Bulgarian property has seen a real boom in the last couple of years, what with positive foreign press coverage and the expectation that EU membership in 2007 will lead to an increase in the standard of living, taking property prices with it. Despite average rises in recent years of 25% per year, prices still seem very low in comparison to those in Western Europe.
Bulgaria is a relatively sparsely populated country, with only around 8 million inhabitants on an area the size of 110,910 sq km . Away from the commercial resorts, Bulgaria is practically unknown to tourists. If you want a 'new' destination - this is it. For a small country, Bulgaria has a remarkably varied landscape. The 380 km long coastline caters for beach and water sport holidays; the mountains that cover half the country for skiing, hiking, and caving; the rivers for extreme adventures. Bulgaria is one of the last homes in Europe for the brown bear and the wolf. Nesting storks can be seen on every other bell tower and telegraph pole. The forests abound with wild fruit, mushrooms and all sorts of healing herbs. The country's 1600 hot springs are fast becoming an attraction.
The beauty of Bulgaria's weather is that it is easy to predict which makes it easy to plan a vacation. The country enjoys four very distinct seasons. Summers are long and hot (around 25-30C), winters cold and snowy (around zero). Spring and autumn are spectacular seasons and the mild temperatures make them ideal for any kind of active break.
The property boom was encouraged by Bulgaria’s growing political and economical stability, a fact that is verified by two important events: the country’s entry as an official member of NATO in 2004 and the ratification of its EU Accession Treaty in April this year, meaning it is on track to join the Union at the beginning of 2007. Despite this, it's still a considerably cheaper destination than much of the rest of Europe.
