About Sofia
The capital Sofia is one of the oldest European capitals, named after the late antique cathedral of the city "Sveta Sofia".
Thanks to its strategic location on the Balkan Peninsula, the capital is also the oldest and has always been the liveliest city, as well as a trading, tourist and cultural center. Sofia is also the most important administrative and economic center of the country.
The town is situated right next to the northern slope of the Vitosha mountain, which provides opportunities for recreation, hiking and skiing.
In the ideal center of the city, the presence of 4 different religious temples, located several hundred meters away, makes an exceptional impression. The Orthodox Church of St. Nedelya, which is the cathedral of the Sofia Metropolis, has an impressive mural decoration. The Sofia Synagogue is also remarkable and one of the largest and most elegant in all of Europe. A significant monument and acting prayer house is also the Sofia Mosque, known as Banya Bashi, combining hamam (bath) from the warm mineral spring in the city center. Against the mosque, there is a newly built Catholic cathedral "Sveti Iosif".
Nearby is the oldest active church in Europe and one of the oldest - the Rotunda of St. George. It is the only well-preserved Roman building in the Bulgarian lands.
From this so-called "place of tolerance" begins the most famous pedestrian zone, namely Boulevard Vitosha, covered with restaurants, bars and shops and souvenir shops.
The boulevard leads to the most modernist of the socialist period and the largest building in the center of Sofia - National Palace of Culture (NDK). This inherently unique building is mainly used for concerts and other cultural events, and its largest hall has 5,000 seats. Behind the National Palace of Culture begins the wide Boulevard Bulgaria, leading to the most unique Boyana Church "St. Nicholas and Panteleimon". It is a medieval Bulgarian church in Boyana's neighborhood, at the foot of the Vitosha mountain. The church is one of the cultural symbols of Bulgaria and was included in 1979 as a cultural monument in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Another outstanding landmark is the St. Alexander Nevski Cathedral, an Orthodox temple in Sofia, with its impressive architectural style. The belfry of the temple with the cross is 53 meters high and has 12 bells made and brought from Moscow. The largest weighs nearly 12 tonnes and the smallest one weighs 10 kg, with a total weight of 23 tonnes. The temple was declared a cultural monument in 1924. The most remarkable exterior feature of the temple is its gilded domes.
There are also many galleries and museums in the capital. Many of them belong to the Hundred National Tourist Sights. The National Museum of History is the largest museum in Bulgaria and one of the largest in Europe. The National Ethnographic Museum and the National Art Gallery are located in the center of the city, in the building of the former royal palace. The National Museum of Natural History at the Bulgarian Academy of Science is the richest natural science museum on the Balkan Peninsula. Other museums include the National Gallery for Foreign Art, the National Military History Museum in Sofia, the Archaeological Institute and the Museum.
Sofia is a capital with lots of green areas and parks. The largest park is the Borisova Garden, known in the recent past as the Park of Freedom. There are several small lakes, playgrounds, monuments and the stadium "Vasil Levski".
The two oldest and most famous bridges in Sofia are the Eagle Bridge and the Lion Bridge. Both make an impression with their original and unique style.
The building of the Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski, which is the oldest and largest university in Bulgaria, is also very unique. The National Opera and Ballet, as well as the National Theater "Ivan Vazov", which is a National Cultural Institute in the field of theater art, is located in the perfect centre of the city.
Rakovski Boulevard Rakovski is the Bulgarian Broadway, with numerous theaters and remarkable architectural buildings. Interesting is the Statue in the center of Sofia, named by its sculptor George Chapkanov "Sveta Sofia". Since it does not conform to the canons of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, the statue has never been blessed by an Orthodox priest.
The Central Halls and the Central Bath-Museum are other masterpieces of architecture. The most characteristic for Sofia as a tourist center is the concentration of all the beautiful sights in the perfect city center, making them easily accessible and ideal for a long exploration walk. There are many unique cultural and architectural sites in the capital, all of which we can admire through such a long tourist stroll.
Thanks to its strategic location on the Balkan Peninsula, the capital is also the oldest and has always been the liveliest city, as well as a trading, tourist and cultural center. Sofia is also the most important administrative and economic center of the country.
The town is situated right next to the northern slope of the Vitosha mountain, which provides opportunities for recreation, hiking and skiing.
In the ideal center of the city, the presence of 4 different religious temples, located several hundred meters away, makes an exceptional impression. The Orthodox Church of St. Nedelya, which is the cathedral of the Sofia Metropolis, has an impressive mural decoration. The Sofia Synagogue is also remarkable and one of the largest and most elegant in all of Europe. A significant monument and acting prayer house is also the Sofia Mosque, known as Banya Bashi, combining hamam (bath) from the warm mineral spring in the city center. Against the mosque, there is a newly built Catholic cathedral "Sveti Iosif".
Nearby is the oldest active church in Europe and one of the oldest - the Rotunda of St. George. It is the only well-preserved Roman building in the Bulgarian lands.
From this so-called "place of tolerance" begins the most famous pedestrian zone, namely Boulevard Vitosha, covered with restaurants, bars and shops and souvenir shops.
The boulevard leads to the most modernist of the socialist period and the largest building in the center of Sofia - National Palace of Culture (NDK). This inherently unique building is mainly used for concerts and other cultural events, and its largest hall has 5,000 seats. Behind the National Palace of Culture begins the wide Boulevard Bulgaria, leading to the most unique Boyana Church "St. Nicholas and Panteleimon". It is a medieval Bulgarian church in Boyana's neighborhood, at the foot of the Vitosha mountain. The church is one of the cultural symbols of Bulgaria and was included in 1979 as a cultural monument in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Another outstanding landmark is the St. Alexander Nevski Cathedral, an Orthodox temple in Sofia, with its impressive architectural style. The belfry of the temple with the cross is 53 meters high and has 12 bells made and brought from Moscow. The largest weighs nearly 12 tonnes and the smallest one weighs 10 kg, with a total weight of 23 tonnes. The temple was declared a cultural monument in 1924. The most remarkable exterior feature of the temple is its gilded domes.
There are also many galleries and museums in the capital. Many of them belong to the Hundred National Tourist Sights. The National Museum of History is the largest museum in Bulgaria and one of the largest in Europe. The National Ethnographic Museum and the National Art Gallery are located in the center of the city, in the building of the former royal palace. The National Museum of Natural History at the Bulgarian Academy of Science is the richest natural science museum on the Balkan Peninsula. Other museums include the National Gallery for Foreign Art, the National Military History Museum in Sofia, the Archaeological Institute and the Museum.
Sofia is a capital with lots of green areas and parks. The largest park is the Borisova Garden, known in the recent past as the Park of Freedom. There are several small lakes, playgrounds, monuments and the stadium "Vasil Levski".
The two oldest and most famous bridges in Sofia are the Eagle Bridge and the Lion Bridge. Both make an impression with their original and unique style.
The building of the Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski, which is the oldest and largest university in Bulgaria, is also very unique. The National Opera and Ballet, as well as the National Theater "Ivan Vazov", which is a National Cultural Institute in the field of theater art, is located in the perfect centre of the city.
Rakovski Boulevard Rakovski is the Bulgarian Broadway, with numerous theaters and remarkable architectural buildings. Interesting is the Statue in the center of Sofia, named by its sculptor George Chapkanov "Sveta Sofia". Since it does not conform to the canons of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, the statue has never been blessed by an Orthodox priest.
The Central Halls and the Central Bath-Museum are other masterpieces of architecture. The most characteristic for Sofia as a tourist center is the concentration of all the beautiful sights in the perfect city center, making them easily accessible and ideal for a long exploration walk. There are many unique cultural and architectural sites in the capital, all of which we can admire through such a long tourist stroll.