarian capital Sofia a great alternative to a hotel is the many private serviced apartments available for rent in the city. There are literally hundreds of such apartments available in Sofia, and they can be an interesting and cost effective alternative.

The rise of property prices over recent years in the city have coincided with increased tourism, and Bulgarians who bought apartments when prices were low as investments have taken to renting out their properties.
Initially often rented out to travelling business people and others working in the city, increasingly these apartments are rented out to tourists and travellers.

Standards and prices vary greatly, but on the whole apartments offer excellent value for money if you want self-catering accommodation. Many apartments are right in the centre of the city so you don’t have to travel far to see the wide range of shops and attractions Sofia has to offer.

There are many sites on the Internet where you can select apartments a good example of which is Hostelbookers. And, as you will see many are decorated and equipped to a very high standard, such as the one shown in the photograph here.

It’s worth checking that the apartments have satellite TV in English – if that’s your thing of course. Also ask about air conditioning in the summer months, and if there is a heater in the colder months as the central heating is state run and you won’t have control in some cases as to when it comes on and goes off.

Something to remember is not to panic when you see the building as in many older building the hallways and entrances are poorly maintained. If you’ve selected well once you open the door to your apartment you’ll find an attractive and welcoming place to stay.

Hostelbookers offer a wide range of apartments, hosts and hotels throughout Bulgaria, and worldwide.

Visit the ALW Site and advertise for free

New flights to Bulgaria have been announced by Hungarian carrier, Wizz Air… starting in the winter season of 2009.

Every Tuesday and Saturday, Wizz Air will fly from Varna to Luton (London), departing at 6pm Bulgarian local time. This runs from September 19th 2009, and will continue until May 2010. After that… flights from Varna to Luton will switch to Sundays and depart at 1pm London time.

Wednesdays and Sundays from October 25th 2009 will see flights from Sofia to Eindhoven – leaving at 5:20pm Sofia time, and returning at 8:40 from Eindhoven.

To book hotels or hostel accommodation during your trip, we wholeheartedly recommend our partners Hostelbookers

Visit the ALW Site and advertise for free today!

Good news for Bulgaria, is the rapid rise in the number of new shopping centres in Bulgaria. This is happening despite the global downturn in business… and once again points towards Bulgaria as a strong contender for overseas investment.

Bulgaria is still almost at the bottom of the charts for shopping centres – but this is not surprising, considering the average Bulgarian has less shopping power than the average Western European. However, with all the changes in Europe, and with Bulgaria soon to join the euro… growth is assured… and backers are seeing Bulgaria as potential shopping heaven.

However, should construction levels in Bulgaria maintain the same level, by the end of 2011, Bulgaria will have progressed from the current 25 sq m per 1000 people to levels currently enjoyed by Belgium, Malta and Croatia, who have anything from 100 to 75 sq m per 1000 people, provided of course that the aforementioned countries do not construct additional shopping malls.

Furthermore, a recent Cushman & Wakefield report indicated that construction levels in Bulgaria are actually considerably slower than they would have been had it not been for the global economic downturn. This saw the number of proposed projects slashed by 20 per cent.

More than 500 000 sq m of new retail area are expected to be completed in Bulgaria, which is more than the proposed construction in the United Kingdom, Spain, Germany and the Ukraine.

In western Europe the crisis, lack of financing and crediting, the deteriorating global recession and many other interrelated factors have contributed to the sharp decline of total volume of proposed construction for 2011, which in comparison to corresponding figures during the peak of the sector in 2007 has marked a 45 per cent decline. According to the Cushman & Wakefield report, however, the industry expects a rise in business in the following two to three years.

In a report by the international consultant firm, Jones Lang LaSalle, it is revealed that the total volume of investments in shopping malls in Europe has risen by as much as 85 per cent in Q2 of 2009, reaching two billion euro.

Derived from an article in Sofia Echo.

French retail chain Carrefour will open a store in Mall Pleven, developer Aladin Investment said on May 27, as quoted by Dnevnik daily. The hypermarket chain would rent 2 400 sq m on the shopping centre’s ground floor, Aladin Harfan, owner of Aladin Investment, was quoted as saying.

Mall Pleven, a 80 million leva development, is still under construction but is expected to be completed by the end of the year. “Construction is progressing according to schedule,” Harfan was quoted as saying.

The shopping centre is expected to open in early 2010 and has generated “heightened interest” from retailers, according to Colliers International, contracted to rent out the 100 stores that will spread over 17 500 sq m in the finished mall.

Currently, there are eight Carrefour projects under construction nationwide. The first hypermarket of the French group opened for business at the end of March 2009 in Bourgas, Bulgaria’s second largest Black Sea city.

The first Carrefour hypermarket in Sofia is expected to open in February 2010 on the Tsarigradsko Chaussee Boulevard.

Derived from an article in Sofia Echo.