Sofia.
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Overview

Sofia (София) is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria, with about 2 million citizens (including suburbs). It is a dynamic European capital, distinguished by its unique combination of European and communist-style architecture as well as many beautiful Orthodox churches, including the grand Alexander Nevsky Cathedral and the medieval frescos of Boyana Church (a UNESCO World Heritage Site). Furthermore, it claims to be one of the few European capitals with beautiful scenery and a developed ski-resort so close to it, the Vitosha mountain.

Understand

The city has had several names over the past 2,500 years: the Romans called it Serdika when they took it from a Thracian tribe with a similar name, the Slavs called it Sredets when they integrated it into the first Bulgarian Empire, and the Ottomans called it Sofia, the Greek word for "wisdom", when they made it their base for the Balkans. You can still find remnants from each of these societies in parts of the city.

People first came here for the hot water springs that still flow abundantly in the centre of the city. Many of the later Roman emperors took a liking to these thermal baths, and developed the city into a regional capital; Emperor Constantine even considered building his imperial capital here instead of Constantinople.

From there, Sofia has had ups and downs; sacked by the Huns, then a fortress for the first Bulgarians, then sieged and rebuilt by the Ottomans. The decline of Sofia towards the end of the Ottoman Empire was followed by the rejuvenation after the Russian liberation in 1878, when Sofia was chosen as the capital of Bulgaria at the First National Constituent Assembly, and followed by a brisk and straightforward period of construction. During the Second World War, thousands of buildings were destroyed or damaged by bombing campaigns, until the Soviet Red Army occupied Sofia and established a Communist government, which constructed Stalinist Gothic public buildings and concrete tower blocks. Newer construction has led to glass-fronted office buildings and top-class residential neighbourhoods.

Tourist information VisitSofia.bg, Sofia's official tourist information website. Available in several languages, including English.

Tourist information centre (the Largo).

Tourist information kiosk. A small reading room/library in a glass kiosk that also serves as a tourist information point. (You can get a library membership by donating at least one book, but the books are only in Bulgarian.)

Get in

Sofia Airport. It is the busiest airport in Bulgaria, with annual passenger traffic of approximately 4 million.

Over 20 airlines operate service to/from Sofia, with direct flights to/from Athens, Paris, Vienna, London, Rome, Amsterdam, Munich, Warsaw and other European cities. There are also domestic flights from Varna.

Budget airlines including EasyJet, Eurowings and Wizz Air operate from Terminal 1, while the traditional carriers including Bulgaria Air but also Ryanair operate from Terminal 2.

There is a free shuttle bus operating between Terminals 1 and 2 every 15–30 minutes between 05:00 and 23:00. Outside of those hours, a free shuttle bus can be requested at the information desk or you can use Bus#84 . After midnight you might asked to book a cab for such ride.

There are shops, cafes, post offices, ATMs, and money exchange offices at the airport.

To travel between the airport and the city centre:

Sofia Metro Line 4 (Yellow) operates service to the airport between 05:30 and 24:00. The stop is a few metres outside of Terminal 2; follow signs for "Subway" until you leave the southeast corner of the building. The journey to the city centre takes 40 minutes. The journey to the central bus station takes approximately 55 minutes and a transfer is required. You no longer need an extra ticket for each piece of large luggage. You can also buy a day ticket for all modes of public transport for 2 euro. The access gates as well as some ticket vending machines also accept credit cards and payment apps such as Apple Pay. Public Bus 84 operates service between both terminals and the city centre. The journey takes 30–40 minutes. Tickets can be purchased from news stands or ticket machines in the airport as well as by contactless payment aboard. An extra ticket for large luggage is no longer needed. The bus makes a stop at Orlov Most (Sofia University metro station), where you can transfer to the metro. Taxi service from the airport is regulated. OK Supertrans AD is the only contracted taxi operator from the airport. It is best to request a taxi either from the taxi stand to the right when you leave the arrivals area or the taxi office right adjacent to the exit from the baggage reclaim. Beware of touts offering taxi service as well as non-contracted taxis with the fake "OK" logo which usually wait in front of the terminal instead on the official taxi rank besides it. You can also use the Ridenow Taxi app.

Three smaller bus stations serve national and local lines:

Buses operate to/from Belgrade (5 hr, ) and other cities in Serbia, Vienna (15½ hr, ) and other cities in Austria, Paris (36 hr, ) and other cities in France, Berlin (28 hr, ) and other cities in Germany, Budapest (11-13 hr, ), and Prague (21 hr, ).

By train Sofia is perhaps the largest railway hub in the country. A list of all the available daily trains would resemble a description of Bulgaria's railway network. Nevertheless:

A major line through North Bulgaria connects Sofia to Varna on the Black Sea coast (8-8½ hr, sleeper cars available on overnight trains). It passes through Shumen (about 7 hr), Targovishte (6½ hr) and Pleven (3-3¾ hr). Off the line, Ruse (about 7 hr) and Veliko Tarnovo (5-6½ hr) require changing at Gorna Oryahovitsa. In the North-West, Vidin (5-6½ hr) and Vratsa (2-3 hr) require changing at Mezdra. The line crosses the Balkan Mountains through the scenic Iskar Gorge, about an hour away from Sofia, so keep your camera ready.

South of the Balkan Mountains, another major line connects Sofia with Plovdiv (2½-3 hr) and with Burgas on the Black Sea (7-8 hr, sleeper cars on late trains). There's also the smaller Sub-Balkan Line which runs below the southern slopes of the mountains, through the Sub-Balkan Valleys. The network ensures direct trains from Yambol (6-6½ hr), Stara Zagora (5 hr), Svilengrad by the Greek/Turkish border (5 hr), and Pazardzhik (2-2½ hr).

Another line descends south from Sofia towards the Greek border, with direct trains from Pernik (40 min), Kyustendil by the North Macedonian Border (3 hr), Blagoevgrad (2-3 hr), Sandanski, and Petrich (4 hr). Further timetables can be found on the BDZ website (in English).

There are several train stations and stops in Sofia, but of interest to travellers are mostly two. Due to track renovations, most trains to destinations in Northern Bulgaria arrive at/depart from Sofia North station. This most notably affects some of the "tourist trains" to Varna (a couple direct ones remain). Nevertheless, it's still possible to buy tickets for those destinations at Sofia Central, as there are shuttle trains from Sofia Central to Sofia North, and you'll have to change trains there.

International From Romania, a train runs daily from Bucharest at noon, taking ten hours; the return train leaves Sofia at 09:00. June to Sept this is a through-train, Oct-May you have to change at Ruse on the border. There's no longer an overnight train.

From Turkey, a sleeper train departs Istanbul Halkalı at 21:40, running via Edirne, Kapikule on the border where you get out for passport control, and Plovdiv, to reach Sofia by 09:00. The eastbound train leaves Sofia at 18:30 to reach Istanbul for 05:40. Add for a couchette, for a bed in a shared 2-person cabin or for the entire cabin.

By car The motorway network in Bulgaria is still under construction.

Access to Bulgaria's capital is via several entry points:

From the north (Vidin) & south (Thessaloniki) via E79. From the east - via Thrace Highway E80/A1. From the west - from the Bulgarian-Serbian border point of Kalotina.

The following motorways heading for Sofia are already in service:

A1 connects Sofia to Burgas and the Black Sea coast, as well as Istanbul. A2 ends about 80 km from each city; the rest of the route is a regular 2-lane road. Extensions into the cities are planned. A3 is planned to be from Sofia to Thessaloniki, about 2/3 of the route is already in service.

Coming from North Macedonia, via Kyustendil the roads are relatively good but driving within speed limits would avoid you much hassle caused either by traffic police, or road conditions. From Central Europe you can drive almost the whole length on highways (via Slovenia-Croatia-Serbia or Hungary-Serbia), with only the last 100 km between Niš in Southern Serbia and Sofia being heavily trafficked mountain roads around the Nishava ravine in not the best shape.

Get around

Sofia has a well-developed, cheap, and efficient public transport system that consists of buses, trolleybuses, trams, and subway lines. The transport network can be confusing for visitors who do not know it well, but there is a journey planner.

If you are staying for 4 or more days, or 3 or more days and arriving directly in the city centre, you can also buy a 3-day ticket on an electronic card from the public transport offices (not from metro stations or at the airport).

Tickets can be purchased using contactless bank cards and payment apps such as Apple and Google Pay, which might be the easiest solution for foreign visitors. In the metro, the ticket gates have a contactless symbol indicating the location of the reader (it's on the left side, not the right). On buses and trams, there are blue electronic readers with the same contactless symbol.

Paper tickets and daily cards can be bought at most newspaper stands especially ones adjacent to public transport stops, and from the driver. Validate your card/ticket as soon as you get on the bus/tram/trolleybus. The day ticket needs to be shown to the person at the ticket office before every metro trip, as they are supposed to check the date stamp (manually applied at the time of sale) before activating the ticket barriers to accept it.

There are 15 tram lines, 9 trolley lines, 93 bus lines and 4 metro lines. Some of the buses cover the area outside the city centre including neighboring villages. Useful routes include: bus #84 from both terminals of the airport to the center from the train/bus station to Orlov most - bus #213 or #214 or tram #1, #7 and #18 to Vitosha Street and Sv. Nedelya Square 1, #6, #7 to the National Palace of Culture 18 to Slaveykov square 6 to Macedonia square.

The public transport operates from 05:00–23:00, plus four night lines: N1 (zh.k. Lyulin 0650) to Mladost 4 0669) N2 (Obelya quarter 0874 to zh.k. Studentski grad 1694) N3 (zh.k. Levski G 2430 to zh.k. Ovcha Kupel 2 0684) N4 (zh.k. Druzhba-2 0612 to zh.k. Gotse Delchev 0600)

On foot Streets have adequate tiled pavements, especially in the city centre. However, they are frequently uneven and potholed, and walking is further made difficult by parked cars, street vendors and cafes. Except for areas in the very centre, pavements rarely have slopes for wheelchair access or designated lanes for bicycle riders. Pedestrian crossings are numerous and are relatively respected by drivers. Use pedestrian underpasses to cross large intersections, though avoid ones in the suburbs as these are usually derelict.

By mini-bus Mini-buses (marshrutki) stop if you just wave a hand and are usually fast way to go somewhere without need to change the car, but they aren't common anymore. You pay to the driver when you get on the car. You must tell the driver if and when you want to get off. Marshrutki largely don't exist since 2011.

There are many companies offering taxi services, some of them are OK Supertrans taxi (973 2121), Taxi, "962-22-26", Yellow Taxi (91119) and Radio CV Taxi (91263). Some taxi companies have smartphone apps available that allow you to register and order taxis to your specific address in real time, thus eliminating the risk of falling prey to scams. As of June 2017, Yellow Taxi has the most user-friendly app for foreigners.

There are some taxis trying to imitate the most popular ones but with outrageous prices so check before you board, these taxis usually hang around hotels and tourist spots picking on unsuspecting customers, The general rule is that if a taxi driver comes to you and offers you a drive, never accept it because they will try to rip you off. Also make sure the taxi has the driver's card on the front with his name.

Taxi drivers may not stop if you hail them on the street and often don't have much change, so plan accordingly (or leave tips!)

The TaxiMe app (similar to Uber) works well in Sofia.

Regular taxis will not take more than 4 passengers, so do not count on small children sitting in laps or otherwise squeezing extra people in a taxi.

By car Renting a car is not necessarily a good idea if your plans are restricted to visiting only Sofia and not travelling elsewhere in the country. Driving here can be strenuous for those with less experience behind the wheel - be prepared for traffic jams and disorganized traffic. Those of you who plan on visiting more of the country can rent a car from a local company (much cheaper than the big brands) or use a broker as some of the local companies do not even have websites.

If you need to park your car, you are recommended to do it in a paid guarded lot. Parking in the centre is difficult and you may be parked illegally without knowing it; foreign licence plates may attract unwelcome attention of Bulgarian police and of criminals. Even if there are other cars parked in the area, double check that there are no signs or pavement markings prohibiting it. Parking in the central city area on working days is paid, it is divided in a so-called Blue Zone ("Синя зона"), and a Green Zone ("Зелена зона"). If you have a Bulgarian mobile number, you can also pay by SMS: send the vehicle registration plate number to "1302" for the "Green zone" or 1303 for the "Blue zone". Five minutes before the prepaid time is up you will receive a warning SMS. You can either send another message for another hour or move your car.

Pay attention to trams or buses stopping in the middle of the road. If you see a stopped tram or bus on your left, you must stop and let the passengers get on/off, according to the Bulgarian traffic code. Failing to stop in this manner may be very dangerous.

Driving with your lights on is compulsory, day and night, all year long.

By bicycle Sofia is one of the greenest capitals in Europe, with the big park zones ideal for biking. Slow traffic in downtown is perfect for cycling. On a bike you will save time and will enjoy sport activity. Sofia also has a few bike paths around the downtown area and in districts such as Mladost, Nadezhda, Hipodruma. Be careful as many cars double park and may open doors without noticing you.

See

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.

Sofia History Museum. Museum of the history of Sofia itself, housed in the colourful old building of the Central Mineral [Water] Baths (built 1913). Exhibits include many luxurious items formerly belonging to Bulgaria's last monarchs.

National Museum of Military History. The only museum in Bulgaria with 4 types of exhibitions – open air, chronological, collections and temporary exhibitions. Over 28 000 exhibits, dated from the Antiquity to the present day. The largest open air exhibition on the Balkans with over 300 pieces of military equipment. The richest collections of weapons, uniforms, decorations, art works, flags, photographs, military equipment, etc.

Institute of Ethnology and Folklore Studies with Ethnographic Museum. Has a permanent collection of traditional Bulgarian costumes and a changing exhibition.

Earth and Man National Museum. A large mineralogical museum. In the main hall is the world's biggest collection of Giant Crystals, with dazzling jagged rocks the size of refrigerators.

National Museum of History. The National Museum of History in the Rezidentsia Boyana provide a comprehensive view on Bulgarian history from the prehistory to present, in as broad of a European context as possible. With more than 650,000 exhibits, it is one of the largest history museums on the Balkans, so be prepared to spend several hours. One main attraction are golden and silver mugs and jewellery from Thracian (around 4th century BC) and Roman periods. About half of the exhibits have English captions.

National Institute of Archaeology and Museum.

National Museum of Natural History. Has four floors of everything from rocks and minerals to insects and stuffed bison. It is a nice way to spend a rainy afternoon.

The Red Flat. Half tour, half experience. Walk around a house setup like an old communist flat from the 1980s. You're allowed to touch and play with just about anything. There's an audio guide in English, Spanish and Bulgarian.

Museum of Paleontology and Historical Geology.

National Ecclesiastical History-Archeological Museum.

Museum of Socialist Art. After the Soviet Union fell and Bulgaria moved on from communism, much of the country's communist artwork was eventually collected here. Outside the museum (and free to access) is a small park crammed with statues of notable communists, with every flavor of Lenin.

National Art Gallery. Has old Bulgarian art, icons, etc. Also includes collections of the former National Gallery for Foreign Art, which are exhibited along with the 19th- and 20th-century collections of the National Art Gallery at National Gallery Square 500 (Kvadrat 500 in Bulgarian), which is at 1, 19th February St., St Alexander Nevsky Sq. and is open Tu-Su 10:00-18:00 and closed Mondays and holidays.

St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral. The largest church in the Balkans, and one of the largest Christian churches worldwide, able to hold 5,000 worshipers. Saint Alexander Nevsky was a Russian prince, and the cathedral was built to honour the Russian soldiers who died during the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878, liberating Bulgaria from Ottoman rule.

St. Sophia Church. It was built in the 6th century, in the same wave of construction as the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople. In 1329 it gave its name to the city. It was destroyed several times and during the Ottoman rule it was used as a mosque. It was built over an even older 4th-century church, which can be explored through its excavated crypts and tombs.

Boyana Church. This small 11th-century church and garden is on the UNESCO World Heritage List for its well-preserved murals. The layer of fresco from 1259 shows realism and emotion evocative of the early Renaissance, but painted a century earlier. No photos are allowed inside, as the interior is dark and cramped. There is little interpretive information inside; you can hire an on-site tour guide or ask questions to the docent. Only 8 people are permitted inside at a time, for a maximum of 10 minutes. During busy periods you may have to wait for over an hour, yet the queue is self-policed so be prepared to stand outside doing nothing for a while and don't forget who arrived after you! This is at the foot of Vitosha mountain and is a good starting point for day trips in the mountain.

Catholic cathedral St. Joseph. Holy Masses: Sa 17:30 & Su 10:30 in Bulgarian; 12:00 in Latin; 18:00 Bulgarian

Other places of worship The city has been described as the "triangle of religious tolerance", because temples of three major world religions—Christianity, Islam and Judaism—are situated within two blocks of each other.

Banya Bashi Mosque. Beautiful yet simple Ottoman-mosque. Built by Mimar Sinan. It's active and there is a guide inside.

Sofia Synagogue. One of the largest in Europe.

Sofia is one of the oldest cities in Europe and has ancient ruins throughout the city center.

When Bulgaria gained autonomy from the Ottoman Empire in 1878, Alexander of Battenberg was elected the first prince of Bulgaria.

Battenberg Mausoleum. The mausoleum and final resting place of Prince Alexander I of Bulgaria (1857–1893), the first Head of State of modern Bulgaria.

Monument to Vasil Levski. It commemorates the hanging of Bulgarian national hero and major revolutionary figure Vasil Levski in the city on 18 February 1873.

Monument to the Tsar Liberator. Representing the power of freedom and across from it are the National Assembly and the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences.

Monument to the Unknown Soldier. Across from Alexander Nevsky cathedral; on the side of Hagia Sofia's Church.

Tsar Samuil Monument. A statue of the Bulgarian warlord and tsar Samuil, who ruled Bulgaria between 997 and 1014.

Russian Monument. An obelisk built by the Russians.

Largo. 3 buildings of Socialist Classicism architecture, around what was designed to be the city's representative centre. The buildings are Council of Ministers and the TSUM department store on the north side, the National Assembly (former Communist Party headquarters) with its iconic spire on the east side, the Presidential Administration (former Council of State) and the Balkan Hotel to the south side.

Prince Alexander of Battenberg Square. The largest square in Sofia. Includes the National Art Gallery.

Petko R. Slaveykov Square. A famous square, real Sofia center with a monument of writers father and son Slaveykov. It`s a biggest open-air book market in the Balkans.There are round benches and street musicians act very often.

Patriarh Evtimiy Square. A popular meeting place.

Borisova Gradina (Boris Garden). The oldest and best known park in the city. Includes the Ariana Lake.

City Garden. It's the oldest and most central public garden, in existence since 1872.

Yuzhen Park (South Park). A nice park in the south-east part of the city, although a bit too crowded on weekends. Vibrant with open area cafes, entertainment for children and grown-ups, and a few ponds with ducks.

Oborishte Park. A park near the center of the city with places to eat and drink.

Kambanite Park. A park with bells from every country in the world.

Orlov Most. A bridge over the Perlovska River near the centre of Sofia

Lavov Most. A bridge over the Vladayska River near the central train station.

Snail House. A five story residential building in the shape of a giant pastel-striped snail, complete with two antennae.

SS. Cyril and Methodius National Library.

Do

Sofia Bike Tour. 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". Also, this tour might in addition be a way to market their chargeable tours; always compare before committing to anything.

Playgrounds. If you're travelling with kids, they might love playgrounds. The "rich" one is in the park that holds Vasil Levski stadium (close to the corner with Orlov Most; there are actually two playgrounds close to this corner and you'd look for the one more inside the park).

Football – The men's national football team plays at Vasil Levski stadium (capacity 43,000) 1 km southeast of city centre. Five city clubs play in First League, Bulgaria's top tier: CSKA Sofia play at Bulgarian Army Stadium (capacity 23,000) just south of the national stadium. CSKA 1948 were formed in 2016 after a bust-up at CSKA Sofia. They play at Stadion Bistritsa (capacity 2500) 15 km south, and shared with Septemvri in the Second League. Levski Sofia play at Stadion Georgi Asparuhov (capacity 25,000, aka Vivacom stadium) 3 km east of the centre. Slavia Sofia play at Alexander Shalamanov Stadium (capacity 25,500) 4 km southwest. Lokomotiv 1929 play at Stadion Lokomotiv (capacity 17,500) 4 km north.

Sofia Opera and Ballet. During summer, open air shows in the evenings are offered.

Arena Cinema. One of the biggest Bulgarian cinema multiplex. Cinemas in Sofia play all films except children's films in their original language with Bulgarian subtitles.

National Palace of Culture. The biggest congress center in the Balkans (a massive monolithic communist-style building). If asking for directions, ask for NDK (en-de-ka), as most Bulgarians refer to it by this acronym.

Central Military Club. It`s a multi-purpose monument of culture building in the city center. Also known under the name Kristal.

A magnificent landmark mountain very popular with the locals and rising just south of the capital. It is easily accessible by public transportation, bus 63 (from stop Tsar Boris III) or 66 (from Metrostantsiya Vitosha metro stop), or by car. Day trips in Vitosha on a sunny day are highly recommended.

In the winter, it is well suited for skiing and its proximity allows one day ski-trips; in the summer it is great for hiking. A great way to spend few days in Sofia, being on its "balcony," enjoying sunny days on the mountain with a spectacular view on the capital. It is a unique chance to witness the rare symbiosis of a metropolitan city with its nature park.

Buy

It is strongly advisable to skip exchange offices on the street and use exclusively banks for exchanging money.

ATMs are widely available and accept all major credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, Amex, Diner's, etc.), although you have to check your daily limit with your bank.

Credit cards are widely accepted in larger stores and supermarkets, but in small souvenir shops or restaurants you will definitely need to carry some cash.

Souvenirs can be bought many small shops in the subways in front of the old Party House and in the metro station at the Largo. The Ethnographic Museum has a small shop tightly crammed with souvenirs of all kinds from all over Bulgaria (on the right, just as you enter the main entrance). Antiques and souvenirs can also be found in Alexander Nevsky square, in stalls just opposite the church.

Vitosha Boulevard. It`s the main commercial street in the centre of Sofia. Its pedestrian part is a popular place for walks. It is known as the most expensive street in Sofia.

The Mall. Largest shopping mall in Bulgaria; contains also a Carrefour store, large Arena cinema, a lot of cafes and restaurants, etc.

Central Sofia Market Hall. Has many stalls selling all kinds of food, drink and cosmetics. The second floor has various fast-food cafés. As of early 2023 closed for renovations..

Mall of Sofia. Contains a Piccadilly store and a Cinema City multiplex.

SkyCity Mall. Also has an entertainment centre.

Serdika Center Sofia. Contains a Piccadilly store.

Paradise Center. Largest shopping mall in Bulgaria; contains also a Carrefour store, large Arena cinema, a lot of cafes and restaurants, etc.

Sofia Ring Mall. Contains a karting track and a Cinema City multiplex.

Eat

Sofia is full of trendy cafes with outdoor seating in the summer and good-quality restaurants. Fast food You can easily find take away food in Sofia. 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. Another possibility is to get a katma, which is a big pancake filled with cheese, ham, jam or chocolate.

Budget Pizzeria-type restaurants and snack bars can be found all over Sofia. Although many are very uninteresting for the traveler looking for a meal with a local flavor, some include excellent Bulgarian dishes.

Veselata Gozba Restaurant. Good variety of main courses, soups, salads and desserts. The food is delicious. Family-operated restaurant

Gastrobar 6. Favorite place for delicious food in a great pleasant atmosphere. You feel at home

Ali Baba. Good place for a quick bit of kebabs and falafel.

Dream House. Very good vegetarian restaurant. Quick service, simple and good food, good value for money.

Мекица и Кафе (Mekitsa and Coffee). Here you can have brunch and the typical Bulgarian breakfast. One of them gems of Sofia. Great, hot, fresh, on the spot mekitsa. With very friendly staff. You can go to the second floor, sit at the table against the window, munch mekitsa and sip your beverage. Good times!

Pizza Victoria. One of the best Bulgarian pizzas.

Godzila. Godzila's first restaurant opened in 1999 in the sea capital of Bulgaria, Varna. Offers fresh salads, juicy barbecue, delicious pizza and various other dishes. Menus are in English and the staff speak English as well. There are traditional Bulgarian cuisine and Western cuisine as well.

Pod Lipite. Very good traditional food. Reservation is required.

Motto. This place is always fairly busy with a trendy crowd. The decor is modern and cool, and the people typically good looking. The service is usually good, and many of the staff speak English. The food is consistent and enjoyable.

Hadjidraganovite kashti. Amazing restaurant just off one of Sofia's main streets. The decor is old-style Bulgarian and the food is traditional Bulgarian, plentiful and very, very tasty. Entertainment includes a Bulgarian walking band and guests are primarily locals. Staff are very friendly and most speak English. Reservations are necessary, even on weeknights.

Drink

Sofia was founded here because of the quality of its mineral waters. In the city, there are 7 independent mineral water springs. Top off your water bottles here! At the Sofia History Museum, there is a tap in a corner of the façade, and a larger cluster of mineral water drinking fountains just across the small street to the north (left when facing the building).

International chains Costa Coffee and Starbucks have several locations across the city

The Cocktail Bar. Tasty cocktails, crowded in the evenings, has a summer garden (it is actually in a small park, which becomes occupied by the customers)

Bar 5L. Speakeasy (5L is a transliteration of rooster in Bulgarian). Designer cocktails in cozy atmosphere. The key, corresponding to the day of the month, unlocks the door (not sure whether they change it at midnight).

Nightlife The Sofia nightlife is vibrant, concentrated mostly in two areas - the city center and around Studentski grad (Студентски град/Student's town), which is the neighborhood with the university dorms. There are frequent live performances in various venues, check the freely distributed guides in various shops and restaurants like Programata (Програмата/The Program). The primary distinction between the clubs is whether the music includes chalga (чалга/folk-Turkish-Greek-Serbian influenced local genre) or not. Expect that any local acquaintances will have strong feelings whether they attend or not the chalga clubs. There are hundreds of clubs and bars, and luxurious places charging exorbitant sums. It is better to pay with cash, as POS terminals are not widely available, especially in the cheaper places. The people start to gather after working hours for a beer, cocktail or glass of wine, moving to dinner around 20:00 and clubs and discos after 23:00.

In the warm months, crowds overflow from the more popular places like Bilkova (Билкова/The Herbal) on the street. The centrally located parks and gardens like Crystal (Кристал) and Gradinkata na Narodniya (Градинката на народния/The garden of the national theater) and crowded during the summer, with drinks provided from nearby shops or cocktails in disposable cups. Carrusel. Upscale club, hosting DJ parties and special events. Culture Beat. Boutique cafe, bar, and nightclub, in NDK (National Palace of Culture). Great view from the terrace in the summer. Gramophone - contemporary music RocknRolla - large underground venue with rock music, on Garibaldi square Yalta - the biggest, oldest and most famous disco in Sofia, existing since the communist times, resident and guest DJ parties and events. EDM, house. Bedroom Premium Club - R&B, hip-hop, house Stroezha - rock and contemporary music Onyx - contemporary music Sugar - hip-hop Bar Dak and Bar Dak 2 - bars Once Upon a Time Библиотека - housed in the building of the National Library, rock. Club Alcohol - rock Mixtape 5 - huge club, next to NDK (National Palace of Culture), various events. Sofia Live Club - live events, in NDK Club Terminal 1 - big venue, mostly rock Club Mascara - in the building of the National Opera, contemporary music, house. Megami - in the Marinela hotel, chalga, upscale. BIAD - Rakovski streer, next to Memento, chalga. Club Revue - opposite of the National Assembly, chalga. Dada Cultural Bar - tango, salsa, live performances

Apartment. Popular among locals and foreigners is the "apartamenta", some sort of private club in the second floor of a turn of the 19th-century mansion where you find a series of rooms, all in different styles and wall-drawings, colourful tapestries, etc. Go to the right, get a drink in the kitchen, and just pick and choose a room which looks cozy enough (shouldn't be too hard to find one with all the couches lying around). If you love the music, there are computers in most of the rooms where you can pick something out of the playlist. Have a game of chess. There is also a Cinema room, if there is nothing running just go in, pick a movie out of the list and start the projection. There is also home-made chocolate and cream and all different kinds of organic drinks like Himalayan tea or Kiwi nectar.

The largest discos in Sofia are concentrated in Student's town (Studentski grad) in the southern part of the city and can be reached by buses #94 (from Sofia university and Culture palace), #280 (from Sofia University, Orlov most) and #102. The last bus to Studentski grad departs from the city centre at about 23:30 (from Sofia University and Culture Palace). Discos that can be visited there include: Avenue, Tantra, Orient 33, Jim Beam, Maskata, Stroezha.

4km. This place plays mostly drum&bass and dubstep music.

Sleep

Peter Pan Hostel. Owner-run, small hostel on the first floor of apartment building. Newly renovated. Small but clean rooms with single beds or bunk beds. Rooms come with TV, small balcony, fridge. Wifi available. No communal space or kitchen (only microwave).

Levitt Hostel. Offers free unlimited high speed Internet (1000 Mbit/s) and Wi-Fi connection through the entire hostel, free coffee and tea any time of the day, free use of fully equipped kitchen, free blankets, pillows and sheets, free towels on request, free laundry (with 3 nights stay), free use of iron/ironing board, free hair dryer, free city maps, travel desk, security system + 24 hours video surveillance, designated smoking area, no curfew or lockout.

Crosspoint Sofia Hostel. A hostel with a friendly atmosphere. Free Wi-Fi; 1-m-wide spacious and very comfortable beds; metal lockers. Offers mixed and female dorms as well as private rooms. Great young staff with an attitude working there.

Hostel Mostel. Beautiful wooden flooring. Has a huge lounge to chill out, you can browse the net on modern computers. Some dorm rooms are en-suite, trips to Rila Monastery are run daily.

Nightingale Hostel. At Famous Slaveykov Square (center of the downtown), a non-smoking eco hostel provides beds and rooms and it is a social place with air-conditioning, common/TV room and lobby area. Free of charge- breakfast, kitchen, PC and WiFi internet, lockers, maps, call a taxi, book a club, check timetables service, hot showers in renovated and sexes separated toilets and 24-hr reception desk. Laundry, pick up, meals and drinks are available. Friendly and talkative staff. A lot of info for local life.

Orient Express Hostel - Sofia. This small hostel offers a variety of room options.

Interhost / Hello Sofia. Formerly known as "Internet Hostel". Small place but very central. 3 (dorm) rooms, 1 apartment available in this location. Communal space: Small kitchen/dining area. No reception or staff on site, so announce your arrival upfront. Heating in the rooms is remote-controlled and only switched on at night times. The company operates several venues in Sofia. If you book in advance they might move you to a different location, based on availability.

Alegra Hostel. VIBER: 00359889446364 Location:in the centre, at a quiet street, on the first floor of a three-storey residential building, with fully independent separate entrance and a tiny courtyard. The living area occupies 80 m². 4 separate rooms, individual locks, a fully equipped kitchen (kitchen stove, dishwasher, pots, saucepans, refrigerator, porcelain food sets, coffee machine, tea, microwave oven), two bathrooms with toilet, small vestibule. Bedding: Three rooms with three single beds, three individual locking wardrobes. The fourth room is furnished with two single beds and wardrobe. Window with PVC framed windows, convector radiators for heating in each room. All doors are locked with separate keys. In each room there are table, chairs, television, free WiFi, Internet, fax and two towels for each guest. Washing machine, clothes dryer, hair dryer, ironing board, mirror, bedside lamp, non-stop hot water. The Guest House is set up to accommodate up to 11 people.

10 Coins Hostel. Average but friendly hostel outside of the centre, Small kitchen, quiet neighbourhood.

Holiday Inn Sofia. Modern five-star hotel offering conference facilities and spa centre.

Holiday Village Diplomat. Is near Vitosha mountain and 20 min away from the city centre. Spacious rooms, large park area and friendly staff.

Maxim Hotel. A hotel 5 min walking distance from the train/bus station and 5 min away in the opposite direction from downtown Sofia. It is a cute hotel with a nice bedroom and also a living/TV room, large private bathroom and includes breakfast buffet in the morning. Only negative is they do not have an elevator.

Metropolitan Hotel Sofia. Business 4-star hotel near airport, ideal for business and leisure.

Red House B&B. A charming B&B in the Red House cultural centre.

Hello Sofia Guesthouse. Just opened small and cozy guesthouse in the very center of Downtown, eco-friendly, offers individually designed en-suite rooms, also deluxe dormitories and studios, furnished and supplied with all natural materials and fabrics/linens, pillows by choice, free parking during the weekends, free WiFi, 40" LED HDTVs and individual PCs in some of the rooms!

Maria Luiza Hotel occupies an exquisite building dating back to the turn of 20th century and listed as one of Bulgaria's cultural monuments of national significance. Maria Luisa Hotel offers a combination of the standards and services found in a luxury hotel plus the privacy and independence of one's own home.

Sofia Hotel Balkan, a Marriott Luxury Collection Hotel. Impressive 5-storey hotel, in classical design, houses 184 rooms, including 19 suites.

Park Inn by Radisson Sofia Hotel. Set in a building that resembles a baroque castle, this hotel offers 77 rooms and 36 one- or two-bedroom apartments.