Cathedral

The monumental St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral is the most famous and most visited monument in Bulgaria. [btn "Book a hotel in Sofia with a discount now" https://www.booking.com/region/bg/vitosha-mountain.en-gb.html?aid=2380460;label=p-sofie-alexander] At the same time, the cathedral is the seat of the Patriarch of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church and, apart from its touristic significance, it is mainly of ecclesiastical importance. A Neo…

Mountain, Lookout

Vitosha is a small but beautiful mountain range rising to heights of over 2,200 metres. The foothills of the Vitosha Mountains start right in Sofia. [btn "Find hotels in the Vitosha Mountains" https://www.booking.com/region/bg/vitosha-mountain.en-gb.html?aid=2380460;label=p-sofie-vitosa] Thanks to its proximity to the city and very good transport links, the Vitosha Mountains are a popular destination for tourists and locals alike. The dominant…

Church

The Boyana Church (often spelled "Boyana") is one of Bulgaria's most important monuments and one of the 10 sites in the whole country and the only one in Sofia listed by UNESCO. The small medieval church of the Orthodox Church is tucked away in a park on the very outskirts of Sofia at the foot of the Vitosha Mountains, but a visit is almost a must when in the Bulgarian capital. [btn "Top rated hotels in Sofia? Find out at booking.com" https:/…

Church

The Church of St. Sophia, sometimes referred to as the Basilica, stands almost literally in the shadow of the much more famous Alexander Nevsky Cathedral. The church is only about 200 metres away from this cathedral and due to the fact that St. Sophia's is quite low, many tourists miss it completely. [btn "View the 10 best hotels in Sofia" https://www.booking.com/city/bg/sofia.en-gb.html?aid=2380460;label=p-sofie-kostel-sofia] St. Sophia…

Church

Sveta Nedelya Cathedral is the main church of the Eastern Orthodox Church and one of Bulgaria's leading monuments. The much larger and better known Alexander Nevsky Cathedral is the main sanctuary of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church. [btn "Book your hotel in central Sofia in advance" https://www.booking.com/city/bg/sofia.en-gb.html?aid=2380460;label=p-sofie-nedelya] The Temple of Sveta Nedelya lies right in the centre of the city in the Serdika…

Church

The second oldest church, preserved in almost its original form, can be found inside the courtyard of one of the government buildings of the Largo complex. The church was built in the late antique period in the 4th century AD and was part of the ancient city of Serdica. [btn "View the 10 best hotels in Sofia" https://www.booking.com/city/bg/sofia.en-gb.html?aid=2380460;label=p-sofie-rotunda] Ancient church surrounded by socialism The small…

Synagogue

Sofia's central synagogue is one of the city's most beautiful monuments and one of only two active Jewish shrines in Bulgaria. The synagogue in Sofia is the largest in southeastern Europe and one of the largest on the entire continent. According to the number of people who can fit in the synagogue, it is the 6th largest in Europe. [btn "Book a hotel in the centre of Sofia at a discount" https://www.booking.com/city/bg/sofia.en-gb.html?aid…

Church

The Church of the Seven Saints is one of the most important monuments in Sofia and has an interesting history. It is named after Saints Cyril and Methodius and their five disciples. [btn "Discover the top 10 hotels in Sofia" https://www.booking.com/city/bg/sofia.en-gb.html?aid=2380460;label=p-sofie-sedmsvatych] From Mosque to Church The building was built in 1547 during the Ottoman Empire as the Black Mosque. It got its name from the minaret…

Monastery

Tucked away in the dense forests at the foot of the Vitosha Mountains, you will find a beautiful little monastery of the Mother of God named Dragalevtsi after the district in which it is located. The best way to visit the monastery is on a hike in the Vitosha Mountains. [btn "Top rated hotels in Sofia" https://www.booking.com/city/bg/sofia.en-gb.html?aid=2380460;label=p-sofie-dragalevtsi] Dragalevtsi Monastery was founded in 1345, but was…

Theatre

The most important theatre institution in Bulgaria is housed in the beautiful National Theatre building in the centre of Sofia. The theatre is named after the prominent Bulgarian writer, poet and publicist Ivan Vazov. [btn "Book a hotel in the centre of Sofia" https://www.booking.com/city/bg/sofia.en-gb.html?aid=2380460;label=p-sofie-divadlo] The magnificent neoclassical building was modelled on the Austrian architects from the Viennese firm…

Parliament

Right in the centre of the city at Serdika metro station, three monumental government buildings around Independence Square catch your eye. [btn "Book a hotel in the centre of Sofia" https://www.booking.com/city/bg/sofia.en-gb.html?aid=2380460;label=p-sofie-largo] The complex consists of a total of three buildings built in the 1950s in the then typical style of socialist classicism. The whole complex of three buildings and the square is called…

Street, Shopping class

Every big city has its main pedestrian and shopping street, and Sofia's is definitely the wide and over 1 km long Vitosha Boulevard. The street then continues on past the National Palace of Culture to the south, but the main pedestrianised part runs only from the NDK to the Church of St Nedelya. [btn "Book a hotel in the centre of Sofia at a discount" https://www.booking.com/city/bg/sofia.en-gb.html?aid=2380460;label=p-sofie-bulvar] Vitosha…

Mosque

The Banja Pasha Mosque is the most important monument from the Ottoman Empire, which has remained intact and serves its original purpose uninterrupted. It is located together with many other monuments in the central district of Serdika. [btn "Book a hotel in the centre of Sofia" https://www.booking.com/city/bg/sofia.en-gb.html?aid=2380460;label=p-sofie-mesita] The mosque was built in 1566 on the site of thermal springs, which at one time were…

Archaeological site

Right in the centre of the town, in several places you will discover the well-preserved archaeological site of the ancient town of Serdica (often spelled "Serdika"). [btn "Book a hotel in the centre of Sofia" https://www.booking.com/city/bg/sofia.en-gb.html?aid=2380460;label=p-sofie-serdica] "Serdica" used to refer to the Roman city built on the site where Sofia stands today. The oldest archaeological sites date from around the 3rd century BC.…

Exhibition Centre, Modern Building, Park

The famous National Palace of Culture ( NDK) is one of the largest multifunctional halls of its kind in the world. It stands in a popular park with many fountains at the end of the city's main pedestrian zone - Vitosha Boulevard. [btn "Book a hotel in the centre of Sofia" https://www.booking.com/city/bg/sofia.en-gb.html?aid=2380460;label=p-sofie-ndk] The National Palace of Culture was opened in 1981 to celebrate the 1,300th anniversary of…

Museum

The building of the Central Mineral Baths is one of Sofia's main monuments and a remnant of the period when Sofia was an important spa town. [btn "Book a hotel in central Sofia" https://www.booking.com/city/bg/sofia.en-gb.html?aid=2380460;label=p-sofie-largo] The numerous baths in the centre of Sofia have been functioning since the 16th century thanks to the powerful mineral springs. Many Turkish baths were established during the Ottoman…

Cathedral, Modern Building

The largest Catholic church in Bulgaria is Sofia's St. Joseph Cathedral. Unlike many historic churches and cathedrals of the Orthodox Churches, the Catholic Cathedral is a modern building built in 2006. The church was built on the site of the original Catholic church, which was bombed out during World War II. From then until 2006, St. Louis Church in Plovdiv served as the main cathedral. You can visit St. Joseph's Cathedral for free daily…