The city of Sofia – emphasis on the first syllable, not the second – is Simeon’s hometown. As such, it was the first city in Bulgaria that I discovered, the city I have spent the most time in, and a city I have grown to love. Sofia is a city where natural beauty and architectural wonders often exist side-by-side with Roman and Thracian ruins. In my post on Plovdiv, a city elected the EU’s European Capital of Culture for 2019 and Bulgaria’s second largest city, I wrote about how that city has beat out Paris for the title of Most Romantic. But due course should be given to Sofia. If you’re planning a trip to the Balkan states, let me tell you why you should list Sofia as one of your stops.
Why I Love the City of Sofia – Nature
Vitosha Mountain
At 550 meters above sea level, Sofia is one of the highest capitals in Europe. In fact, it ranks fifth, behind Andorra la Vella, San Marino, Madrid, and Pristina. The city of Sofia sits at the base of Vitosha Mountain. Wherever you look, you can see mountains in the distance. For a Seattle girl like me, this is a huge deal and part of what makes Sofia feel so much like home.
During my first trip to Sofia, more than fifteen years ago, Simeon took me up to the top of Vitosha Mountain. The gondola works year round, which was helpful since we rode up the gondola on a beautiful August morning. As the gondola climbs the mountain, views of Sofia and the surrounding Balkan Mountains unfold before your eyes.
In summer, Vitosha peak is bare of snow and you can hike to the top. A small tavern, or mehana, serves food at the peak. Stop in for a bowl of soup before hiking back down.
In the wintertime, Vitosha provides the residents of Sofia with all of their skiing needs. Simeon likes to tell me stories of loading onto a bus with other schoolchildren when he was young and spending all day skiing Vitosha’s peaks. It definitely explains why he’s such a good skier!
Sofia’s Parks
Bulgarians love their parks. Cities across Bulgaria are packed with parks around every corner, and people are sitting on the shaded benches or walking dogs or playing with children at every hour. Sofia has more than 10 major parks, the largest of which is called Borisova Gradina, or Boris’s Park. This massive park is wooded and provides beautiful shade in the summertime. We also strolled through South Park this trip, stopping at a café to eat some fried potatoes and have a couple of chilled beers. There was a mini-marathon taking place when we first arrived, so we got to sit back and watch the kids running by. South Park is one of the most beautiful parks I’ve been to.
But even if you don’t take time to visit one of Sofia’s large parks, you will inevitably stumble across one of Sofia’s many neighborhood parks. These are small oases covered in grass and flowering trees, with a fountain in the center, and benches lining the criss-crossing pathways. Sometimes you discover a communist monument, other times a medieval church. No matter what, big or small, Sofia’s many parks provide you with just the right excuse to take a moment to appreciate all the beauty that Sofia has to offer.
Why I Love the City of Sofia – Architecture
One of the things I love the most about Sofia is the giant mixture of architecture. I discussed this briefly in my post about Plovdiv, but in Sofia this mixture is on display like a museum. In Roman times, the name of the city of Sofia was Serdica. You can actually see the remains of Serdica’s Eastern Gate and walk along the original Roman street.
As you walk along the sidewalks surrounding the beautiful Sveta Nedelya Church, you will see, rising eerily out of the ground, the spire of a church. This is St. George’s Rotunda, a church built in the 4th century AD and is still in use today. In fact, Sofia is littered with churches. The most iconic is the Alexander Nevksy Cathedral. Construction of the cathedral began in 1882 and is one of the largest Eastern Orthodox cathedrals in Europe. My favorite, however, is the church of St. Sedmochislenitsi. On the very spot of this church, there has stood a religious institution since the 4th century AD. First it was an early Christian church, then it became a nunnery. During the centuries of Ottoman rule, a mosque was built there. Finally, this beautiful church was built in 1901.
The communist architecture is astounding in Sofia. The biggest monument is the National Palace of Culture, known in Bulgaria as the NDK (pronounced en-deh-kah). With an area of 123,000 meters square, it is the largest multifunctional convention and exhibition hall in Southeastern Europe. It was built in 1981 to commemorate 1,300 years of the existence of the Bulgarian State and is truly a masterpiece. It still blows me away, every time I see it.
Our time in the city of Sofia
As one of the oldest capitals in Europe, Sofia has won the hearts of countless generations of people for millennia. I consider myself so lucky to be able to visit Sofia so often. This time we stayed in an Air B&B in the very center of Sofia, just off the main pedestrian street called Vitosha Boulevard. This street is lined with cafes and restaurants, with the Sveti Nedelya church on one end and Vitosha Mountain looming over Sofia at the other.
We spent most of our time catching up with friends and family in Sofia’s parks. The weather was perfect while we were there, with just a single thunderstorm that drove us into a café for 30 minutes. We have a favorite restaurant on the eastern edge of Sofia center, on the border of Zaimov Park.
On our last night in Sofia, we hopped over to the restaurant for dinner, then meandered past the Nevsky Cathedral and the Ivan Vazov Theatre. Just as we were turning into the square in front of the theatre, we heard the unmistakable sound of Bulgarian folk music. Right there in the square, a group of people had started dancing Bulgarian folk dances! I don’t know if you’ve ever seen Bulgarian folk dance, but these dances, called horo, are danced in a long chain of people holding hands, all following a leader. It’s a chance for everyone to come together and enjoy Bulgaria’s beautiful music. Of course, I couldn’t help but jump in a learn a few new steps.
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Have you ever been to Sofia?
If you have, what are your favorite sights? I’d love to hear from you!
