Bulgaria - Sofia

I always have thought that weather in Bulgaria is way hotter than in Munich where we live - but sadly on last September weekend found that it's not true - at least not in capital City - Sofia. When we arrive on Friday evening it was even colder than in Germany - about 12 degrees. We landed on Terminal 1, but subway is going from Terminal 2 - there is a free bus connecting them - but it's going only every half hour!

Terminal 1
Terminal 1

Terminal 2
Terminal 2

Outside of Terminal 2
Outside of Terminal 2

Residential buildings
Residential buildings
Inner part of it was pretty strange for us. Photos are showing part outside of apartment. Also interesting fact was that to use elevator we had to have special key - so owner had to go down to pick us up - he told us that it's like this because a lot of people are not paying rent - so no payment no riding 😃
Accommodation
Accommodation

Accommodation
Accommodation
Place was pretty good (at least for the price) .It was on 14 floor (13 according to polish system - in Bulgaria ground floor is first). View from window was super nice!
Sofia
Sofia

Sofia by night
Sofia by night

Sightseeing:

Church build around 10th century, rebuilt many times - last in 1933. Serbian KindStefan Milutin is buried inside.

St Nedelya Church
St Nedelya Church

St Nedelya Church
St Nedelya Church

Hidden inside of government buildings church built in 4th century. Famous for12-14th centry frescoes inside.

Church of St. George
Church of St. George

Church of St. George
Church of St. George

Presidential headquarters - part of building outside of Rotunda.

Presidential headquarters
Presidential headquarters

Presidential headquarters
Presidential headquarters

Presidential headquarters
Presidential headquarters

Serdika
Serdika

Serdika
Serdika

Serdika
Serdika

Serdika, Banya Bashi Mosque in background
Serdika, Banya Bashi Mosque in background

Serdika, St Nedelya Church in background
Serdika, St Nedelya Church in background

Sveta Petka
Sveta Petka

Built in 1576 over natural thermal spas.

Banya Bashi Mosque
Banya Bashi Mosque

Banya Bashi Mosque
Banya Bashi Mosque

Sofia Central Mineral Baths
Sofia Central Mineral Baths

Sofia Central Mineral Baths
Sofia Central Mineral Baths

Sofia Synagogue
Sofia Synagogue

Central Sofia Market Hall
Central Sofia Market Hall

2Church of St Paraskeva
2Church of St Paraskeva

Church of St Paraskeva
Church of St Paraskeva

Second largest Orthodox cathedral in Balkans. Completed in 1912.

Alexander Nevsky Cathedral
Alexander Nevsky Cathedral

Alexander Nevsky Cathedral
Alexander Nevsky Cathedral

Saint Sofia Church (Hagia Sophia)
Saint Sofia Church (Hagia Sophia)

Saint Sofia Church (Hagia Sophia)
Saint Sofia Church (Hagia Sophia)

Saint Sofia Church (Hagia Sophia)
Saint Sofia Church (Hagia Sophia)

Saint Sofia Church (Hagia Sophia)
Saint Sofia Church (Hagia Sophia)

Saint Sofia Church (Hagia Sophia)
Saint Sofia Church (Hagia Sophia)

Saint Sofia Church (Hagia Sophia)
Saint Sofia Church (Hagia Sophia)

Saint Sofia Church (Hagia Sophia)
Saint Sofia Church (Hagia Sophia)

Saint Sofia Church (Hagia Sophia)
Saint Sofia Church (Hagia Sophia)

Bazaar near Hagia Sofia
Bazaar near Hagia Sofia

Bazaar near Hagia Sofia
Bazaar near Hagia Sofia

Bazaar near Hagia Sofia
Bazaar near Hagia Sofia

Russian Church
Russian Church

Russian Church
Russian Church

National Palace of Culture
National Palace of Culture

Part of Berlin wall
Part of Berlin wall

National Palace of Culture - Sculpture in park
National Palace of Culture - Sculpture in park

Vitosha
Vitosha

Vitosha
Vitosha

Dragalevtsi Monastery of the Holy Mother of God of Vitosha
Dragalevtsi Monastery of the Holy Mother of God of Vitosha

Dragalevtsi Monastery of the Holy Mother of God of Vitosha
Dragalevtsi Monastery of the Holy Mother of God of Vitosha

Dragalevtsi Monastery of the Holy Mother of God of Vitosha
Dragalevtsi Monastery of the Holy Mother of God of Vitosha

Dragalevtsi Monastery of the Holy Mother of God of Vitosha
Dragalevtsi Monastery of the Holy Mother of God of Vitosha

Dragalevtsi Monastery of the Holy Mother of God of Vitosha
Dragalevtsi Monastery of the Holy Mother of God of Vitosha

Vitosha mountain
Vitosha mountain

Vitosha mountain
Vitosha mountain

Vitosha mountain
Vitosha mountain

Vitosha mountain
Vitosha mountain

Vitosha mountain
Vitosha mountain

Vitosha mountain7
Vitosha mountain7

Vitosha stone rivers
Vitosha stone rivers

Vitosha stone rivers
Vitosha stone rivers

Vitosha mountain0
Vitosha mountain0

Vitosha mountain
Vitosha mountain

Vitosha mountain
Vitosha mountain

Vitosha mountain
Vitosha mountain

Vitosha mountain
Vitosha mountain

Useful informations:

Public Transport:

Shortly - it's not so good. It looks that they are investing in fleet - we have seen modern Polish trams Swing, and Troleybuses Solaris, with some German Mans, but tracks are in very bad condition. Ticket for one ride costs 1.6BGN (about 0,8 EUR), but time schedule is bad - on tram stops there is info when will be next (in day its about every 10 minutes, but in evening after 18:00 it was every 30/40 minutes). But on bus stops we have seen only info like - bus between 13-15 is going every 65 minutes! So if You are in hurry - then it makes more sense to use a Taxi - it's yellow and costs 0,8 BGN / km so it's preety cheap - but ask for the price before ride - we were told that taxi mafia exists in Sofia.

Ticket machine in tram - accepts only coins up to 1 BGN, do not give You odd money back!
Ticket machine in tram - accepts only coins up to 1 BGN, do not give You odd money back!

Swing
Swing

Trolleybus - looks like old Hungarian Ikarus
Trolleybus - looks like old Hungarian Ikarus

Old tram
Old tram

Food

First of all - its cheap, but also its really good quality. Normal lunch/dinner costs about half that we need to pay in Germany. Places that You have to visit during stay in Sofia are: Hadjidraganov's Cellarsopen in new window- If You want to eat there dinner - You have to have reservation! They serve food based on Bulgarian national Kitchen - which for me looks pretty similar to stuff I know from post Yugoslavian countries. We ate dinner there and it was really tasty, and also it looked awesome:

Hadjidraganov's Cellars1
Hadjidraganov's Cellars1

Hadjidraganov's Cellars4
Hadjidraganov's Cellars4

Hadjidraganov's Cellars
Hadjidraganov's Cellars

Hadjidraganov's Cellars
Hadjidraganov's Cellars

Hadjidraganov's Cellars
Hadjidraganov's Cellars

Manhattan waffles
Manhattan waffles

Laguna
Laguna

Restaurant Shtastliveca
Restaurant Shtastliveca

Restaurant Shtastliveca
Restaurant Shtastliveca

Sweets!
Sweets!

Halloween cookies
Halloween cookies

Ariana dark beer2
Ariana dark beer2

Burgasko
Burgasko

Our way back home - BTW for taxi to airport we paid 15 BGN
Our way back home - BTW for taxi to airport we paid 15 BGN

More photos form Sofia can be seen here.

Last Updated:
Contributors: Jacek Głogosz