Sofia: 10 Reasons to Visit

Dear lilioftheworld.com reader, it’s Lili, your co-editor.

Sofia is the capital of Bulgaria. Located in the western part of the country close to the borders with Macedonia and Serbia, it is the biggest town in Bulgaria with metropolitan population of about 1.8 million. It has relatively good urban transportation system which includes buses, trolleys, trams and two subway lines (third one is coming soon).

Despite being a EU member state for more than 10 years Bulgaria’s capital still falls below the radar for many European tourists. However, with the boom of low-cost flights, the awareness and the ease to visit are increasing. With the present article we want to give you the reasons why Sofia should be your next destination.

10 reasons why Sofia is a good idea for a weekend trip?

1. It is different from what you have seen and experienced in the other European capitals

Those of you who have travelled across Europe have most probably identified a pattern and similarities amongst almost all of its capitals. Sofia is simply different. Sofia doesn’t have the typical structured central part as other European cities. This is mainly because there has never been a unified architecture approach to manage its signifcant growth. On one side this could feel a bit chaotic from a West-European’s perspective, but on the other side it is the “charm” of a vibrant city with a rich history. Its DNA, found in its beautiful monuments, churches, streets and parks won’t disappoint you. Furthermore, walking along the main points of interest in the city centre, you can see lots of buildings, typical for an ex-communist country. You can also see some very old Soviet vehicles still rolling on the streets.

Another thing that you will notice walking down the central parts is that there are trees on every street. One of the green-most capitals within the EU awaits you!

Slavyanska street- one of the streets in Sofia which recently became a place for art and creative spirit.

2. The food is simply delicious

Bulgaria is famous for its food specialties. We have many local dishes, which are unique and can be tasted only here. Still, as the country is located on the crossroad between Europe and Asia, you will enjoy also many international dishes, prepared with a Balkan twist. We start our meal with a salad or we even eat salad as a main course. Yes, we have a lot of different types of salads, the most famous one being Shopska salad. Meat and bread are essential part of our cuisine. Be prepared for a couple of cheat-days from your diet 🙂

Bulgarian street food at a traditional city festival- meat is essential part of Bulgarian meals.

3. There are hundreds of cute restaurants

We, Bulgarians, enjoy socializing and going out with friends. We meet for a coffee or lunch during the day and a bevarage or dinner in the evening. Therefore, the competition among restaurants is severe. Each one tries to be special, different, better than the others. You will be surprised how many cafes, restaurants and bars there are in Sofia. For every taste and every mood. A short visit to tripadvisor will give you a glimpse to the diversified restaurant universe in our capital.

This is the cozy interior of just a small restaurant, outside the central area of the city.

4. There are affordable flights from many European towns

Sofia Airport is not an expensive one and that is why low-cost airlines like Wizzair and Ryanair are using it since years. The two airlines have direct flights from and to 63 destinations altogether. This was the reason why more and more Bulgarians are travelling abroad. On the other hand this gives the opportunity of the citizens of these cities to come to Sofia. The flights are usually very cheap: you can come to Sofia for as low as 20 Eur round trip 🙂

A view to Sofia upon landing- if the weather is nice and you are coming from Europe, take the seats on the right (D,E,F) in order to see this view (valid for most of the landings, but still the wind is essential factor).

5. It is relatively cheap

This isn’t good news for us, Bulgarians, as it is related to relatively lower labour costs and standard of living respectively. But on the other hand the prices of services (including transportation and restaurants) are relatively lower as compared to Central and Western Europe. As a tourist though, you will most probably be interested in what you are going to spend for accommodation and food. Well, this might be surprising, but a weekend in Bulgaria (together with flight and accommodation) can be cheaper than staying in your home country.

Grandma’s cake.

6. You can party

We mentioned going out with friends. Of course this is valid also for the evenings/ nights. Usually we go out clubbing on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, but during the rest of the week these clubs and discos are still open. There are visitors during the whole week. So if you want to party, you will find plenty of options. One of the districts in Sofia- called Students’ town is the place where they do not make a difference between a weekday or a weekend. Of course students have different agenda, so partying on a Monday- why not? :-).

One More bar- a favourite lace fro brunch or evening drinks.

7. You can go skiing in the nearby mountain or relax in one of the many pools

Vitosha mountain is located in the outskirts of Sofia. There is a public transport bus which takes you to the ski lift, bringing you directly to the ski slope. The slopes are nothing like those in the Alps, but for the proximity to Sofia, it is quite a good value. In the summer you can have a nice walk and see Sofia from above. If you are visiting Sofia in the summer, you can go to one of the public pools. We love suntanning and that is why weekends are for visiting pools (if you cannot go to the seaside of course). This one is among the trendiest ones combined with a restaurant – Raffy Bar & Gelato Pool.

Vitosha mountain is that close to the city.

8. Dental and health tourism is getting more and more popular

It is connected to the fact that the prices of the services are relatively low. There is already a tendency for foreigners coming to Sofia for health or dental manipulations. You can have a surgery organized from one day to the other. And you will pay just a fraction of what you will be charged in Western Europe. And the quality can be even better in many cases. The same isvsalid for beauty services. Get your hair or nails done while you are on your weekend trip in Sofia and you will definitely be surprised by the care provided from experienced professionals.

The building of one of the main universities in Sofia- S. Clement Ohridski.

9. The shops are open till late in the evening and also on Sundays

No pressure that you finish your grocery shopping by 18:00 on Saturday. Most of the shops in the streets are open until 20:00 and those in the malls– until 22:00 (also on Sundays). There are many big shopping malls in Sofia where you can find not only international brands like Zara, H&M, Reserved, etc, but also some local ones. The biggest shopping malls are The Mall, Serdika Center, Ring Mall, Mall Bulgaria, Paradise Center (our preferred one is Serdika Center as it has the biggest choice of shops). Shopping malls are also meeting place for people in winter when the weather outside is not that good. There is an entertainment for both adults and children- cinemas, bowling, kids corners and several restaurants and bars in each shopping mall.

You can find mainstream brands as well as locally produced goods.

10. You can use Sofia as a starting point for one of the other magnificent places to visit in Bulgaria – a dedicated article is coming soon! 🙂

Lili’s 5 good-to-know tips when travelling to Sofia:

This is a section you find in every other post and this one is not an exception. These tips might be essential for your good stay in Sofia.

• The local currency

  is Bulgarian Lev (BGN) and it has a fixed rate of 1.95583 for €1. You can use your ATM card or exchange money in one of the many banks or currency exchange bureaus (just beware of the exchange rate :-). Credit cards are widely accepted in most of the restaurants, but taxi drivers prefer cash payment. So it is a good idea to have some cash with you.

• Our language

  is Bulgarian and it belongs to the group of Slavic languages. It sounds like Russian, but it is different. We have some similar word roots with Serbian, Macedonian, Croatian and Slovenian languages. Most of the youngsters speak quite good English, but the same is not valid for older people. However you will not have problems in the city center- most of the people in this part speak English.

  

  We speak Bulgarian, but we rely mostly on non-verbal communication- that is why we love to meet with our friends.

• The transportation

  is good and also there is a subway from the airport to the city center. One thing you should have in mind is that the tickets are valid only for a single vehicle (and not for the full route to your destination). Follow the link to the Sofia Urban Mobility Center in order to find more info about the transport system in Sofia.

  

  Serdika subway station- the station when the two metro lines are crossing.

Taxis are also quite popular, but check the prices per km before getting on the vehicle or just follow our tip to avoid a scum: do not take a taxi from the street as there are a lot of “fake” ones which will charge you triple the sum you have to pay. We would advise you to download the app for example of Yellow Taxi which is a reputable taxi company with acceptable fare. Otherwise ask at your hotel or in the restaurant to call a taxi for you. You can ask a stranger (Bulgarian) in the street if the respective taxi you want to take is a good one.

• You will most probably see a lot of street dogs

  We would not advise you approaching them or caressing them as sometimes they can be aggressive.

• The best time to visit Sofia is during the summer

  Not only is the city a bit empty (as Sofians go to the seaside), but it is also very lively.

Well, we hope that our article has helped you deciding for Sofia as your next weekend getaway.

If you liked this article, do not miss the other blog posts about Bulgaria:

• Top 35 Things to see in Sofia 
• Top 10 reasons why Sozopol is a good idea for your holiday 
• 25 Things to Do in Sozopol
• Exciting Dinner Spots around Sozopol
• Best Restaurants with Views in Sozopol
• Top 10 best beach bars around Sozopol

Yours,

Lili

PS: For more weekend destinations in Europe, visit our dedicated page (Weekend Escapes).