Sofia
Discover Sofia
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. 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.
Taste of Sofia...
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 лв 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. Another possibility is to get a katma, which is a big pancake filled with cheese, ham, jam or chocolate. 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. 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! 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.
Essential Information
Getting There
Multiple OptionsOver 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 and Burgas. Along with traditional carriers, some low-cost companies serving Bulgaria are EasyJet (to/from London-Gatwick, Madrid, Manchester) and Wizz Air (to/from Paris-Beauvais, Barcelona, Brussels-Charleroi, Dortmund, Eindhoven, London-Luton, Milan-Bergamo, Rome-Fiumicino, Valencia) and RyanAir. Bulgaria Air, the national carrier operates service to/from Alicante, Amsterdam, Athens, Barcelona, Beirut, Berlin, Brussels, Bucharest, Frankfurt, Istanbul, Larnaca, London (Gatwick & Heathrow), Madrid, Málaga, Manchester, Palma de Mallorca, Paphos, Paris, Rome, Skopje, Tel Aviv, Tirana, Tripoli, Valencia, Vienna and Zürich....
Getting Around & Staying
Getting 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. The price of a single metro ticket is 1.60 лв, while a bus/tram/trolleybus ticket is 2 лв. There are also daily travel cards (4 лв). If you are staying for 4 or more days, or 3+ 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). Fare inspectors ambush and board buses and trams in groups (and their attitude is generally not friendly at all), sometimes accompanied by police, and make no exceptions. The fine is 40 лв. 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.
Where to Stay
Generally, Sofia is a safe and walkable city, even at night. Nevertheless, avoid poorly lit areas and use your common sense. One problem area is around the central bus and rail station, continuing south down Maria Luiza Blvd and the Lions' Bridge (Lavov Most). Also avoid dark areas of the city parks. Borisova Garden is dangerous, especially during the night. Single women and girls should be especially careful. Junkies get high in these areas, prostitutes offer their "services", some people might want to tempt you with touts of contraband (stolen, illegal, etc.) and/or try to mug you. These areas are also frequented by the homeless and the drunk. Pedestrians should be careful since many Bulgarian drivers do not yield right of way to those on foot. Do not get into conflict with football fan groups if they seem drunk and aggressive. Avoid wearing football shirts or scarves of the Sofia-based football teams, especially on match days.
Money & Budget
It is strongly advisable to skip exchange offices on the street and use exclusively banks for exchanging money. Some exchange stalls will try to scam you by buying your currency at very unfavorable rates. See Bulgaria#Money for exchange rates.) It's also possible to change money at a good rate in casinos if you play there. Ignore anyone on the street wanting to change money; you will get an awful exchange rate, or a handful of fake banknotes. 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. ATMs will let you withdraw at most 400 лв in one go, but if your card limit allows it, you can make two or more withdrawals.
Safety Information
Safety Overview
Generally, Sofia is a safe and walkable city, even at night. Nevertheless, avoid poorly lit areas and use your common sense. One problem area is around the central bus and rail station, continuing south down Maria Luiza Blvd and the Lions' Bridge (Lavov Most). Also avoid dark areas of the city parks. Borisova Garden is dangerous, especially during the night. Single women and girls should be especially careful. Junkies get high in these areas, prostitutes offer their "services", some people might want to tempt you with touts of contraband (stolen, illegal, etc.) and/or try to mug you. These areas are also frequented by the homeless and the drunk. Pedestrians should be careful since many Bulgarian drivers do not yield right of way to those on foot. Do not get into conflict with football fan groups if they seem drunk and aggressive. Avoid wearing football shirts or scarves of the Sofia-based football teams, especially on match days.