Host Country
| Official language | Bulgarian. The Cyrillic alphabet is used for reading and writing in Bulgarian |
| Time zone | GMT + 2 hours / CET + 1 hour in winter time |
| Electricity specifications | 220V 50 Hz Plug with two parallel round prongs (Type C & F) |
| Tap water | Safe to drink |
| Telephone code | International country code for Bulgaria: +359 |
| Climate in late June | It is warm in Stara Zagora in late June. The average temperature is about 21,4°C (max 30°C / min 15,4°C) |
| Currency | BGN – Bulgarian Lev (lv). one lev consists of 100 stotinki 1 EUR = 1.95 lv (fixed rate) – 1 lv = 0.48 € |
| Money exchange | There are many currency exchange offices offering a range of exchange services. You should be careful though to choose a bureau with clearly displayed rates on the front and make all transaction inside the office. Never trust anybody on the street! Better exchange your money in a bank office. |
Host City
Stara Zagora is the centre of Stara Zagora province. With more than 8000 years of history, it is one of the oldest continuously populated places in Europe. Centre of booming industry, remarkable cultural life and numerous tourist attractions, the beauty of the city of linden continue to be an appealing destination for travellers.
Situated almost in the geographical centre of Bulgaria, Stara Zagora is linked with major roads and railroads to the rest of the country and the neighbouring Turkey, Greece and Romania. In less than 4-hour drive, you can be in all these three countries by very decent roads.
Stara Zagora enjoys very mild winters, long springs and falls. Thanks to the big amount of trees, the summers in the city are not very hot, with specific micro-climate.
In the city limits of today Stara Zagora, the place was continuously inhabited since the Neolithic (8000 + years ago) through the times of the Thracians, to achieve its glory in the past during the Roman times. Then the city was called Augusta Traiana and it was one of the most prominent cities in the Roman Province of Thrace. Huge avenues, covered with marble slabs, lined with statues, and a large amount of archaeological artefacts remain from this period, including the Roman Walls and Gate of the city, mosaics and the Roman Forum. During the centuries to follow, the city was called Beroe, Irinopolis, Eski Zagra and finally – Stara Zagora (old city behind the mountain).
After its rebuilding in the end of the 19 and beginning of the 20th century, Stara Zagora became one of the few Bulgarian cities build on grid. This was also the time that the large boulevards and small streets were lined up with linden trees, giving the city the aroma of late spring perfume so enchanting in the beginning of June.
Stara Zagora was also called the city of “poets” since many Bulgarian poets were born, spend their lives and created amazing poetry here, in the inspiring surroundings of one of the most prominent cultural centres in Bulgaria. Stara Zagora also has the first Opera House built outside of the capital Sofia, one of the oldest telephone communication systems and the first robotics plant in Bulgaria.
Now it continues to be the centre for prosperous cultural life, and important industrial and agricultural centre.
Bank offices are open on weekdays from 9:00 to 17:00. Big supermarkets and smaller shops are working 7 days a week.