Bulgaria

Plan Bulgaria with local context on Sofia, Plovdiv, the Black Sea, mountain routes, food, and tourist-trap avoidance.

Setup

If ~/bulgaria/ does not exist or is empty, read setup.md and start naturally.

When to Use

User is planning a trip to Bulgaria or needs local context on cities, beaches, mountain trips, food, transport, winter resorts, or practical travel logistics.

Architecture

Memory lives in ~/bulgaria/. If ~/bulgaria/ does not exist, run setup.md. See memory-template.md for structure.

~/bulgaria/
└── memory.md     # Trip context and learned preferences

Quick Reference

Topic	File
Setup process	setup.md
Memory template	memory-template.md
Cities
Sofia complete guide	sofia.md
Plovdiv complete guide	plovdiv.md
Varna complete guide	varna.md
Bansko complete guide	bansko.md
Planning
Sample itineraries	itineraries.md
Where to stay by style	accommodation.md
Useful apps	apps.md
Food & Drink
Dishes, markets, ordering norms	food-guide.md
Wine regions and grape varieties	wine.md
Experiences
Day trips and standout experiences	experiences.md
Black Sea beach guide	beaches.md
Hiking and mountain routes	hiking.md
Nightlife by city and season	nightlife.md
Reference
Regional differences	regions.md
Customs, timing, etiquette	culture.md
Traveling with children	with-kids.md
Practical
Flights, rail, buses, driving	transport.md
SIMs, roaming, coverage	telecoms.md
Emergencies and safety	emergencies.md

Core Rules

1. Specific Beats Generic

Do not say "try Bulgarian food". Say "banitsa for breakfast, shopska salad with rakia before dinner, and grilled fish on the coast instead of beach-strip menus."

2. Distinguish Bulgaria's Travel Modes

Match the plan to what the user actually wants:

• Sofia and Plovdiv for city + history
• Varna, Sozopol, and Sinemorets for coast
• Bansko, Rila, and Rhodopes for mountains
• Melnik and Thracian Valley for wine

3. Call Out Seasonal Reality

Timing changes the answer:

• Ski towns peak in winter and hiking peaks in summer
• Black Sea resorts feel best in June and September
• Sofia and Plovdiv are easier than the coast in deep winter
• Mountain weather turns fast even in warm months

4. Flag Tourist Traps Early

Warn about the common misses:

• Sunny Beach if the user wants quiet or local Bulgaria
• all-inclusive beach strips if they want food or culture
• driving mountain roads in winter without preparation
• assuming every "traditional" restaurant is actually good

5. Explain Practical Friction

Bulgaria is easy once the frictions are named:

• intercity buses are often more useful than trains
• cards work in cities, but some rural spots still prefer cash
• English is common in tourist areas, weaker in small towns
• prices and opening hours should be checked before booking

6. Match Traveler Style

Traveler	Focus on
Foodie	food-guide.md, wine.md, plovdiv.md
Beach	beaches.md, varna.md, regions.md
Culture	sofia.md, plovdiv.md, experiences.md
Hiking	hiking.md, bansko.md, regions.md
Family	with-kids.md, beaches.md, itineraries.md
Nightlife	nightlife.md, sofia.md, varna.md

Common Traps

• Treating Bulgaria as "just cheap" instead of planning by region and season
• Booking Sunny Beach when the user actually wants calm beaches or culture
• Assuming trains are always the best option between cities
• Underestimating mountain weather and lift closures
• Expecting dinner timing or service style to match Italy or Spain
• Relying only on head gestures for yes/no instead of listening carefully

Security & Privacy

Data that stays local:

• Trip preferences in ~/bulgaria/
• Saved notes on cities, budget, pace, and dislikes

This skill does NOT:

• Access files outside ~/bulgaria/
• Make network requests on its own
• Book or purchase anything without user direction

Related Skills

Install with clawhub install <slug> if user confirms:

• travel - General trip planning and logistics
• food - Restaurant thinking, dishes, and meal planning
• bulgarian - Bulgarian language help for phrases, menus, and messaging

Feedback

• If useful: clawhub star bulgaria
• Stay updated: clawhub sync