Drink & Drugs in Bulgaria - Guides Global (2024)

FAQs

Do Bulgarians drink alot? ›

Alcohol consumption in Bulgaria is 43 per cent spirits, 39 per cent beer and 17 per cent wine, the WHO report said.

The municipal council in Bulgaria's second city Plovdiv has amended public order regulations to provide for a fine of 100 to 3000 leva (about 50 to 1500 euro) for anyone who consumes alcohol or other intoxicants in streets, squares, parks, green spaces and other public places.

Drinking age in Bulgaria

Bulgaria does not have a mimimum age for the consumption of alcohol in private, but you do have to be 18 years old to buy it. Minors will often be allowed to drink in a restaurant or pub if accompanied by an adult.

If you have just arrived in Bulgaria and are still curious to taste the vast variety of authentic Bulgarian meals and drinks, undoubtedly the most traditional and emblematic alcoholic beverage to start your night with is the local rakia.

The most emblematic of all Bulgarian alcoholic drinks is rakia, the strong plum, grape, or other fruit brandy. Many Bulgarians distill their own rakia and are really proud to serve you their own product. The homemade rakia is usually much stronger than the one bought in stores.

Under the new law, smoking is prohibited in all workplaces, restaurants, bars, bus stations and other public buildings. The sole exception is airports, which will be smokefree, but will allow enclosed smoking rooms. The law was passed 107 votes to 90 after considerable debate.

Tap water is safe to drink all over the country but not always pleasant in taste or appearance. Bulgaria's vast supplies of mineral water are widely available in 0.5 litre and 1.5 litre bottles. They are very tasty and not expensive.

Drinking alcoholic beverages on streets and parks will be forbidden, but only if it is accompanied by behaviour that disturbs public order. The noise from construction sites will also be subject to serious sanctions, as well as playing musical instruments in residential buildings.

What country has lowest drinking age? ›

The youngest legal drinking age in the world is 15, with both Mali and the Central African Republic allowing folks to drink at that time. Seven countries do not have a government-mandated drinking age, while 11 countries ban the consumption of booze entirely.

Angola and the Philippines both set the age of consent at 12, which is the lowest in the world.

One of the biggest reasons of Bulgaria being a budget-friendly destination owes to the fact that Bulgarian lev is currently at a lower value in comparison to American Dollar, Pounds, or other European currencies. Currently (July 21, 2020), 1 Bulgarian Lev = 0.58 United States Dollar.

Bulgaria has the cheapest booze this summer – but avoid France where beer costs over 300% more. FOR Brits looking for a boozy getaway, Bulgaria's Sunny Beach is the place to go.

Maximum and Minimum Salary Range

In Bulgaria, the average salary ranges from 840 BGN (USD 473) to 14,700 BGN (USD 8,292) per month.

Rakia on the Balkan Peninsula

The word rakia is of Arab origin, too. Nevertheless, rakia is considered a national drink by Bulgarians, Serbs, Turks, and almost all other Balkan countries.

Bulgaria, while being a relatively small country in Eastern Europe, has quite a number of beer brands. The most popular breweries (all producing namesake lagers) are Kamenitza (produced in the city of Plovdiv), Zagorka (produced mainly in Stara Zagora) and Astika (Produced in city of Haskovo).

Due to the age of the fragment, contradicting the idea that rakiya production only began in the 16th century, some historians believe this indicates that rakiya did originally come from Bulgaria.

Industrial rakia contains about 40% of alcohol, but domestic rakia is usualy much stronger, and it can contain 50, 60 or even 70% of alcohol.

Drink it ice cold, preferably straight up (no rocks), and have a Shopska salad, lukanka or at least a few pickles standing by.

What is Bulgarian rakia? ›

The Bulgarian national drink

In case you haven't tried it yet, rakia is hard liquor from the brandy family. It is made from fermented grapes, plums, or virtually any fruit with sugars in it. Its alcohol content varies from 40% for the commercially sold liquor to 70-80% of pure firewater for the home-produced rakia.

Bulgaria's smoking ban is among the most severe in Europe with no exemptions in bars, restaurants or workplaces (except for shisha) and some restrictions outdoors. The exemption for shisha was confirmed in July 2019.

The cannabis medical business in Bulgaria is illegal and the import of cannabis-based products is illegal.

Bulgaria. A comprehensive smoking ban has been introduced prohibiting smoking in all public places including bars, restaurants, clubs, workplaces, stadiums, etc. and came into effect on 1 June 2012, though smoking is allowed in restaurants as long as there are separate rooms for smokers and non-smokers.

Is it standard to tip in Bulgaria? Tipping is standard practice in Bulgaria and travelers should aim to tip around 10% of the total bill in a restaurant, provided the service has been up to scratch. Hotel staff are usually left around USD $1 per night for housekeeping and the same for the porters per bag.

Meaning of Water in Bulgarian language is: води.

Although tap water in Bulgaria is deemed safe to drink, it can often have an unpleasant taste or appearance. As such Sickholiday.com advise all holiday makers visiting Sunny Beach to drink only bottled water.

The law is very strict when it comes to drinking and driving in Bulgaria. The blood alcohol limit in Bulgaria is only 0.05%, anything above this would get you a fine and you will lose your license for 1-12 months. For values over 0.12% you will even get jail time!

Smoking in Bulgaria

Smoking, unfortunately, is almost like a national sport in Bulgaria, Some 35% of Bulgarians smoke. And they start smoking before they become 18 years old which is the minimum age that by law they are allowed to smoke.

You can bring any prescription drug in Bulgaria and everywhere around Europe and the developed world as long as you have a reasonable quantity of it and it's obvious it's for personal use, having a prescription also helps.

What is the national drink of Bulgaria? ›

Rakia on the Balkan Peninsula

The word rakia is of Arab origin, too. Nevertheless, rakia is considered a national drink by Bulgarians, Serbs, Turks, and almost all other Balkan countries.

Bulgaria has the cheapest booze this summer – but avoid France where beer costs over 300% more. FOR Brits looking for a boozy getaway, Bulgaria's Sunny Beach is the place to go.

Tap water is safe to drink all over the country but not always pleasant in taste or appearance. Bulgaria's vast supplies of mineral water are widely available in 0.5 litre and 1.5 litre bottles. They are very tasty and not expensive.

Industrial rakia contains about 40% of alcohol, but domestic rakia is usualy much stronger, and it can contain 50, 60 or even 70% of alcohol.

Bulgaria, while being a relatively small country in Eastern Europe, has quite a number of beer brands. The most popular breweries (all producing namesake lagers) are Kamenitza (produced in the city of Plovdiv), Zagorka (produced mainly in Stara Zagora) and Astika (Produced in city of Haskovo).

1. Shopska Salata (шопска салата) Summer salad. Having the same colors as the flag, Shopsla Salata is the queen of all Bulgarian foods and proclaimed as the national dish.

Due to the age of the fragment, contradicting the idea that rakiya production only began in the 16th century, some historians believe this indicates that rakiya did originally come from Bulgaria.

Under the new law, smoking is prohibited in all workplaces, restaurants, bars, bus stations and other public buildings. The sole exception is airports, which will be smokefree, but will allow enclosed smoking rooms. The law was passed 107 votes to 90 after considerable debate.

Can you flush toilet paper in Bulgaria? ›

While Americans in particular are used to flushing their used toilet paper down the pipe, they must break that habit if they are traveling to Turkey, Greece, Beijing, Macedonia, Montenegro, Morocco, Bulgaria, Egypt and the Ukraine in particular. Restrooms will have special waste bins to place used toilet paper.

Is it standard to tip in Bulgaria? Tipping is standard practice in Bulgaria and travelers should aim to tip around 10% of the total bill in a restaurant, provided the service has been up to scratch. Hotel staff are usually left around USD $1 per night for housekeeping and the same for the porters per bag.

It can happen that you wake up with a serious hangover. But normally raki will only give you one because you really had too much of it, since it is very clean.

Apricot, quince, pear and apple are just a handful of varieties you'll find on menus across the city. But the undisputed champion of rakija is šljivovica, a Serbian plum brandy. Serbia is one of the leading plum growers in the world, and šljivovica is synonymous with Serbian hospitality.