Bulgaria is a country that has a lot to offer to almost any kind of tourist. Beautiful sea side, spectacular mountains, historical places, winter sports, luxury spa hotels or village tourism – we’ve got them all.
However there is something I believe you should be aware of. As a country with our own official language, knowing English won’t necessarily guarantee you a smooth holiday. Now don’t get the idea that if you come over, you are going to find yourself in one of those countries from the 3rd world where the locals have no idea of the existence of other languages but their own. Definitely that is not the case.
The young Bulgarians
As a matter of fact most of the young Bulgarians do speak English and many other European languages. Maybe not perfect, maybe sometimes you can get exhausted of using your hands until you finish a conversation, but at the end of the day you are going to understand each other. So if you are coming to some of the big cities around or to a touristic destination with hotels, bars and etc., you don’t need to worry about the language barrier.
Local people 45+
Now the situation is quite different when it comes to the people from the smaller towns and villages, especially the ones that are 45+. They rarely speak any other languages but Bulgarian and Russian, and maybe Turkish in some specific areas in Bulgaria. So if you have decided to visit the country side and explore the wild part of Bulgaria I suggest you learn a few Bulgarian words that can help you get around.
Here are couple of links that will allow you learn the basics of Bulgarian quick and easy:
Internet Polyglot
BulgarianPod101.com – Learn Bulgarian with Free Podcasts
Why is it worth learning Bulgarian?
I know some of you might wonder why should you make that effort and bother learning a language. Well there is a very simple answer to that – Bulgarian people are famous for our warm hospitality. However nowadays you can truly experience this only in the small towns and villages. Second – the nature and the real fresh air around those places is worth the inconvenience. Last but not least, learning another language is always a benefit, especially with a language like Bulgarian that has been officially created during the second half of 9th century. A language that has survived through 500 years of Turkish occupation and has given the beginning of all the Slavic languages. Quite impressive isn’t it?
Leave a Reply