Are you coming to Bulgaria in March? Well, first of all, I’d like to welcome you to our beautiful country! 🤍
It’s always best to prepare in advance before visiting a new country, so in this article I’ve gathered some useful information to ease you with the preparations for your trip. It consists of tips regarding the month of March, but also general information for every visitor, such as using public transportation in our capital city Sofia, what currency you need to bring with you, clarifications when traveling by train, some unwritten rules that could cause turmoil, and many more. I hope you’ll find this article helpful!
1ST OF MARCH – BABA MARTA (БАБА МАРТА)
One of the most popular and most distingueshed Bulgarian traditions is wearing martenitsi during the month of March – in Bulgarian “mart” (март).
Martenitsi are a traditional ornament that people gift to one another and wear during the month of March. They symbolize the ending of winter and the coming of spring. Martenitsi come in many shapes, but mostly they are a braid of a white and red thread in the form of a bracelet or a brooch, often additionally decorated.
This tradition is also common in some of the other Balkan countries, as well, but with a different name and customs. The colors of martenitsi are also not random – red symbolizes “blood, life” and white symbolizes “purity, happiness”.
On 1st of March, people give each other martenitsi as a symbol of happiness and good health with the words “Честита Баба Марта” (“Merry Baba Marta”; similar to saying “Merry Christmas”). The tradition is to wear your martenitsi until you see the first sign that spring has come – a migrating bird (a stork or a swallow), a blooming tree, or hearing a cuckoo. Then, according to the cusmots, you have to tie your martenitsi to a blooming tree, put it under a rock, or throw it in a flowing river, in order to complete the blessings for happiness and health. Nowadays, however, most people avoid that, partly because it polutes the nature, partly because “ain’t nobody got time for that”. 🤷♀️
Mythical folklore characters associated with the tradition of wearing martenitsi
*Baba Marta
Baba Marta (Granny Marta; baba – granny; grandmother) is a mythical woman in Bulgarian folklore associated with the month of March. According to beliefs, she arrives on the 1st and wanders around throughout the entire month. For this reason, traditions dictate that the oldest woman in the family decorates the children with martenitsi on 1st of March.
The beliefs state that whenever Baba Marta is happy, the weather is nice, warm, and sunny and whenever she’s angry, the weather is cold, gloomy, and it often snows. It is common for Bulgarians (mostly men for obvious reasons) to reffer to March as a “female month”. Partly, because Bulgaria also marks International Women’s Day on the 8th, partly because of Baba Marta and the dynamism and complete unpredictability of the weather (similar to a woman’s mood swings).
*Pizho and Penda
One of the most popular forms in which martenitsi come are brooches with the characters Pizho and Penda. They’re mythical folklore characters of two lovers whose story has been told from generation to generation throughout the years, turning into a symbol of new beginnings, such as the coming of spring.
3RD OF MARCH – LIBERATION DAY (NATIONAL HOLIDAY)
Long story short, for nearly 500 years, Bulgaria was under Ottoman rule until our liberation in 1878.
3rd of March is a national holiday, so public sector institutions and offices don’t work. Malls, supermarkets, restaurants, pharmacies, and other bigger stores usually work. Smaller local shops might be closed or have reduced working hours. Public transportation in the bigger cities usually has a different schedule. And if the 3rd falls on a weekend, then the following Monday is an official non-working day (i.e. 4th or 5th of March).
Of course, there are also many celebrations and military parades throughout the country, which you can easily attend.
8TH OF MARCH – INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY
Bulgaria is one of the countries which celebrate International Women’s Day, although it’s also widely accepted as Mother’s Day.
On 8th of March, sidewalks fill with little floral stands and many stores offer specific for the day presents. Many companies give flowers to their female employees and some restaurants/cafés might be giving away some special gifts to women, as well. There may also be some local celebrations, motivational lectures, or themed events.
WEATHER IN MARCH
March marks the ending of winter and the beginning of spring. The weather is transitional with average temperatures of 5-10°C. Early March is usually cooler and night temperatures often drop to and even below 0°C. Daytime temperatures can reach and exceed 15°C, especially during the second half of the month.
March can be quite rainy, so it’s best to take an umbrella and be prepared for possible snowing. In most cases, the snow isn’t heavy and it doesn’t always accumulate, but icing is not excluded. However, it’s just as likely to be warm and sunny, especially during the second half of the month.
Bulgaria is located within a transitional region between continental and Mediterranean climate, which results in sudden weather changes and large temperature amplitudes between different parts of the country. During the second half of March, when the weather gradually warms up, the chance of heavy rain (including hail storm) and even thunderstorms rises.
You should definitely pack warmer clothes and jackets, some sweaters, hats, scarves, waterproof shoes, and advisably a raincoat. And, most importantly, check the forecast in the area you’ll be visiting before coming! As already mentioned in the Baba Marta section – the weather in March is, to put it mildly, unpredictable.
STANDARD TIME → DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME
In Bulgaria, the standard time is Eastern European Time (EET; UTC+02:00). From late March till late October, Bulgaria is within the Daylight Saving Time (DST; UTC+03:00). There have been many discussions over the years about stoping this practice, but nothing has been oficially decided yet. For the time being, the countries in the EU continue to move their clocks forward in March and backward in October.
The transition always happens during the last weekend of the month. In 2026, we move the clock forward 1 hour at 03:00 on 29th of March (i.e. 03:00 becomes 04:00). Your phone and other devices are likely to do this transition automatically.
TOURISM OPPORTUNITIES IN MARCH
From late-season skiing to parades, hikes, spa and wellness procedures, and city tourism. Despite its dynamic weather, March can offer you lots of oppotunitues depending on what you’re looking for.
*Skiing
March offers wonderful conditions for skiing – it’s less crowded, the weather is milder, and it’s often sunny. In some resorts there are also festivities regarding Liberation Day (on 3rd of March).
Bulgaria has 4 major ski resorts and a few smaller ones.
→ Bansko is the biggest and most popular ski resort in Bulgaria. It’s located in southwestern Bulgaria, in Pirin Mountain. It’s visited by thousands of tourists each year and rounds of world winter sports competitions are held there. For more information visit Bansko Ski website and Bansko Minucipality’s website.
→ Borovets is another major and popular skiing destination. It is located in Rila Mountain, also in southwestern Bulgaria. It is only 68 km away from the capital city Sofia, and it is the preferred skiing resort for the locals. Visit Borovets website for more information.
→ Pamporovo is one of the biggest ski resorts in Bulgaria. It is located in Rhodope Mountains, in southern Bulgaria. There are other smaller ski resorts within the same mountain. Visit Pamporovo website for more information.
→ Vitosha Mountain is located right next to Sofia or more like Sofia is located right next to Vitosha Mountain. It provides numerous hiking opportunities for the locals and the visitors of the city. In winter, it also provides options for skiing. However, the slopes might not be available at all times. Consult with Ski Vitosha website for more accurate information.
*Early spring hikes
In March, mountains are still covered in snow, but there are many options for hiking. Many popular trails also have a winter marking in the form of tall, most often black and yellow poles. Except hotels in resorts, there are many fully functioning huts and chalets, and shelters, located in the remote parts of mountains.
The lower you go, the less snow there is, so you can have a nice early spring walk in nature without the need of a serious winter gear. Vitosha Mountain offers many opportunities for one-day getaways, if you’re visiting Sofia or another location nearby. There are many trails at the foot of the mountain and easy to reach huts (with a car or public transportation).
Rila and Pirin are the most popular mountains for hiking throughout the entire year, including late-season skiing. You can visit the official websites for more information.
*Spa and wellness
Bulgaria offers countless options for Spa and Wellness tourism throughout the entire year. The country is also dotted with mineral springs, which attract thousands of visitors each year.
Some of the most visited Spa and Wellness resorts in Bulgaria are Velingrad, Sapareva banya, Sandanski, Hisarya, and Bansko, but there are many more! Sofia and Plovdiv also have many Spa and Wellness hotels.
*Celebrating Liberation Day at the Liberation Monument (Shipka)
The biggest celebration regarding Liberation Day is at the Liberation Monument (also called Shipka). The monument was built to immortalize the feat of those who fell for the freedom of Bulgaria. At that area in Stara Planina Mountain (also called The Balkan), the deciding battles took place, after which Bulgaria (through the help of Russia) won it’s freedom.
Every year, thousands of people climb the 894 stairs to the monument to commemorade our fallen heroes. There are military celebrations and speeches from high-ranking politicians and other popular figures.
*City tourism
There are always options to visit museums, art galleries, theatres, ballets, attend city tours, and many more in the bigger cities. With the coming of spring, also come a lot of outdoor shows, spring festivals, and folklore celebrations. Below you can find the websites of some of the most popular and most visited cities in Bulgaria, where you can explore more options.
→ Sofia: Bulgaria’s capital city and a home to many historical and cultural sites, The National Opera and Ballet, The National Palace of Culture, Saint Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, and many more. It is the hearthbeat of city tourism in Bulgaria with endless options for sightseeing and entertaintment.
→ Plovdiv: The second biggest city in Bulgaria and a cultural centre with many sightseeing options, including The Old Plovdiv Reserve and an ancient Roman theatre. Plovdiv is the 5th oldest city in the world and the oldest in Europe (with continuity of settlement).
→ Veliko Tarnovo: Translated as “Great Tarnovo”, it used to be Bulgaria’s capital city from 1185 to 1393. It is a toursist attraction for its numerous historical sights, such as Tsarevets Fortress and Old Tarnovo District. Throughout the year, the city holds numerous light shows titled “Sound and Light”, which attract thousands of visitors.
→ Varna: The third biggest city in Bulgaria and the biggest on our Black Sea coast. It is regarded as Bulgaria’s Sea Capital. Except sea tourism, you can also visit an astronomical observatory and ethnographic museums.
GENERAL INFORMATION
CURRENCY
Starting on 01.01.2026, Bulgaria adopted the euro as its official currency. If, for some reason, you have Bulgarian lev at you disposal, you can easily exchange it in any bank without any fees.
TAXIS
Primarily, the taxis in Bulgaria are yellow and have a sign upon the roof saying ‘taxi/такси’. Some of the vehicles, however, are concidered eco taxis (usually when the cars are electric or hybrid) and are green in color.
Usually taxis have a light on the windshield by the passenger’s seat, signaling whether they are free or occupied – respectively, a green and a red light. However, there are many companies, so this practice may vary.
Furthermore, if you’re staying in our capital city Sofia, you have a variety of options to download a taxi app. Some popular options include:
→ TaxiMe: A popular and handy service that can take you anywhere within the city.
→ Yellow Taxi: One of the biggest taxi companies in Sofia.
→ Volt Taxi: This is a premium and more luxurious service, so the prices are higher than usual taxis. Their cars are dark green in color. They also have black minivans in their arsenal that can transport larger groups of people.
Unfortunately, in Sofia there are many fraudsters. Usually, they stay in front of the entrance of the Central Railway Station and the Central Bus Station and ask random passengers whether they need a taxi transportation. Not all of them are scammers, but it’s easy to come across one. Especially, if you stop a random taxi on the road. So, I would advice you to use one of the apps above when you need a taxi in Sofia.
PUBLIC TRANSPORT IN SOFIA
If you’re not a fan of taxis or want to immerse yourself in the pulse of the city, you can always use the public transport. Here are a few things you should know in advance.
*Types of public transport
There’s an underground network, currently consisting of 4 lines. Above the ground, there are buses, trolleybuses, and tramways. There are also 4 lines of night buses.
*Buying a ticket
There are two options to buy a ticket for the ground transportation – a physical one and an electronic one. The physical ticket can be bought from the driver. For the electronic one you just need to place your payment card onto a validation device. There are a few located near the doors when you enter. There are two types of physical tickets. If it has a QR-code, it must be validated, as well, on the same devices. If it looks like a reciept, you don’t need to validate it.
It’s the same for the underground – you can buy a physical ticket from the booth at the station or an electronic one by placing your payment card upon the validation device. If you have a physical ticket, you have to validate its barcode in order to enter the platform.
Important! There are inspectors checking random vehicles and metro trains for valid transport documents. If you have paid by card, you just simply have to place it onto their device and if you have successfully validated your card, you’ll pass the check. Don’t be a joyrider – there are fines for the offenders!
Visit Sofia Traffic website for full information about using the public transport and parking within the city.
TRAVELING BY TRAIN
Even we Bulgarians sometimes find it challenging to travel with our State Railways, so I can only imagine what it is like for an outsider. 😂
Their website is pretty decent and you can find useful information there, such as train schedules, ticket prices, and online live updates. But here are some additional tips for an easier and more comfortable trip by a Bulgarian train.
*Buying a ticket
You can either buy a physical ticket from the train stations or an electronic one from the website or through special devices at the train stations. You need to show your ticket (physical or electronic) to the train conductor when asked for it during the trip.
*Finding the right train
This could be a little challenging for foreigners. Basically, you need to know the final destination of your train in advance. This information is written (in Bulgarian) within a rectangle on the sides of some of the carriages. This way you’ll know which train to board. There are some more modern ones and this information is easily found on their digital screens right at the front. The bigger railway stations usually have information on every platform, especially Sofia Central Railway Station. There are digital screens showing the number, the destination, and the schedule of the train, departuring from each platform.
Also, there isn’t a practice of announcing the upcoming stops, so you should prepare yourself in advance as much as you can. For example, by taking a photo/screenshot of the train’s route or following the GPS service on your phone. Like this, you could eliminate the possibility of missing your stop or getting off on a wrong one. However, there are a few exceptions. The above mentioned modern trains also have speakers inside, announcing the stops are, so it’s easier to follow the route.
*Finding your seat
In Bulgarian trains you can buy tickets with or without a reserved seat. For most trains the standard ticket doesn’t have a designated seat and you can choose where to sit. You can get a reserved seat, if such is available, by paying a small extra fee for it. Some trains, however, always have designated seats for all the passengers and for some people it can be quite confusing to find them.
Basically, every carriage has its own number and all the seats inside are also numbered. When you buy a ticket with a reserved seat, you’ll find information about the carriage (in Bulgarian вагон) number and the seat (in Bulgarian място) number. Most trains have both first and second class. This is marked with large numbers 1 and 2 written on the carriages. A lot of people confuse those numbers with the numbering of the carriages themselves. But no, the number of each carriage is written inside small squares, usually next to the doors.
Once you are inside the right carriage, you just need to find your seat. The numbers usually go from 1 to 100 (or above). If the train has separated compartments, the numbers are usually above each seat. If it’s a big saloon, then search for them either above the seats (where the luggage goes) or by the windows.
Current repair work at Sofia Central Railway Station! For quite some time now, Sofia Central Railway Station has been under repairs. If you’re going to travel towards destinations, such as Varna, Ruse and Vidin (basically the northern half of Bulgaria), you have to board the train from Sofia Sever (Sofia North Station). You can either get there by a taxi/public transport, or you can board the provided intermediate train from Central Railway Station. It’s the same when traveling towards Sofia – you have to get off at Sofia Sever and board the intermediate train towards Centrail Railway Station, or use a taxi/public transport to get to your destination within the city.
And if you ever decide to board a Bulgarian train – good luck! 😂
RELIGION
The traditional religion in Bulgaria is Eastern Orthodox Christianity. The majority of the population practices it and most religious temples in the country are part of the Eastern Orthodox Church.
A very important thing to remember when visiting such a church is the dress code. You can’t walk inside scarcely dressed and your shoulders and knees must be covered. It is a holy place and more provocative clothes and appearance could cause resentment and it is possible a church official to ask you to leave or even escort you out. Failure to comply with the dress code could be seen as offensive.
DO BULGARIANS SPEAK ENGLISH?
Well, I do. 😂
But the situation is so-so.
From 1944 to 1989, Bulgaria was under Soviet occupation and became a communist country. Respectively, kids then mostly learned Russian at school. So, the older generations in Bulgaria as a whole don’t speak English at all or they speak just a little bit.
The generations after 1989 started learning English at school, so younger people in Bulgaria usually speak the language more or less. Many of them even migrate to the UK for higher education, and some students spend their summers in the USA as seasonal workers. So, if you ever need assistance with anything, I would suggest you to turn to a younger person, because there is a higher chance they’ll be able to understand and help you.
TIPPING IS NOT MANDATORY, BUT IT IS COMMON
You’re not obliged to leave the waiter a tip after you’ve visited a restaurant/café. However, it is a common practice, especially in the bigger and fancier restaurants. There is no minimum or maximum amount, nor a mathematical percentage that you can calculate. It is all up to you what the amount would be and weather you’ll leave a tip or not at all. Usually, clients who are pleased with the service tend to leave bigger tips, while bad service might leave the waiter ‘empty-handed’.
If the waiter picks up the check, but you’re still at your table, they are obliged to give you the change (if the amount you have given is higher). So, usually, we say to the waiter that the amount we’ve put is ‘correct’, suggesting there is no need to give us the change.
Respectively, if you don’t want to tip the waiter, just wait at your table for your change. However, there might be some exclusions in certain restaurants, especially if they’re fancier, but as a whole tipping is not mandatory.
NODDING MEANS ‘NO’ AND A ‘HEAD SHAKE’ MEANS ‘YES’…ISH
This information is widely spread across the internet, because other people find it quirky, but it is not entirely true. Head movements in Bulgaria are very likely to leave you quite confused, because we basically move our heads in all sorts of ways and speeds. To say it simply, the most important thing you need to observe is our facial expressions, because they tell you what we mean.
A grimace and a frown means ‘no’/refusal and can be accompanied by a nod up and down or a shake to the sides, usually done in a faster way. A friendlier expression, often with a slight smile, means ‘yes’/agreement and can be accompanied by either a nod up and down or a shake to the sides, usually done in a slower way. We also tend to bobble our heads, similar to people in India, when we mean ‘okay’ or ‘I understood’, usually done in a faster way. A slower movement might mean ‘maybe’ or ‘I’ll think about it’ or anything else, depending on the conversation. 😂
No matter the head movement, observe the facial expression, we make a lot of those. 😂 But most of all, if you’re not certain what the other person means, you can simply ask – we, Bulgarians, are friendly and warm people in general. (There are always exceptions, of course 😂)
A visit to Bulgaria could leave you very surprised or even confused. I hope this information will be helpful to you and will make your stay easier and more pleasant! 🤍
Till the next time!
Lina Dimitrova
09/02/2026
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