Take a Hike Within Sofia’s City Bounds
A City that Feels Too Big for its Actual Population
On the road, I regularly received one piece of advice about Sofia: it’s not really worth it. On that advice, I ended up reducing my planned three day stay to one day - and I’m glad I did because that was enough for me. Except for travelers who are particularly interested in communist history and digital nomads looking for affordable cities with good internet, I don’t think Sofia offers much for tourists - and your time is better spent exploring some of the smaller Bulgarian destinations (Plovdiv, Veliko Tarnovo, Varna).
That said, I always try to visit a country’s capital while I’m there - and there’s enough in Sofia to justify visiting for a day or two. Atmospherically, I found Sofia to be quite gloomy - a place that felt like there was never quite enough people to fill the space and where I rarely stumbled into a lively or vibrant quarter. Perhaps, though, that soft, peaceful tendency leaves the city livable; I’m not sure.
Take an Urban Hike
For me, the most remarkable thing about Sofia is that the parks feel like real forests - and exploring in them actually feels like hiking. I often forgot I was in a major city, especially in Borisova Gradina.
Most of my favorite moments in Sofia were watching the off-leash dogs in the parks bounding around and playing with each other. At those times in particular, the energy of the city felt less gloomy to me and more serene.
Wander Around Downtown
For a city of its size, Sofia is pretty unassuming and doesn’t really have any sites that alone would merit a tourist visit. Nonetheless, it’s worth strolling through its downtown, which is centered around Vitosha Boulevard - the main pedestrian street and commercial district.
Here, you’ll find small Roman ruins (Serdica), including a basilica (St. George Rotunda) that dates to the 300s - alongside the Central Mineral Baths (which now has the museum of Sofia). There’s an active hot spring at the Baths that pipes water 24/7. You’ll always find locals there filling enormous water bottles.
In the same area, there’s also Sofia’s "triangle of religious tolerance:” a set of religious buildings from three major religions essentially side by side in the city center: Banya Bashi Mosque, Sofia Synagogue (the second largest synagogue in Europe), and Sveta Ndelya Church. While none of them are great architectural feats, it is really interesting to see them all side by side.
And if you want to wander out a bit more, you’ll find St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral (usually considered the main architectural site of the city) and Ivan Vazov National Theatre.
Other Things to Do
Sofia is a capital and one of the largest cities in Europe, so you can definitely find ways to keep yourself busy for a longer stay. Here are some of the most common:
Head to a Museum: If you’re interested in communist history, you should definitely check out the Museum of Socialist Art. For anyone interested in regional history, try the National History Museum, the National Archeological Museum, or the National Ethnographic Museum.
Take a Day Trip: From Sofia, it’s common to go hiking (or skiing) at Vitosha Mountain, take a bus to Riga Monastery, or schedule a tour to explore the Seven Rila Lakes.
Check Out the Produce: You can go to the Women’s Market near the city center to explore some of the region’s best fruits and vegetables. I found myself really wanting to binge on all the fresh dill.
Just Keep an Eye Open: I heard of fellow travelers bumping into odd fun things in Sofia - like a circus made entirely of cats and dogs, and a cat cafe. For me, I bumped into some really cool street art and saw that the opera house was playing Mamma Mia - though I decided last minute not to go.
Unless you’re looking for an affordable base with good internet to live for a while - or if you’re really interested in communist history and former communist cities - I think one full day is plenty of time in Sofia.
