Bulgaria

Bulgaria sits in the southeastern corner of Europe, bordering Romania, Serbia, North Macedonia, Greece, and Turkey, with a Black Sea coastline that draws summer crowds to Varna and Burgas. It's one of the continent's least expensive destinations, which surprises people once they arrive and see the quality of what's on offer.

Sofia, the capital, is low-key and walkable, with the golden domes of Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Roman ruins uncovered during subway construction, and a relaxed café culture. Plovdiv, one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in Europe, has a beautifully preserved old town of wooden Ottoman-era houses and an ancient Roman theater still used for concerts.

The countryside is where Bulgaria really opens up: the Rila Monastery tucked into forested mountains, the rose valley around Kazanlak that supplies much of the world's rose oil, and the Rhodope and Balkan ranges offering serious hiking with few crowds. Veliko Tarnovo, the old medieval capital, clings dramatically to a river gorge.

Food is hearty and Balkan — shopska salad, banitsa pastry, grilled meats, and excellent local wine that rarely gets exported. English is spoken less outside major cities, but people are generally helpful. It rewards travelers willing to rent a car and explore beyond the capital.