Bulgaria, an unknown treasure.

Why did you choose to go to Varna, Bulgaria?

In reality, I didn't choose Bulgaria, it was more like I didn't know anything about the country. On leaving the Leonardo da Vinci internship, I decided to look for a company on my own that would give me the opportunity to carry out this programme (there are always more opportunities finding things by yourself rather than waiting for a job offer to come out and then passing the job selection process). So, I started sending out emails with my CV attached and my covering letter asking for an opportunities to all of the businesses that I found on the internet in all of the countries that ran the program. Out of all of the countries, I found Bulgaria, which seemed like the least attractive at the start. A couple of days later, I received a letter from a company called Architectural Spies LTD. architect-varna.com They confirmed that they were going to give me the opportunity (for which I am eternally grateful). I found Varna on the map and seeing my situation in Spain, I went without a second thought, which was undoubtedly the best decision I could ever have made.

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How long is the scholarship? How much money do you receive to help you with living costs?

When I did the Leonardo da Vinci grant (2012), it lasted 6 months. The money that you receive depends on the country that you go to and it's living costs. In general, the economic help covers the accommodation and maintenance. In Bulgaria it was €400 a month, approximately.

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What is the student lifestyle like in Varna?

Varna has a lot of student atmosphere, after Sofía (the capital of Bulgaria) it is the second biggest university city. I have linked where you can find all of the universities in th city: varna-bulgaria.info/universities. I would recommend that if you want to go to Varna, contact the Varna ESN: varna.esnbg.org. It is a group of mostly Bulgarians who have lived experiences in other countries with the Erasmus program or something similar, and who have decided to set up this organisation to help all foreign students who come to Varna. They organise lots of activities and it is the ideal way to make friends and get to know people as soon as you get there.

Would you recommend the city and the University of Varna to other students?

Absolutely. I have not been lucky enough to have studied at one of Varna's universities because, as I said, I was doing an internship in a company, but I have friends from different countries (on Erasmus) that have studied at various universities here and they all have very good reviews.

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What is the food like there?

Excellent, Bulgaria stands out for its gastronomy, with a great abundance and diversity of fresh products, it's famous for its abundant salads (like the salad Shopska, for example, which acommpanies any other dish). There are good-quality wines and the Rakia is the best alcholic drink, it is usually drunk with a salad. Bulgarian cuisine is made with a variety of hot and cold soups, an example of cold soup is the Tarator. There are loads of desserts, one of the best well-known ones is the Banitsa.

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Was it difficult to find accommodation in Varna?

Finding accommodation in Varna can be a little complicated, ideally you should contact the ESN organisation in Varna who can advise you on this. There are towers with rooms where the Erasmus students usually rent. In my case, they helped me find accommadation through the company.

How much does it cost to live in Varna?

For accommodation and meals €400 euros is enough as a minimum. In general, life in Bulgaria is more affordable in comparison to other countries. For example with €1 you can buy a half-litre beer in a bar, depending on the quality of the restaurant you can eat very well for €3-€8.

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Is the language easy to get to grips with? Are there language courses available at the university?

The language is Bulgarian, it is written with the characters from the Cyrillic alphabet, it's a complicated language to learn, but with some expressions you can easily defend yourself. In general, older Bulgarians do not speak English, but young people are fluent in English and even two or three languages. I haven't taken any courses at the university, but for Erasmus students there is that possibility, which I recommend doing.

What's the easiest or most economical way to travel to Varna from your home city?

The best way is to travel by plane and make the route Madrid-Sofia-Varna with Bulgaria Air (stopover in Sofia, there is no direct flight from Spain to Varna).

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Where would you recommend for a night out in Varna?

In the winter, I would recommend going to drink something in the bars in the centre or a disco like Avenue, Xtravaganzza, and in summer to the bars on the beach. There is so much to do in your free time.

And to eat in Varna? What are some of your favourite places to go?

I would recommend any typical Bulgarian restaurant, the food in general is very good and it is difficult for a restaurant with Bulgarian food to disappoint you. Outside of the above, a good place to have a beer and dinner can be the Sundogs Pub.

What good cultural sites are there to visit?

Within Varna there's the Archaeological Museum , Stoyan Bachvarov Theatre , Regional History Museum and Varna Cathedral .

In Bulgaria I would reccommend you visit, as a minimum: Sofia, the Monastery of Rila, Veliko Tarnovo, Tryavna, Nesebar, Sozopol and Kazanlak (during the Festival of the Rose). Bulgaria deserves a good route from north to south and east to west, you will be surprised by its landscapes, its culture, its traditions and a large number of monasteries and precious Orthodox churches.

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Do you have any advice for students coming to Varna in the future?

I would advise you not to think twice about coming to Varna, Bulgaria is a totally safe country that will surprise you! Its disadvantage is the harsh winters that can reach temperatures of -20 degrees, but summers with 30 degrees (ideal for living on the Black Sea coast and more in Varna), it is a country with a great cultural and lucrative options throughout the year.

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