Sofia

Cityscape: Picturesque mystery and modernity

Sofia is the capital of Bulgaria and is one of the oldest settlements in Europe. Blending the past and present in a remarkable architectural style. Its history dates back to the 8th century BC, when the Thracians established a settlement there.
The city is situated near the geographical center of the Balkans region, in the western part of the country. Immediately to the south is the Vitosha National Park and to the north is the Stara Planina mountain range. At 550m above sea level Sofia is the highest capital city in Europe.
Sofia is a modern and bustling capital. Its center has European flare, tree-lined boulevards and balconied buildings by renowned 19th-century Russian and Viennese architects. Sofia combines both the atmosphere of a large city, as well as the cozy feeling of a place whose main attractions can be seen on foot.

Worth seeing

Sofia boasts numerous places of interest, many related to the rich and diverse history of the city. Most notable of these are the landmarks Alexander Nevski Cathedral, St. Nedelya Church, St. George Rotundaand the Banya Bashi Mosque. More modern architecture is represented by the Bulgarian National Opera and Ballet, the Ivan Vazov National Theatre and the Rakovski str. theatre district.

Sofia houses numerous museums and the 'do-not-miss-ones' are: 1) The National History Museum (16, Vitoshko lale str.) which is the largest museum in Bulgaria and is located in a former governmental residence. It owns over 650 000 objects connected to archaeology, fine arts, history and ethnography. 2) The National Archaeological Museum (2, Saborna str.) located in the center of Sofia occupying the building of the largest and oldest former Ottoman mosque in the city. 3) The Earth and Man National Museum (4, Cherni vrah blvd.) a mineralogical museum with over 20 000 samples from all over the world. 4) Sofia Art Gallery (1, Gurko str.) that houses not only examples of contemporary and national revival art, but also the country's largest collection of medieval paintings, including more than four thousand icons. 5) The National Gallery for Foreign Art (1, Alexander Nevsky Sq.) hosts a wide ranging collection from different countries and epochs by fair-to-middling artists.

If shopping is your priority, Sofia will not disappoint you. The main shopping street is Vitosha boulevard where one can find almost any designer brand. There are also three shopping malls in Sofia - Tzum, Mall of Sofia and City Center Sofia.

Going out

For traditional Bulgarian cuisine we suggest Vitosha restaurant (33, Vitosha blvd.) which offers Bulgarian dishes, game specialties and a great folklore show. Other good traditional restaurants are Pod Lipite (1, Elin Pelin str.) and Manastirska Magernitsa (67, Khan Asparuh str.) Pastorant (16, Tzar Asen str.) above all is a place for connoisseurs of good pasta. Its modest menu offers selected dishes of Italian cuisine. The soft green, white and yellow interior fantastically resembles the atmosphere of a typical country house.
Egur-egur (10, Dobrudja str.) is another restaurant we highly recommend. It has a pleasant atmosphere and magnificent Armenian food. Try the goose liver with plums. Good Bar&Dinner place is Brasserie (3, Raiko Daskalov str.) with International cuisine and lounge music. Opera (113, Rakovski str.) and Motto (18, Aksakov str.) serves excellent urban cuisine and are ideal for breakfast or lunch. The evenings there are spiced up with DJ sets, dancing and good cocktails. The Chefs is a 5* restaurant, 17km outside Sofia, located on the sunny gorge on the way to Borovets and overlooking Pasarel lake. Seasonal cuisine and natural products which are the heart of the exclusively animated cooking experience can be enjoyed there. The atmosphere is amazing, the food is superb.

Good places for a drink or two are Chillout Cafe (5, Triaditza str.), Black Label Whiskey Bar (7, Tzar Osvoboditel blvd.) and Toba&Co(6, Moskovska str.)