1. Information anytime, anywhere - transforming Defence effectiveness 1 Bulgaria Holidays

2. Information anytime, anywhere - transforming Defence effectiveness 2 Where is Bulgaria Bulgaria is situated in South East Europe. The country is bordered to the North by Romania, Macedonia and Serbia on the West, Greece and Turkey on the South and the Black Sea is Bulgaria’s Eastern border. The Balkan Mountains cross the country reaching to the edge of the Black Sea and its golden beaches. The land is heavily cultivated, covered with forests and crossed by rivers.

3. Information anytime, anywhere - transforming Defence effectiveness 3

4. 4 General Information Population: About 6.5 million people Largest Cities: Sofia, Plovdiv, Veliko Turnovo, Varna and Bourgas Climate -It has clearly marked four seasons. Average summer temperatures are around 30°C plus, winters are often below zero.

5. Information anytime, anywhere - transforming Defence effectiveness 5 General Information Bulgaria's beach and ski resorts are expanding quickly. The main cities have shrugged off their weary Communist image and have become vibrant and attractive, with well- kept boulevards, varied shopping and nightlife. Spectacular mountains occupy half the country's territory and the abundance of golden beaches along the 230 mile Black Sea coastline bringing in many tourists from around the world. Religion: 86% Christians 13% are Muslims

6. Information anytime, anywhere - transforming Defence effectiveness 6 Sofia

7. Information anytime, anywhere - transforming Defence effectiveness 7 Sofia Sofia is the capital and the largest city in Bulgaria with a population of around 1.4 million. Modern Sofia is a tourist's mecca, filled with a wide assortment of shops, galleries, cafés and scenic tree-lined boulevards, parks and gardens. The National Palace of Culture (known to the locals as "NDK"), in the centre of Sofia is the largest multifunctional complex in the southern part of Eastern Europe

8. Information anytime, anywhere - transforming Defence effectiveness 8 Sofia is a city with a 7000-year history, which makes it a unique phenomenon in Europe, and places it among the settlements dating back to the most distant antiquity. Nowadays Sofia is a different place, changes in its appearance are imminent - old buildings are returned to their former glory, new buildings and shops emerge, private companies establish themselves on the market. The city is in constant flux, under way is gradual restoration of its cultural and architectural monuments, which make it a typically European city with ancient culture an impressive present and bright future.

9. Information anytime, anywhere - transforming Defence effectiveness 9 Sofia also have a lot of night life, the city at nights is brighter from countless bars and night clubs. The true heartbeat of Bulgarian daily life is found in the smaller cities, towns and farms spread throughout this remarkable land.

10. Information anytime, anywhere - transforming Defence effectiveness 10 Bourgas

11. Information anytime, anywhere - transforming Defence effectiveness 11 Bourgas It is the fourth largest city in Bulgaria, situated in the south- eastern part of the country. Bourgas is a Bulgarian port on the Black Sea. This city of almost 200-thousand inhabitants is famous both as an industrial centre and as a tourist centre. Bourgas rivals Varna as the chief export port of Bulgaria and thus is an important commercial centre.

12. Information anytime, anywhere - transforming Defence effectiveness 12 Varna

13. Information anytime, anywhere - transforming Defence effectiveness 13 Varna The city of Varna is the third largest city in Bulgaria with its population of nearly 315 thousand people. It is widely called the seaside capital of Bulgaria as it is the biggest city at the Bulgarian coast. The city lies in the Bay of Varna, nestled in a deep valley between the Frengen Plateau and the Avren Plateau. The city’s structure resembles an amphitheatre as it follows the curves of the Bay of Varna.

14. Information anytime, anywhere - transforming Defence effectiveness 14 Plovdiv

15. Information anytime, anywhere - transforming Defence effectiveness 15 Plovdiv Plovdiv is the second largest city in Bulgaria after Sofia and cultural centre of the country situated on the Maritsa River Being older than most of the oldest towns like Rome, Athens or Constantinople. Plovdiv is a town built upon layers of towns and a culture developed upon layers of cultures. Plovdiv is a picturesque town, with many parks, gardens, museums and archaeological monuments

16. Information anytime, anywhere - transforming Defence effectiveness 16 Skiing Resorts

17. Information anytime, anywhere - transforming Defence effectiveness 17 Bansko

18. Information anytime, anywhere - transforming Defence effectiveness 18 Bansko Bansko is the gateway to the Pirin mountain region in the South of the country and offers a delightful combination of high mountains and ancient history Not as well known outside Bulgaria as Pamporovo and Borovets. Bansko has emerged to the fore over the past couple of years to become the country's leading resort. Offering a true alternative to the Alps, this charming little town will impress any skier who appreciates well-groomed slopes with modern infrastructure in breathtakingly beautiful surroundings

19. Information anytime, anywhere - transforming Defence effectiveness 19 Bansko offers excellent skiing conditions. The Pirin Mountains have a predominantly Alpine character with 2 peaks towering above 2900m Skiing in this area is better suited to beginners and intermediates with the majority of the runs being either red or blue. However, experts won't get bored and can take on the 'Alberto Tomba' black run named after the famous Bulgaria skier Bansko is an ideal place to learn to ski on a budget, with a good ski school and plenty of nursery slopes.

20. Information anytime, anywhere - transforming Defence effectiveness 20 During the recent years a multi-million Euros investment in a brand new skiing area has been made. During the last couple of years this resort is under a massive investment process with new hotels and resort facilities being under construction. Bansko has the best snow record and the longest ski season of all Bulgarian ski resorts (15 Dec - 15 May)

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22. Information anytime, anywhere - transforming Defence effectiveness 22 Pirin Mountain Range

23. Information anytime, anywhere - transforming Defence effectiveness 23 Bansko

24. Information anytime, anywhere - transforming Defence effectiveness 24 Borovets

25. Information anytime, anywhere - transforming Defence effectiveness 25 Borovets The oldest Bulgarian winter resort is Borovets with a history from 1896 Today Borovets is the biggest and most modern resort in Bulgaria It is situated on the northern slopes of the Mousala ridge in the eastern part of Rila. Huddled in venerable pine woods 1390 meters above the sea level (with highest pistes at 2600m makes it a perfect place for relaxation and recreation.

26. Information anytime, anywhere - transforming Defence effectiveness 26 The winter in the resort is mild and of course with loads of snow. The average temperature during the coldest month January is 4.8ºC. Usually the slopes of Borovets have snow cover from mid December till April Sofia (the capital) is just 72 kilometres away

27. Information anytime, anywhere - transforming Defence effectiveness 27 The excellent skiing attracts thousands of mountain lovers from Bulgaria and abroad. They can use the 45 kilometres various difficulty and length ski pistes grouped in three regions The resort is a regular host of various winter sports competitions. It has twice hosted World Cup competitions in Alpine skiing. Its biathlon track is one of the best in Europe. Borovets is a resort of Alpine type and provides very good conditions for snow sports during the winter skiing, night- skiing, snowboarding, cross-country skiing, ski jumps and biathlon

28. Information anytime, anywhere - transforming Defence effectiveness 28 Borovets

29. Information anytime, anywhere - transforming Defence effectiveness 29 Pamporovo

30. Information anytime, anywhere - transforming Defence effectiveness 30 Pamporovo Pamporovo is a modern ski resort in the heart of the Rhodopi Mountain The climate in winter is moderate/mild with a Mediteranean influence ski-school in Pamporovo is one of the best in Europe The Resort is 240 km from Sofia and 85 km from Plovdiv The average air temperature is - 3 ° C The gentle profile of the mountain with its rounded slopes and summits makes Pamporovo particularly suitable for beginners There are also difficult ski runs like the Giant Slalom run which is excellent for every skiing expert

31. Information anytime, anywhere - transforming Defence effectiveness 31 Pamporovo

32. Information anytime, anywhere - transforming Defence effectiveness 32 Beach Resorts

33. Information anytime, anywhere - transforming Defence effectiveness 33 Sozopol

34. Information anytime, anywhere - transforming Defence effectiveness 34 Sozopol The town of Sozopol has a population of around 7,000 people and is situated 31km south of Bourgas The sights of Sozopol are many, but none of them can be separated from the rest since all of them impact the visitors as an attractive ensemble. Among these are two ancient churches from the Renaissance period - St. Zosim Church and The Holy Virgin Church In the beginning of September each year the town hosts the big International Art Festival, which attracts artists and art lovers from all over the country and abroad.

35. Information anytime, anywhere - transforming Defence effectiveness 35 Nessebar

36. Information anytime, anywhere - transforming Defence effectiveness 36 Nessebar The town of Nessebar has about 10,000 inhabitants and extends over a small peninsula It lies 30km northeast of Bourgas Its beach is considered to be one of the finest along the Black Sea coast due to a large sandy strip of land between the town of Ravda covered with clean golden sand. Nowadays, Nessebar is one of the most popular resorts among foreign tourists for its ancient spirit and well- preserved remains

37. Information anytime, anywhere - transforming Defence effectiveness 37 Nessebar

38. Information anytime, anywhere - transforming Defence effectiveness 38 Sunny Beach

39. Information anytime, anywhere - transforming Defence effectiveness 39 Sunny Beach Sunny Beach is perched 36 km north of Bourgas and about 90 km to the south of Varna, its the largest holiday resort on the Black Sea coast. It has over 130 hotels (more than 30 newly built in last 10 years) It has over 150 restaurants and bars It is naturally set in a small bay, protected by the slopes of the Balkan Mountain to the north. Its beaches stretch from Nessebur to the south and St.Vlas to the north (over 8 Km) Every conceivable opportunity for sports: surfing, water skis, parachutes, hang-gliding, sailing, yachting and much more.

40. Information anytime, anywhere - transforming Defence effectiveness 40 St Vlas

41. Information anytime, anywhere - transforming Defence effectiveness 41 St Vlas St Vlas has grown as a tourist resort in recent times, serving as a quieter alternative to nearby Sunny Beach. The gap between St Vlas and Sunny Beach is shrinking as more hotels and holiday apartments are built along the coast. St Vlas lies at the northern end of a bay with Sunny Beach in its middle and the ancient town of Nesebar at its southern end. The Dinevi Marina at St Vlas is already rated amongst the top ten marinas in the World. It consists of a promenade, with exclusive shops and restaurants.

42. Information anytime, anywhere - transforming Defence effectiveness 42 Elenite

43. Information anytime, anywhere - transforming Defence effectiveness 43 Elenite Elenite is 10 kms North of Sunny Beach resort and about 40 minutes from Bourgas Airport The area was not habited before the construction of the resorts facilities, which started in 1985. This resort has its own private beach, several luxurious restaurants and bars, sports facilities. This is a very up and coming town which is gaining new facilities every year.

44. Information anytime, anywhere - transforming Defence effectiveness 44 Thanks for you attention Any Questions