Sofia, Bulgaria: City Guide

WORDS & PICTURES: Jenni Flett

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“It’s exactly like stepping back in time,” said my host, in anticipation of my four-month stay in Bulgaria’s capital city. Sofia’s meandering pace is precisely why it manages to retain a culture it fought hard to keep. While working horses pulling carriages full of unwanted furniture are a common sight, it still has all the trappings of a modern city. Rickety buses contrast with a new, slick metro system. Uniform concrete buildings clash with beautifully-landscaped parks. Most noticeably, its youthful mindset is evident in its independent businesses and dynamic street art. For four months, I lived at the edge of the Vitosha National Park on the outskirts of Sofia, and tried to peel away the layers of one of Europe’s oldest cities.

Exploring Sofia might be a perplexing experience for those used to an old town/new town scenario, because the city is just one civilization built on top of another. While there are swankier parts to the city (such as Oborishte), on the whole, hotels and hostels are affordable to all budgets, and the cost of living and eating out is low. In this guide, I will navigate you from antiquity to the modern age on a jaunt around Sofia, stopping off at some of my favourite spots on the way.

A CITY CALLED SERDICA

At over 7000 years old, the ancient city of Sofia (previously known as Serdica) still manages to surprise the locals. When building the new metro system, they uncovered Roman ruins in the city centre which they have dutifully preserved. The East Gate of Serdica is inside an underpass where you can walk along an original Roman street.

Nearby, in the Sheraton Hotel courtyard, is the 4th-century St George Rotunda: the oldest building in Sofia known for its frescoes and red-brick apparel. In a similar vein is Boyana Church on the city’s outskirts, which is small but simply incredible inside. Complete this exploration of ancient Serdica with a visit to the city’s oldest museum: the Archaeological Museum. The museum was a 15th-century mosque that was repurposed in 1899 to showcase Bulgaria’s ancient treasures.

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OTTOMAN TO ORTHODOX

During the 500-year rule of the Ottoman Empire, Sofia was a centre of arts and crafts. It was crucial to trading within the empire, and it was effectively one big marketplace. Once that empire fell, the Ladies’ Market (Zhenski Pazar) was set up, and still exists today. The open-air market sells fresh produce, souvenirs, and imported goods, as well as affordable street food.

A short walk away is the Square of Tolerance, with four temples of the four main religions in Bulgaria. Within this square, the Ottoman-era Banya Bashi Mosque serves the city’s Muslim population; meanwhile, the Sofia Synagogue is a proud working reminder of the Jewish community the country saved from concentration camps in World War Two.

Follow the yellow brick road (yes, really!) towards the impressive Aleksander Nevski Cathedral. It might not be Emerald City, but it is resplendent in gold and was built to commemorate the fallen soldiers in the Russo-Turkish War (1877–78) which gave Bulgaria its independence – at least for a while.

WHERE ANCIENT HISTORY AND SOCIALISM MEET

You can examine the layers of Sofia from the Serdica complex of Roman Ruins to the adjacent Ottoman mosque, right up to the communist-era buildings sat atop, that still function as government buildings today. One of the best examples of this cultural shift is with a visit to the Bulgaria National History Museum. Housed inside the former communist presidential palace on the edge of Sofia is a juxtaposition of treasures from ancient civilizations, set against a backdrop of socialist splendour.

Not too far from here (one short bus and a quick metro ride) is the Museum of Socialist Art, which has become a kind of graveyard for socialist art and sculptures, which once adorned buildings and parks: a truly eye-opening experience if you want to understand that side of the city in more detail. Finally, for more context, there are tours like the Sofia Free Walking Tour and the Communist Tour run by Free Sofia, where locals will guide you through 45 years of communism in Sofia.

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NATURE IN THE CITY

Beautiful architecture intersperses a mass of concrete buildings, from the old Turkish baths (now the Sofia City Museum) to the National Theatre in City Park. But what makes living in or visiting Sofia so attractive are the parks and gardens that weave through the city, often with a view over to Vitosha Mountain. Tucked behind Aleksander Nevski are the exquisite University Botanical Gardens, with their rose garden: the flower for which Bulgaria is most famous for cultivating.

Cycle or meander through South Park, Borisova Gradina, and Zaimov Park, where you may also find cultural events, pop-up markets and theatre shows. Finally, a real escape from the city is the nearby Vitosha National Park which encompasses Sofia. An hour-long hike will bring you to Boyana Waterfall – and, boy, are there some fantastic views over Sofia from here!

CHUPA CHUPS: STREET ART AND REVOLUTION

Sofia’s oldest example of street art is the delightful Chupa Chups advertisement, designed by Salvador Dali. It served as an inspiration for a burgeoning street art culture which exploded after Bulgaria gained independence in 1990. The Sofia Graffiti Tour traces the beginnings of this cultural revolution and works to keep street art alive in the city today.

As the economy took a tumble post-communism, people sought to make money where they could, which gave birth to klek shops (squat shops). These peculiar below-ground-level shops are small convenience stores or sometimes fast-food shops, which require you to squat down to buy their goods. These are still typical around the city today.

Another cultural phenomenon that everyone can take part in is drinking mineral water straight from the tap. Locals fill bottles of this hot mineral water as it’s said to cure ailments and be incredibly healthy. The best thing is that the water is free to drink!

SOFIA’S INDEPENDENT BUSINESSES

Nowadays, the city is at an interesting intersection. Bulgaria has its independence, they are an EU member, but political protests throughout the summer of 2020 suggest a nation unhappy with their current leadership. So, what do locals do? They come up with innovative ideas and ways to retain their culture but move the city forward; and what better way to bring people together than through food?

I turned to independent eateries who are transforming the city by creating diverse spaces for tourists and locals to come together – here are a few of my favourites!