Independence Day

Where to go for Independence Day

Independence Day marks the proclamation of Bulgaria's independence in Veliko Tarnovo on 22 September 1908. It falls in early autumn, during the grape harvest, and a weekday date can be bridged with a day of leave.

Budget-friendly

• Stara Zagora

  The city has remains of Roman Augusta Traiana and a museum built over Neolithic dwellings. Kazanlak, in the same province, has the UNESCO-listed Thracian Tomb and the Valley of the Thracian Kings, with the Shipka monument above.

  Typically around 22 September: high 25°C (77°F), low 12°C (53°F), rain on 19% of days.

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• Pleven

  Pleven's history centres on the 1877 siege during the Russo-Turkish War, presented in the Pleven Epopee panorama. Kaylaka Park offers autumn walks, and the city's wine museum there presents Bulgarian wines in a cave setting.

  Typically around 22 September: high 26°C (78°F), low 13°C (56°F), rain on 14% of days.

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Mid-range

• Veliko Tarnovo · Veliko Tarnovo

  Independence was proclaimed in the town's medieval Church of the Holy Forty Martyrs. Combine it with Tsarevets fortress, the Asenevtsi monument, the Revival-era houses of the old quarter and a meal on a terrace above the Yantra River.

  Typically around 22 September: high 24°C (76°F), low 12°C (53°F), rain on 19% of days.

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Splurge

• Varna

  Late September is often still mild on the coast. The Saints Constantine and Helena resort north of the city has spa hotels using local mineral water, while Varna itself offers its Archaeological Museum, Roman baths and Black Sea fish dishes.

  Typically around 22 September: high 22°C (72°F), low 18°C (64°F), rain on 21% of days.

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Trip ideas chosen by Public Holidays World, not sponsored. “Typically” lines are past averages, not forecasts; when the date is within about 9 days, a forecast is shown too.