Balkan Holidays City Breaks to SofiaThe Capital of Bulgaria where Old meets New and East meets WestSituated in Western Bulgaria, Sofia is one of the oldest cities in Europe dating back around 7,000 years and sits at the foot of Mt. Vitosha, offering a stunning backdrop, none more so than during the winter when you can see the white capped peak.
The city centre itself is compact, with most attractions within walking distance, whilst for any attractions that are slightly further afield, there are excellent bus and tram links to make travelling easy. Sofia has some magnificent architecture throughout the city, with a mixture of Western and Central European influences, especially many of the Orthodox church's. Some of these wonderful buildings have been wonderfully renovated over the last 10 years thanks to the EU's Beautiful Bulgaria project, that has helped to fund renovations in more than 1,300 cultural monuments, church's, public gardens and parks throughout Bulgaria.
After the sun goes down, you will be spoilt for choice should you be looking for some night-life. With numerous nightclubs, live venue, pubs and Mehani, waiting to be enjoyed. Sofia has in recent years seen some of the world’s biggest artists playing in its venue’s, such as Iron Maiden, George Michael, Kylie Minogue, Rihanna and Pete Tong.
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MUST SEE AND DO'S |
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Visit the “Alexsander Nevski Cathedral” built in honour of the Russian Tsar Alexsander 2nd the “Tsar Liberator”, whose army liberated Bulgaria from Turkish rule. The foundation stone was laid in 1882 and was finally finished in 1912. |
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Visit “Boyana Church”, which dates back to the 13th century and is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage and is often considered to be perhaps Bulgaria’s most valuable memorial. |
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Visit any of the numerous museums, which are mainly inexpensive to enter, two of the most popular museums are the Natural History and National Archaeological museums. |
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Visit the former Royal Palace at Battenberg Square, now home to the National Art Gallery. You can also visit the beautiful Russian Church |
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Visit the open-air market at the Alexander Nevsky Square and browse the many stalls, brimming with bargains. |
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Visit any of the city parks, to relax and enjoy the atmosphere. The largest and most popular park is “Borisova Gradina” which since it was first designed in 1884, has been enlarged on several occasion to ensure Sofia's residents have nature on their doorstep. |
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SHOPPING |
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Shopping is serious business in Sofia with all the major designer shops, boutiques and famous brands to be found, that will keep even the most avid shopper happy, not too mention the 3 malls to also explore. There is also the popular open air market at Alexander Neveski Square.
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EATING & DRINKING |
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With restaurant available for all budgets, you will easily find something to suit your tastes. If your looking for a nice local restaurant to sample some great local Bulgarian food that combines the rich influence of the Ottoman Empire with a peasant cooking style that uses flavour packed vegetables and herbs to the full. Bulgarian local a salad, with the Shopska Salad by far the most popular. During your meal for some more authenticity, sample the local Raki.
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DATES FOR THE DIARY |
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1st May - Labour Day
24th May - Day of Bulgarian Education & Culture and of the Slavic letters
6th September - Day of Reunification - 1885
22nd September - Bulgarian Independence Day
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HOW TO BOOK |
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For more information on Sofia or any other city break offered by Balkan Holidays please contact our Tailor Made Department on 0845 130 1114.
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