The Cyrillic alphabet - what, where and when you will come across it.
Ever wondered what exactly is the Cyrillic alphabet?
You will need to know about the Cyrillic, or at least be able to recognise it, particularly if you are planning on driving through Bulgaria. A lot of road signs can be confusing when written in Cyrillic (as well as English in some parts) as well as shop names and various bus and transport stations. How do I read this??? Dont panic - we have some hints and advice for you!
Getting lost on small country roads can be an adventure, but also frustrating if you are in a hurry to get to the beach. Luckily, the locals are friendly and will be willing to help in any way they can. Modern and touristic parts of Bulgaria now have the names of larger cities like Varna and Sofia listed as they are written. These will be easy to read, and since EU integration there will be a lot more international road signs.
Places like Sunny Beach, Varna and other resorts along the Black Sea coast are catered for international tourists, so you will most certainly find you will be addressed in English. Most holidaymakers are from the UK and Germany, so staff in such resorts are expected to use English language skills. Language can sometimes be a barrier in Bulgaria, and you can bet that anyone over the age of around 40 or 50 probably won't speak English. Bear in mind that they were probably raised during communist era, where the only languages allowed were Russian and Bulgarian. The younger generation today are taught English in school as a subject, so if you get lost and want directions in English you now know who to ask!
Don't let it scare you, its really not that hard. To learn the Bulgarian alphabet will probably take you a couple of hours each day for over 2 days. N.B. The word origins are derived from the Greek alphabet, the Cyrillic was invented by two brothers, the Saints Cyril and Methodii (who indecently also brought Christianity to the region).
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