Bulgarian Border City Hails Schengen Tourism Boom

There at all times was once an extended line of visitors ready to cross the metal truss Danube Bridge over the river between Giurgiu in Romania and the Bulgarian metropolis of Rousse on the opposite facet.

However since each EU international locations totally joined Europe’s Schengen open-borders zone this 12 months, eradicating time-consuming frontier checks, visitors circulate has elevated considerably.

One traveller, who solely gave his title as Christian, drives the 75 kilometres (46 miles) south from the Romanian capital Bucharest to Rousse to refill on “cheaper” cigarettes or perfumes that save him cash.

“With Schengen, it is sooner: no extra queueing to have our papers checked,” he stated, leaning towards his blue Mustang.

On weekends, an extended line of automobiles with principally Romanian registration plates crosses the border bridge in the direction of the Bulgarian business hub, bringing with them vacationers who enhance the native financial system.

Based on information from Romania’s highway administration company, round 160,000 automobiles crossed the border at Giurgiu between January and March 2025, in comparison with 128,000 throughout the identical three-month interval final 12 months.

With tourism in Rousse booming, Bulgaria’s fifth-largest metropolis has begun catering to its new clientele, with restaurant menus printed in Romanian and bilingual workers extremely sought-after.

Town of 125,000 individuals — additionally known as “little Vienna” — is thought for its eclectic mixture of structure starting from neo-baroque to communist-era buildings.

In entrance of a preferred restaurant within the metropolis’s central sq., a younger couple from Giurgiu waited patiently in an extended queue.

“It is simpler to come back now. We actually like this place, it is considered one of our favourites,” stated 43-year-old instructor Claudia Badarau, standing subsequent to her companion Bogdan.

Full integration into the now 29-country Schengen zone has had “a optimistic influence on town, as a result of there are various extra vacationers”, restaurant supervisor Todor Ratsov informed AFP.

“There are fairly just a few Romanian vacationers, primarily due to simpler entry,” he stated, including that “90 % of his menus” at the moment are in Romanian.

Based on Adrian Nikolov, senior economist on the Sofia-based Institute for Market Economics think-tank, “the impact is sort of solely tourism-related”.

Over time, Nikolov added, will probably be fascinating to evaluate the influence on turnover of inns and eating places.

Created in 1985, the Schengen zone consists of 25 of the 27 European Union member states in addition to Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein, and permits greater than 400 million individuals to journey freely inside the realm.

Romania and Bulgaria endured a irritating 13-year look forward to full entry and eventually joined on January 1, after Austria dropped its risk to veto membership over migration considerations.

Truckers and cross-border employees particularly have benefited.

“For firms whose lorries cross the border, this implies decreased journey time, extra dependable supply occasions, and decrease gasoline and personnel prices on the identical route in comparison with final 12 months,” Nikolov defined.

Based on Romania’s transport federation, every provider can save “two to 3 hours on common”, which interprets into “extra cash and additional freight”.

The Basarbovo monastery simply exterior Rousse — named after a shepherd who as soon as lived there as a hermit and whose relics are honored in Bucharest — has seen extra guests.

Carved into the facet of a mountain, the monastery stays a preferred vacation spot for Romanian pilgrims — and extra lately households on vacation.

Father Aleko has seen a “clear improve” within the variety of guests.

“As soon as they cross by way of Rousse, they by no means fail to come back and light-weight a candle and pray to the saint,” he informed AFP, referring to the shepherd who turned Saint Dimitar.

Translator Oana Manulescu was visiting the hermit’s cave together with her household from Bucharest.

“There are issues to see, the costs are extra reasonably priced. And the Bulgarians are a really welcoming individuals,” she stated.