Sofia with its long history (the first inhabitants settled in the area around 8 century BC) attracts more and more tourists. A cultural centre of Bulgaria, the city has a lot to offer. In Sofia the metropolitan culture combines with the calm of the small city to give a special atmosphere. Here is a list of some of the most interesting attractions.

Galleries and museums

National history museum

The National history museum in Sofia was established in 1973. Few years ago it moved from its previous buildings in the city centre and is now located in the outskirts of Vitosha mountain, on 16 Vitoshko lale street. Its collection includes more than 650,000 exhibits, which makes it one of the largest history museums in the Balkans. The collection includes archaeological findings from ancient and mediaeval cultures in the Bulgarian Lands - prehistoric culture; ancient Thrace; Macedonian and Hellenistic periods; Roman and Byzantine influence; First and Second Bulgarian Kingdom; Ottoman rule and National Revival as well as Modern Bulgarian history. If you are lucky, when visiting the National history museum or the Archaeological museum, you may be able to see some of the oldest gold treasures in the world – some of them dating back 6000 years. Sadly, these treasures travel abroad all the time and even Bulgarians have a hard time taking a look at them.

National art gallery/ Ethnographic museum/ Royal palace

The old Royal Palace located on 1 Alexander Battenberg Square houses two museums worth visiting – the National Gallery and the National Ethnographic.
In spring 2005, after many years of renovation, the National art gallery finally presented its permanent exhibition. The exposition includes works of the most prominent Bulgarian artists from the last two centuries: Zahari Zograf, Ivan Markvichka, Vladimir Dimitrov-Maistora, Zlatyu Boyadzhiev, Ivan Nenov, Dechko Uzunov etc.

National ethnographic museum presents an extensive collection of artefacts from the ethno-cultural heritage of the Bulgarians and the other ethnos, which inhabit the Bulgarian lands. The museum's collections include clothes, gold and copper objects, agriculture tools, woodcarvings, ceramics, fabrics and embroideries, carpets and ritual objects.

By paying the entrance fee for the museum and the gallery one can also see the interior of the Royal palace itself. It was built at the end of the 19th century and is situated in close proximity to the National Assembly (the Parliament). Even though rather small and not as grand as many royal residences in Central Europe, the royal palace is interesting with its bright hallways, red velvet-covered walls, huge crystal mirrors, and multicoloured marble fireplaces.

'Alexander Nevsky' Crypt

'Earth and men' museum

This museum is situated right behind the Palace of Culture and is within walking distance from the other main attractions and shopping streets. 'Earth and men' is a wonderful place for those interested in gems and minerals. The museum has a large collection of specimens from all over the world. The huge amethysts are usually attracting a great deal of attention. One can buy small gems in the museum shop.

Churches

Churches and monastery have always played a special role in the life of Bulgarians. Not because Bulgarians are very religious, but because during many years of foreign rule monasteries were the real centre of learning and culture, places where the national awareness was preserved and flourished. So, here is a short list of the most prominent churches in Sofia, which you may want to visit for their historical and cultural value.

'Alexander Nevsky' Cathedral

Build in a neo-Byzantine style this gold domed cathedral was untill very recently the second biggest Orthodox temple in the Balkan Peninsula, now replaced by 'St. Sava' in Belgrade, Serbia. The Cathedral, together with the Sofia University main building, the National Assembly house and the old Royal palace, is one of the landmarks of down town Sofia and represents the 19th-century Bulgarian architecture style. The church was built during the period 1882 - 1912 to honour the Russian Tsar Alexander II who helped to liberate Bulgaria from Turkish rule. The interior of the basilica is breath taking, with the high painted ceiling, stained glass windows, mosaics floor, and marble and woodcarvings covering the walls.

'St. Sofia' church

Few hundred meters away from Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, next to the Tomb of the 'Unknown soldier' and the grave of the national poet Ivan Vazov, you can find the St. Sofia church, partly obscured by the tall chestnut trees. This church was build during the reign of the Byzantine Emperor Justinian between 527-565. It is said that this church gave the city its current name, Sofia, in the 14th century. During the Turkish rule minarets were added and St. Sofia was turned into a mosque until two earthquakes in the 19th century destroyed one of the minarets. This was interpreted as a boding sign and the mosque was abandoned. The extensive restoration work allows the visitors to see some 1,600 years old mosaic.

'St. George' church

This red brick rotunda church is considered the oldest building in Sofia. It is situated in the courtyard formed by the Presidency and the Sheraton Hotel. The church was build during the 4th century and is now standing amid the ruins of the ancient town of Serdica. Three layers of frescoes have been discovered, the earliest dating back to the 10th century. At present the church is a museum.

Other beautiful temples around town worth visiting include the 14th century 'St. Petka' church with its medieval frescoes (now a museum), the Russian church with its onion domes and the 'Banya Bashi' Mosque.

Other attractions

Sofia Zoo

The Zoo was founded in 1888, which makes it the first in the Balkan Peninsula and one of the oldest in Europe. The idea to collect exotic animal species belonged to Tsar Ferdinand, eager naturalist. The Zoo was initially situated downtown Sofia, but due to the rapid growth of the collection was moved to its present location – easy to reach from the centre but close to the mountains. According to the latest reports app. 1113 animals from 244 species can be seen in the park, among those many endangered species. Along with representatives of the local fauna like deer, wolves, foxes and brown bears, the visitors can meet with hippos, rhinos, elephants, zebras, lions, panthers, monkeys and apes, etc. Many exotic species of fish, reptiles and amphibians can be seen in the aquarium and terrarium.

'Sofia Land' amusement park

'Sofia Land' is a newly acquired attraction in Sofia, situated in close proximity to the Zoo and the Boris Gardens. It opened for visitors in the autumn of 2002. Even though rather small, the park has good choice of amusements - several different carousels, a 'Tower experience' offering a good view over the city from 43 m height combined with a free fall, a 400 m long and 15 high roller coaster and a 'Wild River' trip on the water channels.

Market places

Bulgarians prefer to buy their fruits and vegetables at the outdoors markets. You can find many of those around town, offering their colourful, fresh products together with plenty of noise and bustle. The biggest market place is the Ladies’ market where you can find everything, from groceries to clothes and hardware. Beware of the pickpockets though – this is one of their favourite spots! If you don’t feel at home in the 'oriental' atmosphere of the open market, there is a more modern, quite and air-conditioned alternative – the indoor central market hall (Halite).

Take a walk

Parks

There are several parks in town offering a refuge from the noise and crowd of the city. The two biggest parks worth a stroll are the Boris' gardens, situated close by the Sofia University main building, and the South park (yes, that’s the real name and it came before the Cartoon!), which starts just behind the Palace of Culture and the 'Earth and men' museum, extending almost as far as the foothills of Vitosha mountain. You can find cafes and small beer stands offering refreshments in both parks. Boris' gardens are a popular place for a walk for the people living in the centre. Even though now-a-days it has lost parts of its glamour it is still considered one of the better-kept green oasis in town. South park is much more quite and peaceful. Taking a walk there, especially in the south most end, can help you forget the hustle of the big city. With its lakes, small river and quite alleys surrounded by tick forest it’s a favourite spot to many locals, especially dog owners with their pets.

Boyana church

This famous church is located in the foothills of Vitosha Mountain, in what is now a Sofia suburb of Boyana. Due to its exceptional historical and artistic significance the church is included in the UNESCO World Heritage list. During the Middle Ages Boyana was one of the thirty-five Bulgarian fortresses, forming the fortification systems of the city of Sredets (now Sofia). The Boyana Church was build within the fortress and is a magnificent example of medieval architecture and monumental art.

The 900 years old Boyana church is best known with its world famous frescoes. According to many leading experts, the flawless technique, the psychological depth, complexity and the realism developed by the Boyana artists played an important role in the development of medieval Bulgarian and European painting. Boyana is the only and the most impressive entirely preserved monument of the Turnovo School of Painting from the 13th century.

Dragalevtsi monastery

Also in the foothills of Vitosha, this monastery can be reached after an easy, half an hour walk from the Dragalevtsi suburb. Hidden in the beautiful beech tree forest it is a lovely destination for a day trip out of the big city. The monastery was founded during the reign of Tsar Ivan Alexander in the 14th century. The frescoes in the church are a famous example of the Dragalevtsi School of painting. During the ages the monastery has been an important literary centre. During the struggles for Independence, in the 19th century, it has often provided refuge to the most beloved Bulgarian national hero, the Apostle of Freedom Vassil Levski.

Hiking

The easy distance between down town Sofia and Vitosha makes this mountain a favourite hiking and skiing destination for local people and visitors. The highest peak, Cherni Vruh (Black Peak), is 2290 m high. In 1934 an area of app. 66 km2 of Vitosha was declared a National Park - the first protected area on the Balkan Peninsula. During the following year some of the first Bulgarian reserves - Bistrishko Branishte and Peat Branishte were defined within the park. Bistrishko branishte has been proclaimed by UNESCO a biosphere reserve. The boundaries of the protected area today extend over the entire mountain.

Due to a great variability in elevation, Vitosha is characterised with a great diversity of climates, flora and fauna. The National park is home of several endangered animal and plant species. If you are lucky during your trip you can see wolves, foxes, martens, deer, does, etc. After the massive extermination during the 20s of last century, the bear population has been partially restored and there are reported sightings of at least 9 bears. The lynx and the wild goat disappeared from the mountain fauna at the beginning of last century. There are ongoing efforts to recover the goat population.

A unique natural phenomenon are the so-called 'stone rivers' - piles of huge rounded granite stones (moraines) on some of the river valleys. Some of those stone rivers reach up to 2 km in length and 50 m in width. Most beautiful and best known are the moraines in the area of Zlatnite mostove (the Golden bridges). The enormous stones there have distinguished golden colour due to the lichen growth, hence the name.

There are different ways to reach the mountain. You can walk up from any of the Southern suburbs – Dragalevtsi, Boyana, Bistrica, Simeonovo, etc. An easier option might be to take the bus all the way to the Golden bridges or Aleko –starting points for all the major hiking trails. Or why not simply jump on the lifts in Dragalevtsi (open lift) or Simeonovo (cabin lift), which will take you to Aleko much faster and with smaller chances of getting motion sickness (something that is quite likely if you take the bus up the narrow winding roads).

And if you want to extend your hiking trip over several days you can find plenty of cheap chalets offering basic accommodation and food. When talking about food remember to try the bean soup, the katchamak (corn porridge seasoned with butter and white cheese) and the tasty tea prepared by the mountaineers using hand-picked herbs (be careful with the tea though – these days some of the mountain chalets are owned by up-starts that will actually offer you tea bags!).

When to go

The time of your visit to Sofia of course depends on what you want to do. If you like skiing you can do that between early December and late April - the length of the ski season depends on the year and the amount of snow. Spring comes early in Sofia - it is not unusual to have the first green bushes by the end of March. The city turns from the ugly winter grey to fresh and bright green very fast. Even though it rains often, the weather is pleasant and warm, with cool evenings and dewy mornings. One should be careful in the mountains during that season. The weather there is changing fast and the melting of the snow may bring avalanches.

March is a special month in Bulgaria. On 1st of March the people celebrate the Granny Marta's Day. Granny Marta is an old woman, the symbol of Nature’s rebirth at the end of the winter and the beginning of spring. Her mood is changing often, which accounts for the strange weather during that month. Her name originates from the Bulgarian name of the month - March is Mart in Bulgarian and is considered the only female month of the year. In order to celebrate Granny Marta's day Bulgarians present each other with tassels made of red and white wool, called martenitsa (sg.) - symbol of health, good luck and the coming spring. By the end of the month you can see thousands of those red and white martenitsi (pl.) hanging on trees and bushes - it is believed that one needs to hang them on the first blooming twig for good luck.

The summer in Bulgaria is usually hot and dry. The summer days are pleasant in Sofia, where the mountains surrounding the city provide cool and fresh evenings. Autumns come late with their many colours and there is often warm, mild and sunny weather till as late as November.