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Sofia
Capital and largest city of Bulgaria

Sofia

Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria.

Plan a trip to Sofia→From Plovdiv

It is situated in the Sofia Valley at the foot of the Vitosha mountain, in the western part of the country. The city is built west of the Iskar river and has many mineral springs, such as the Sofia Central Mineral Baths. It has a humid continental climate.

Get in

Getting to Sofia

  1. 01
    Sofia Airport
  2. 02
    Central Bus Station
  3. 03
    International Bus Station / Bus Station Serdika
  4. 04
    Bus Station West
See

Worth seeing

In the administrative center of Sofia, the streets are paved with specific yellow bricks. They were laid in the beginning of the 20th century, purportedly as a present to the Bulgarian Tsar Ferdinand for his wedding from the Austria-Hungarian royal family (though many historians consider it a vanity project of Sofia's mayor). They are not a great material for wet weather, but they continue to add colorful flair.

  1. 01
    Sofia History Museum

    Museum of the history of Sofia itself, housed in the colourful old building of the Central Mineral [Water] Baths (built 1913).

  2. 02
    National Museum of Military History

    92 Cherkovna Str, fax: +359 2 946 18 06, nvim.pr@gmail.com.

  3. 03
    Earth and Man National Museum
  4. 04
    National Museum of History
  5. 05
    National Institute of Archaeology and Museum

    2 Saborna Str., fax: +359 2 988 24 05, aim-bas@aclubcable.com.

Do

Things to do

Sofia Bike Tour, Dyacon Ignatiy, 5 (Start Point: National Theater "Ivan Vazov".),. April–November. Visit Sofia and the countryside around on a "free" bike tour, every day at 11:00 and 17:00. Note, for the ride you will need to rent a bicycle with the tour operators. And like always, the word "free" is a euphemism for "tips strongly appreciated".

  1. 01
    Sofia Opera and Ballet

    During summer, open air shows in the evenings are offered.

  2. 02
    Arena Cinema

    One of the biggest Bulgarian cinema multiplex.

  3. 03
    Ivan Vazov National Theatre

    5 Dyakon Ignatiy Str, fax: +359 2 987 70 66, info@nationaltheatre.bg.

  4. 04
    National Palace of Culture

    The biggest congress center in the Balkans (a massive monolithic communist-style building).

  5. 05
    Central Military Club

    It`s a multi-purpose monument of culture building in the city center.

Eat

Where to eat

Sofia is full of trendy cafes with outdoor seating in the summer and good-quality restaurants. You can easily find take away food in Sofia. For less than €2 you can get a slice of pizza, a hot-dog or a sandwich. You can get more traditional Bulgarian food in bakeries, offering banitsa and other kinds of pastry. This food is often consumed with ayran or boza.

  1. 01
    Veselata Gozba Restaurant

    Good variety of main courses, soups, salads and desserts.

  2. 02
    Gastrobar 6

    Favorite place for delicious food in a great pleasant atmosphere.

  3. 03
    Ali Baba

    Good place for a quick bit of kebabs and falafel.

  4. 04
    Dream House

    Quick service, simple and good food, good value for money.

  5. 05
    DARO
How locals move

Getting around Sofia the local way

  • Go nextaccessible by public transport) To the southwest: industrial Pernik on the other side of Vitosha; further away is Kyustendil, "Bulgaria's orchard" under the Osogovo Mountain on the border To the south, under the slopes of Rila: Dupnitsa and Blagoevgrad, with the Rila Monastery, the most famous in Bulgaria and a (suitable for a day trip from Sofia) To the southeast, closer: Samokov and the mountain/ski resorts of Borovets and Malyovitsa Elsewhere in Bulgaria: Plovdiv – Bulgaria's second most populous city, with good highway and rail connections to Sofia.

From Wikivoyage: Sofia, CC BY-SA. Not yet checked by us. Last edited 2026-09.

Text adapted from Wikipedia and Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: Wikimedia Commons (see file page), Wikimedia Commons.