Sofia


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Sofia (София) is the capital of Bulgaria. It is also the biggest city in the country with about 1.4 mln citizens (including suburbs). Today, Sofia is a dynamic Eastern European capital, distinguished by its unique combination of European and Communist-style arcitecture as well as many beautiful orthodox churches. Furthermore, it claims to be one of few European capitals with beautiful nature and developed ski-resort so close to it - the Vitosha mountain.

Contents

[edit] Understand

To get all informations about Sofia, like history, restaurants, things to do,...(nearly everything) take "In your pocket" a free tourist guide. Ask for it in your hostel.

[edit] Get in

[edit] By bus

The cheapest way to get into Sofia, both from the countryside or from abroad, is by bus. With buses going several times a day in all directions Sofia is well connected to all regions. International connections are available to several locations in Greece, to Istanbul, twice a day to/ from Vienna, and several times a week to different cities of Western Europe. Example for bus fares (one way tickets: Thessaloniki: 68 levas (54 lv. for travellers younger than 26); Vienna 94 levas (82 lv. for travellers younger than 26). For bus lines see Airkona (http://www.airkona.com) and MTT (http://www.skgt-bg.com).

[edit] By train

International trains provide a large number of routes to Sofia, arriving from such places as Kiev, Istanbul, Vienna, Athens and other common cities.

Allow up to three hours delay if travelling from Belgrade while the Serbian and Bulgarian customs officers ransack the trains due to cigarette smuggling. However, the cigarette smuggling is worth experiencing once.

The primary trains from Bucharest to Sofia, and back, run twice daily through the border city of Ruse. For example, recent trains are scheduled from Bucharest to Sofia in the daytime departing 11:35/arriving 21:30 and a night train departing 19:35/arriving 06:10. Passport control and customs takes place in Ruse, approximately mid-trip. Check local trainstations for updated information.

To İstanbul the train costs 25 euro (a bus-tıcket just 20), the train departing at around 18:30 (the bus at 21:00) and arrives at 9:00 (bus 6:00)

[edit] By plane

There are several flights a day to Vienna, and daily flights to some of the major European hubs. Tickets of traditional airlines can be pretty expensive, since there aren't that many carriers flying daily to Sofia.

Bulgarian flag-carrier airline is "Bulgaria Air" (http://www.air.bg/en) with Sofia as a hub, and for example two-way ticket to/from Madrid & Barcelona will be about 230 Euros. Another Bulgarian company "Viaggio Air" (http://www.viaggioair.com) can also be a bargain with two-way ticket to Vienna for 200 Euros and to Istanbul for 100 Euros. Other traditional airlines with flights to/from Sofia are Air France, Al Italia, Austrian Airlines, British Airways, Czech Airlines, Helios Air, LOT, Lufthansa, Malev, Olympic Airways, Tarom, and Turkish Airlines.

As of January 2006 there are two low-cost carriers traveling to Bulgaria. These are WizzAir (http://www.wizzair.com/) which recently started daily flights to/from Budapest and from there to about 12 European destinations and SkyEurope (http://www.skyeurope.com) with hub-airport Bratislava. They use same airport with flights landing and taking off at night.

Cheap charters to Varna and Burgas airports on the Black Sea coast are available (especially in spring & fall), and from there to Sofia (for about 60 euros one-way).

[edit] By car

The highway from Sofia towards Plovdiv is the best road to/from Sofia. It ends about 40 km after Plovdiv and from there to Istanbul, or a first-class road to Stara Zagora, Sliven, and the second-largest seaport Burgas.

Otherwise coming from Greece the road is in very good shape (thanks to a EU-led road-restoration programme) almost until Sofia (only the last 40 or so km after Dupnitza being hole-filled), so the 300 km from Thessaloniki are done fairly fast if you don't happen to fall into big waiting-lines at the border. Coming from Macedonia, the roads are in rather bad shape. From Central Europe you can drive almost the whole length on highways (via Slovenia-Croatia-Serbia or Hungary-Serbia), only the last 100 km between Nis in Southern Serbia and Sofia being heavily trafficked mountain roads in not the best shape.

[edit] Get around

To get around Sofia you can use several means of transport: public autobuses, trolleys, trams, a subway line and private mini-buses (mini-vans).

The public transport in Sofia works from 5 am to about 11 pm. Price per ticket is 0,70 leva (about 0,35 euro) if you buy it from a kiosk. Tickets should be bought before you get in the bus. When you board the bus, find the punches in order to punch the ticket. Unpunched ticked is invalid. The bus control rarely understand English and you might have problems with the security if you travel without a ticket or even with unpunched one. If you come to Sofia by plane, take bus#284 from the airport to the center, if you come by train or bus, to the center, take public bus #213 or #214 or tram #7, #1, #9, #6 or #14.

Mini-buses stop if you just wave a hand and usually are fast way to go somewhere without need to change the car. You pay to the driver when you get off the car. Prices are 1,50 leva (about 0,75 euro).

Metro in Sofia is now under construction and a few more lines will be available in the next years. Now there is only one line from the city center to the suburbia.

Taxis in Sofia are yellow. There are many companies offering taxi services, some of them are OK Taxi, 1 Euro Taxi, etc. The taxi drivers should give you receipts. Usually they also should have stickers or similar with Taxi ID number and a customer care telephone number and they are required to have prices on a sticker on the window of the left front door and on the windshield. Prices vary but are about 0,70 leva (0,35 euro) per kilometer. (I was there a week ago and standard fare generally was 0,49 levs per km before 10.30pm and 0,55 levs per km after that time until 6.00am. Also make sure they have a driver id on the dashboard, that's quite important and also read the price on the stickers before getting in some will have outrageous prices on them and usually hang around hotels and tourist spots picking on unsuspecting customers, its the top line for the per km fares and bottom line for time you need to look at [May 26, 2007])

Rent-a-Car is a good idea, but be prepared for traffic jams and disorganized traffic. Parking is major problem. To park you can use tickets for parking in the so called Blue Zone (Sinia zona). These tickets can be purchased usually by the people with bright green jackets, hanging around parking lots. The tickets should be clearly marked with pen and placed on the dashboard so they are clearly visible.

[edit] See

Sofia is one of the oldest cities in Europe with ruins spread across the city center. It was founded because of the quality of its mineral waters. In the city alone there are 7 independent mineral water springs. An interesting constellation can be seen in the city centre, where a catholic church, an orthodox church, a mosque and a synagogue are located at great proximity.

In the administrative center of Sofia the streets are covered with specific yellow pavement.


Churches of interest are the largest St. Alexander Nevski (and one of the largest orthodox churches worldwide), the Russian St. Nikolay, and the old ones St. Sofia, St. Petka, St. Georgi rotunda, St. Sedmochislenitsi, St. Paraskeva.

The bathhouse at Centralna Banya is also an old building of interest.

  • The Boyana Church (also a part of the world UNESCO heritage list)
  • The knjaz Batenberg's palace right in front of the city garden
  • The nice building of the National Theatre "Ivan Vazov"
  • The Borisova garden (the "Lungs" of the city) with the Arianna lake, wich is in reconstruction at the moment, but soon it should be refilled
  • The first high-story buldings in Sofia (built in the end of the 19th century) around and behind the National Theatre
  • The tall monument to the Tsar Liberator, representing the power of freedom, and, on its back, the National Assembly and the building of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
  • The "Largo" with the 12 flags of the EU (an ensemble of three interesting big socialist buildings, now housing the council of ministers, the national Sofia concert hall (the one with the spire) and the president's administration. All the ground there (and other places, too) is covered with yellow cobblestones
  • The chirch of St. Sofia, which had given the name of the city. It has been built over an older one, it can be seen through a glass in the floor
  • The ruins of the ancient town of Serdica
  • The interesting constellation of 4 close to each other situated different temples right in the centre of the city: The orthodox St. Nedelya church, The catholic St. Joseph cathedral, the Banya Bashi Mosque, and the Sofia Sinagogue (one of the biggest in Europe)

[edit] Do

www.mallofsofia.com - Go and see the huge Mall of Sofia, housing many shops, and the biggest (now) IMAX 3D cinema in the world (and the only on the balkans) as well!

[edit] Buy

The currency in Bulgaria is the Lev, plural Leva. One Lev is approximately equal to half Euro. The currency exchange offices are all around the city but to be on the safe side a new tourists would probably prefer to exchange their money in a big bank.

[edit] Eat

[edit] Drink

Sofia has quite a vibrant night life scene. You can find anything from big folk-pop (tchalga) or dance clubs to small rock clubs or alternative hangouts.

  • Apartamenta Popular among locals as well as foreigners is the "apartamenta", some sort of private club in the first floor of a turn of the 19th century mansion: after ringing on a not-descripted door, you ascend a flight of candle-lit stairs. There you find a series of rooms like in a real apartment, all in different stiles and wall-drawings, colourfull tapestries, etc. go to the right, get a drink in the kitchen (everything is 2 lv), and just pick and choose a room which looks cozy enough (shouldnt be too hard to find one with all the couches lying around). If you don't like the music, there are PCs in most of the rooms where you can pick something else out of the playlist. have a game of chess, or ask for tobacco for the water pipe. There is also a room which serves as cinema, if there is nothing running just go in, pick a dvd out of the collection and start the projection.
  • Bilkova A popular bar which can get vastly crowded but still remains a favourite is Bilkova on the Tsar Shishman street. No one knows how it is really named since there are no signs outside, but everybody calls it after the pharmacy in the next block. With two bars, rock musing playing most the time, B52s for 2,5 BGN and a cozy, oriental-style back room (locals ignore the non-smoking signs), it can get fairly crowded.
  • o'Shipka on the Shipka street near the main university building. On the first floor a normal pizza place, you might as yourself going in: "What the heck, this is supposed to be a club?" Well, just go past the bar, turn to the right, and you'll find a staircase leading down into the cellar: brick walls, several small rooms like in some catacombs, good rock music, and a stage room where, if you're lucky, you'll get quite a good live performance by a local rock group blasting on the small stage. Just the type of small little rock club you might be searching for. The club portion of this pizza place closed in the summer of 2006.
  • Lodkite In the huge "borisova gradina" park near the stadion (just ask you way around) you'll find this open-air place, located in an old leisure-park parcour (you know, that type of small water-channels where kid can drive around in little gondolas). The boats have gone and the channels serve as improvised sitting places (basic tables made out of wood planks put between the two sides of the channel). There are also some tables on the court and lights decorating the trees luminate the scene. The public sound system has experimental electronical music, ambiance, progressive rock, or whatever the DJs feel like. The later it gets, the more you'll find people sitting everywhere on the floor on the trees. On warm summer nights, this place is a must-be.
  • Escape If you like being searched for weapons at the entrance, this disco-type club might be your place. Once inside, you find quite a good two-storied dance room with side-rooms clothed in red. Music varies greatly, but the ambiance is still rather cool.
  • Alcohol a plesant disco with two rooms. One room offering popular music with high tables and chairs the other room decorated in oriental style and chill out atmosphere with Nargiles.
  • Tri Ushi a small club with brick walls and candles. Mostly new bands play here and drinks are around 1.5 lev.

[edit] Stay Safe

Crime rate in Sofia is rather high; even considered higher than the other Bulgarian major cities. If you travel by car make sure that you park in a toll parking. This is the best solution against auto theft. Parking in the center of Sofia could be troubling. Despite it is hard to find a free parking place, Bulgarian police tends to behave harsh since the license plate is not Bulgarian. You might see a long row under the non-parking sign, despite that it is for your own good not to park such areas.

Pedestrians should be careful since there are a lot of so called angry drivers and mobsters around.

[edit] Sleep

  • Art Hostel [2] provides cheap accommodation and a friendly atmosphere where tourists and locals mingle in the small basement bar. 9 euro (18 leva) a night, "The Guardian" says: "Probably the best youth-hostel in Europe"
  • Holiday Village Diplomat [3] is near Vitosha mountain and 20 min away from the city centre. Spacious rooms, large park area and friendly staff.
  • Hotel Renaissance is situated in downtown Sofia, very close to the administrative and commercial center of the city.
  • Hostel Mostel [4]
  • Hotel Lozenetz, 23 Naum Str [5] is a modern boutique style hotel within easy walking distance of the city centre.
  • Internet Hostel Sofia [6] is on the corner of Sofia's main shopping Vitosha boulevard, and offers excellent service and rooms for every taste.
  • Kervan Hostel [7]
  • Red Star Hostel [8] is in the city center between main street Vitosha Blvd. and City Garden with National Theatre, and offers cheap and clean accommodation in a variety of private rooms and dorms.
  • Maria Luisa 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.
  • Scotty's Boutique Hotel is centrally located near the Zhenski Pazar and moderately priced, and looks to be very nice.
  • Sofia Guesthouse [9] offers clean accommodation at the exact city center for EUR9 inc. breakfast.
  • Bulrest.com [10] Holidays and accommodation for your vacation in Sofia. Offers for lodging in Sea, SPA, Hunting, Mountain and Ski resorts - hotels, houses, villas all around Bulgaria.


  • Dunav Apartment House Situated in the heart of the city "Dunav" Apartment House has one of the best locations in Sofia. Its central position allows immediate access to the center, 10 minutes from the cathedral Al. Nevski, the Bulgarian Parliament and the National Opera.

[edit] Get out

  • Vitosha Sofias magnificent landmark mountain just rises south of the capital.
  • Lozenskata Planina Also a great possibility to hike an get away from the smoke of the city, this somehow gentler mountains are just a short busride or 15 minutes by car away from the center.
  • Rilski Monastir Bulgaria's most famous monastery, situated in the huge Rila Massive, is just an one hour and a half drive away.
  • Plovdiv Bulgaria's second largest city, an one-hours drive on a good highway away from Sofia, lies around three hills in the otherwise totally flat thracian plane. It's historical center, Roman remnants & relaxed feeling make it a great day-trip.
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