Things to do in Sofia Bulgaria, Tourist Attractions & Places To Visit

Sofia is the capital and largest city in Bulgaria, thus has lots of options for things to do while sightseeing. This includes some fascinating tourist attractions to see. Top attractions in Sofia to visit include the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, the National Palace of Culture, and the Church of St. Nicholas the Miracle-Maker.

Dog in Sofia

Sofia has been the capital of Bulgaria since 1879, before that Veliko Tarnovo held the position. The city also has some fantastic ancient sights to see, including the Archaeological exhibition of Ancient Serdica and its Roman ruins. Throughout the city are little gems and interesting features, including some rather unique statues.

Top Things To Do in Sofia Bulgaria

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There are many things to do to keep you interested while sightseeing. This includes some marvellous places to visit and top tourist attractions. In the city you can see interesting architecture, engaging museums and visit historic sites. For tours and other fun activities in Sofia, they have many options on the Viator website.

See The Impressive Alexander Nevsky Cathedral

Visit Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Sofia Bulgaria

One of the most popular things to do in Sofia is seeing Alexander Nevsky Cathedral. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral is one of the most iconic buildings in the city and is fantastic to view from all angles, including inside. St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral is a Bulgarian Orthodox place of worship and tourist attraction.

Alexander Nevsky Cathedral Sofia

They built the cathedral in the Neo-Byzantine style of architecture. Design wise it is a cross-domed basilica featuring an emphasised central dome. The cathedral’s gold-plated dome is 45 m high, with the bell tower reaching 53 metres. An interesting feature is that the main central dome has the Lord’s Prayer inscribed around it, with thin gold letters.

Alexander Nevsky Cathedral Entrance

There are loads of parks with fantastic views of the cathedral at the edges and it is a dominant feature of the city’s skyline. If taking photos early in the morning or after dark is best when all the cars parked up have gone. The Cathedral Bar is a nice place for a drink with a view of the rear of the cathedral. You can visit the inside for a mooch around for free. However, there is a price for taking photos or videos.

See The Ivan Vazov National Theatre

Ivan Vazov National Theatre

Another lovely place to see is the Ivan Vazov National Theatre. They founded the theatre in 1904 and the building created in 1906, however; they reconstructed the building in 1929 after a big fire. This is the Bulgarian National Theatre. It’s also the oldest and considered the most authoritative in the country.

Ivan Vazov National Theatre in Sofia

You can find the theatre at the edge of the City garden a pleasant area with things going on. On my various visits, there have been a variety of things to see, including some traditional dance. The building is stunning to see, especially the fascia at the front entrance. It is beautiful in the daytime and at night it is really well lit up too.

Ivan Vazov National Theatre at Night

They have a diverse lineup of performances throughout the year. You can find out what’s on and book tickets via the theatre’s website.

Church of St. Nicholas the Miracle-Maker

Church of St. Nicholas the Miracle-Maker in Sofia

A regular feature of our sightseeing walks in Sofia was past the Church of St. Nicholas the Miracle-Maker. The Church of St. Nicholas the Miracle-Maker is a beautiful and unique church building. It is also known as the Russian church and they built in on the site of a mosque after the Russians liberated Bulgaria from the Ottoman empire.

Church of St. Nicholas the Miracle-Maker Night

They completed the construction of the unique church in 1914 after starting in 1907. It’s a beautiful building to see, the highlight being the gold domes on the roof. The church is best seen from the gardens to the rear at any time of the day. They light up the building at night, which is rather pleasant. You can also visit inside, however photos are not permitted. The interior is small and has some interesting murals. Overall, the Church of St. Nicholas the Miracle-Maker is well worth seeing.

The National Gallery Kvadrat 500

National Gallery

For art lovers, a fantastic thing to do is to visit the National Gallery Kvadrat 500. Kvadrat 500 is near to the iconic St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral and housed in a beautiful building. The grounds of the gallery are lovely to sit and enjoy the garden. The gallery contains lots of artworks from Bulgarian and international artists. Kvadrat 500 is one of many parts of the Bulgarian national gallery. You can find out about all their exhibitions on their website.

Enjoy The Variety of Bars & Restaurants in Sofia

La Cattedrale

A fun thing to do between seeing the places of interest in Sofia is to enjoy some local food or drink. Many bars and cafes in the city have covered outside seating areas which tend to be dog friendly. The city has a vast choice of places to dine out and is quite the cosmopolitan city. They have many options for Bulgarian food in the city’s restaurants too. We enjoyed many meals out at various restaurants in Sofia and really enjoyed the food.

Visit St Nedelya Church

One of the most noticeable churches in the central areas of the city is Sveta Nedelya Church. St Nedelya Church is an Eastern Orthodox cathedral with an interesting history. The site dates back to the 10th century, however; it has been destroyed many times. Thus it has been consecrated 4 times, including in the 10th century, 1867, 1898 and 1933.

Sveta Nedelya Church in Sofia

St Nedelya Church is lovely to see from the outside during the day and the square it is in is nice to mooch around. They often have street sellers and some good buskers. Also, after dark the church is fantastic to see, Sofia seems to light buildings up at night really nicely.

Sveta Nedelya Church Inside

Visiting inside of St Nedelya Church is a free thing to do, and it’s rather beautiful. The extravagant altar and the many wall paintings certainly caught my attention. They also allow photos inside for a small fee, however St Nedelya Church is a busy place, so you might need to be patient to get a good photograph of the altar.

Thermal Springs

Thermal springs

A useful thing to do while slow travelling is to visit the thermal springs and collect some mineral water. The water is free to collect if you bring containers yourself. It saved us a few Lev and was an experience visiting. The hot water comes from underground springs and is apparently low mineralized, so it’s good for everyday consumption. The area also has a few pleasant features to see and in the past there used to be a thermal bath here whey they turned into a museum.

Visit Boyana Church on the Outskirts

Boyana Church is another fantastic tourist attraction to see nearby and is rather popular. This is a medieval Bulgarian Orthodox church that is listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

Boyana Church UNESCO World Heritage Site

The church is historically important because of its frescoes inside that date from 1259. The frescoes are some of the most complete and well-preserved monuments of medieval art in the Balkans. Inside the church are 89 religious scenes on the walls and ceilings to see, which is rather interesting. Overall, Boyana Church is a great place to visit and nearby there are some excellent hiking opportunities.

See The Archaeological Site of Ancient Serdica

A fascinating thing to see is the archaeological site of the Ancient Roman city of Serdica. You can see lots of the archaeological features for free near to Serdika Metro Station. However, for a small fee, you can enter the museum and see more, including some interesting artefacts and mosaics.

Ancient Serdica Ruins

You can also learn about the Roman city here which has a fascinating history. The site is rather new, as they only discovered the archaeological ruins when they were building a new metro line in the city.

Visit The National Museum of Military History

National Museum of Military History in Sofia

The National Museum of Military History is an interesting place to visit for people interested in all things military. They have some fantastic exhibitions and artefacts inside and tell the story of the Bulgarian military. Exhibitions cover both of the Balkan wars and both World Wars. They also cover the cold war from when Bulgaria was part of the Warsaw Pact.

National Museum of Military History

The highlight of my visit was their outside exhibits, where they show large military equipment. This included fighter jets, tanks and missile launchers. These were fascinating to see up close and learn more about them.

Visit St. George Rotunda Church & Nearby Ruins

Another lovely place to see is the St. George Rotunda Church. Roman ruins surround the St. George Rotunda Church in a courtyard of a government building, thus you can easily missed if passing. The Roman ruins and St. George Rotunda Church are both free to visit, however you cannot take photographs inside the church, unfortunately.

St. George Rotunda Church

The Church of Saint George is a Late Antique red brick rotunda. They built it in the early 4th century as Roman baths. However, it became a church inside the walls of Serdica, capital of ancient Dacia Mediterranea. This was during both the Roman Empire and Byzantine Empire. They consider this church the oldest building in modern Sofia, and it is now owned by the Bulgarian Orthodox Church.

The church building is a cylindrical domed structure that they built on a square base. St Georges Church is famous for the 12th, 13th, and 14th-century frescoes inside the central dome.

Do Some Shooting

Metalhim Shooting Range Sofia

An option for fun things to do in Sofia is to visit one of the many shooting ranges in the city. There are a variety of options for indoor or outdoor shooting. At these, you can get the opportunity to learn to shoot some powerful weapons. We enjoyed an evening out at Metalhim Shooting range near the city centre and through this was a fantastic experience.

Do a Street Art Tour

Street Art Sofia

For art lovers one of the top things to do in Sofia is to find the local street art. The is a fantastic place to see street art and they have some impressive artworks throughout the city. There are many gigantic murals on older buildings in different parts of the city. Many of these are by local artists and a few by international creators. Visitors can download a map to find these or just enjoy finding them while sightseeing. You could also opt to see the city’s street art on a free guided tour.

Mooch around Zhenski Pazar, The Women’s Market

Markets in Sofia

One thing I enjoy doing while travelling is to experience the vibe of the local markets, Zhenski Pazar or The Women’s Market was no different. They established Zhenski Pazar immediately after Bulgariaā€™s liberation from Ottoman rule in 1878. This market is the oldest open-air market in town and quite the experience. It is easy to reach as its very near the main tourist areas, including the zone of tolerance where four key places of worship are.

Women's Market Sofia

The Women’s Market is a great place for shopping is self-catering and you love cooking with local ingredients. You can pick up fresh fruit or vegetables, meat, fish and an excellent selection of herbs and spices. It’s also lovely for tourists to experience and see how locals live, and learn the history of the area. You can also buy some local crafts and maybe enjoy some cheap street food for lunch.

Visit Saint Sofia Church

Sunrise Walk Sofia

Saint Sofia Church is near to the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral and is the oldest church the city. This church dates back to the fourth century. During the 14th century, the church gave its name to the city, which they previously called Serdika. This church has been destroyed many times in its history, including most recently by earthquakes.

They consider Saint Sofia Church one of the most valuable pieces of Early Christian architecture in South East Europe. This church is a cross basilica with three altars. The floor of Saint Sofia Church is covered with complex Early Christian ornamental or flora and fauna-themed mosaics.

Inside St Sofia Church

The church is free to enter and is an active place of worship. The Byzantine and Roman architecture style makes it rather interesting. There are some fascinating things to see inside, including its altars, brick work and art. You can also pay extra to visit the crypt of the church.

Lion Sculpture & St Sofia Church

The grounds of the church contain some nice statues, including the lion sculpture, Monument of the Unknown Soldier and Ivan Vazov’s Grave. Thus, St Sofia Church and its grounds are great for sightseeing.

Do A Communist Walking Tour

Communist Walking Tour Sofia

There are a variety of walking tours in Sofia covering many topics, including the communist history of the city. We opted to do a communism tour that was self guided and the tour was made engaging by being part of a game. During the tour, the app takes you to a variety of significant buildings of the communist era and at each place you have to answer a question to move onto the next. This was very interesting and was a great way to learn more about the communist era of Bulgaria’s history.

Museum of Illusions

Museum of Illusions

The Museum of Illusions has lots of different illusions to see and many are interactive. We had planned to see the Ljubljana version, but life got in the way. There were many clever exhibits, including those you could take some eye-bending photographs. Overall, The Museum of Illusions was great fun and seemed even more popular with children visiting.

See The Trabant Monument in Royal Park

Royal Garden Trabant Monument

In the Royal Gardens of Sofia, towards the rear of The Palace National Art Gallery, is the Trabant Monument. The Trabant used to be one of the few cars permitted in the communist era in Bulgaria, despite its unreliability. The Trabant Monument and the rest of the Royal Park is a pleasant place to visit and chill out.

National Assembly of the Republic of Bulgaria

National Assembly of the Republic of Bulgaria Front Entrance

Another building to see while sightseeing in the National Assembly of the Republic of Bulgaria in Parliament square. It’s a lovely neo-Renaissance building that they built between 1884 and 1886.

National Assembly of the Republic of Bulgaria at Night

When visiting the park next door is nice and there are lots of monuments to see nearby. This includes the monument to the Tsar Liberator. This monument seemed to be the focal point of a few protests during our 3 weeks in Sofia. During our visit, we also watched a fireworks display here to mark Bulgarian independence day.

Sightseeing At Largo The Former Party House

Sightseeing at Largo in Sofia

Largo is another fascinating building to see when sightseeing. This is an ensemble of socialist classicism buildings in the city. They consider the building one of the top examples of Socialist classicism architecture in South East Europe. It sure is an imposing building that’s great to see at any time of the day.

National Assembly building

They built Largo in the 1950s as the headquarters of the Bulgarian Communist Party. and was called the Party House. Since 1989, they have removed various symbols of communism, including a red star on a pole at the top of the party house. The area is great to mooch around, especially at night.

Visit The National Museum of History

Visit The National Museum of History

The National Museum of History is the largest museum in Sofia and a fascinating place to visit. The grounds of the museum have fantastic views of the mountains. Entry to the museum cost 10 Lev, which is under Ā£5. This museum has over 650000 exhibits and included items from prehistoric times up to the current day.

Inside The National Museum of History

Some artefacts inside were rather impressive on my visit, including some Roman pieces. They also have some rather nice jewellery too. For those interested in Communist history, they also have many exhibits. Overall, visiting the National Museum of History was fascinating, but there was lots of it to see. I’d like to return to see more.

Visit the Regional History Museum

Regional History Museum Sofia

The Regional History Museum is in the former Central Mineral Baths. The building is a prominent landmark in the city centre, which they built in the early 20th century. They used this site as the city’s public baths until 1986. Now the building is a museum which tells the story of Sofia, one of the oldest cities in Europe. They cover from the prehistoric times, the middle ages and more recent history. If museums are not your thing, the building and the park nearby are lovely to visit.

See Lions’ Bridge

Lion Bridge Sofia

Another nice thing to see is Lions’ Bridge or Lavov most. They built the bridge between 1889 and 1891. It gets its name because of the four bronze statues of Lions on the stone bridge. There’s a pleasant park to sit in at the end of the bridge. It’s very close to the Women’s Market so a good addon if sightseeing there.

See The Religious Buildings of The Zone of Tolerance

Mosque from Ruins

The Zone of Tolerance is a fascinating area to visit and do some sightseeing. Basically, it includes 4 major religious buildings representing the city’s main faiths. These religions are Judaism, Orthodox Christian, Muslim and Roman Catholic. You can see the Cathedral of Saint Joseph Sofia, Banya Bashi Mosque, the Sofia Synagogue and Sveta Nedelya Church an Orthodox church. In between these buildings are sights like the markets and various lovely streets to explore.

Visit National Palace of Culture Park

National Palace of Culture Park

The National Palace of Culture Park is a cool place to visit. Sadly, on our winter visit, the epic fountains were not on, however, the park was still enjoyable. The key feature of the park is the massive National Palace of Culture. This is a place they host exhibitions and conferences. There are various places for refreshments in the area.

National Palace of Culture Park Lion Monument

The park also has some interesting features, including a segment of the Berlin wall. The temple of Bulgarian martyrs and The Lion Monument. It is popular with people relaxing and others getting some exercise.

Sofia City Court

Sofia City Court

Although not an attraction, the Sofia City Court is a lovely building to see. They built this building in the 1930s and you can find it at the end of Vitosha Boulevard. The entrance to the building has some fantastic columns and two lion statues.

See The King Samuil Monument

King Samuil Monument

A monument well worth seeing, especially if sightseeing at night, is the King Samuil Monument. It is near to the Cathedral, next to the Basilica of St Sofia, and looks fantastic after dark. The statue was created to commemorate the 1000th anniversary of the death of the Bulgarian ruler. The stand out feature is the eyes that shine after dark and it looks like it’s watching you.

See The St Sofia Statue

St Sofia Statue

Near to the Roman ruins of Serdika is the St Sofia Statue which is nice to see when sightseeing. It’s quite a new statue which they installed in 2000. The statue occupies the place where there was a statue of Lenin, now removed since the fall of the soviet union. This statue is controversial, as some considered it to be too erotic and pagan. They made the St Sofia Statue from copper and bronze and stands on a 16 metre high pedestal.

Monument to the Tsar Liberator

Monument to the Tsar Liberator Sofia

Another historic monument to see while in Sofia is the Monument to the Tsar Liberator. This is near to the cathedral and the national assembly building. They erected the monument in honour of Russian Emperor Alexander II, who liberated Bulgaria from Ottoman rule during the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-78. They completed the monument in 1903 and its interesting to see the features up close.

Visit Vitosha Bulevard

Vitosha Bulevard

A cool place to visit in the centre is Vitosha Boulevard. Vitosha Boulevard is a lovely street with statues, attractions, shops and lots of places to dine out. It’s well known for its food and cafe scene and can be a fun place in the evenings. The road links the palace of culture with St Nedelya Church and between the two, there’s lots to see. We dined out here various times and enjoyed the Sofia nightlife, too.

See The City At Night

Sofia at night

One of many fun things to do in Sofia is to see the city at night. They really do light up the major attractions nicely and is well worth the walk to see them after dark.

Ivan Vazov National Theatre at night

Sofia also has a good bar scene in the evenings and is a good place for a night out with friends or family. We found the city to be hassle free in the evenings when out and had a chilled vibe.

See Vasil Levski National Stadium

For sports lovers, a fun thing to do is to visit the Vasil Levski National Stadium. Vasil Levski National Stadium is in Borisova Gradina Park, which is great for walks and is also near to the Bulgarian Army Stadium. If you time your visit to Sofia right, you can attend an event at the Vasil Levski National Stadium.

Vasil Levski National Stadium

The Bulgaria national football team plays here and they also host Bulgarian Cup finals and various athletics competitions. The stadium hosts up to 43000 spectators for the big events. During my visit there was nothing on, thus I enjoyed a walk around the building and the nearby park.

See The Presidential Palace of Republic of Bulgaria

Presidential Palace of Republic of BulgariaAs with most capital citys, a fun thing to so is to see the various famous governemtn buildings. In Sofia you can see the Presidential Palace of Republic of Bulgaria in the city centre. Its a nice building to see with cermonal guards at the entrance. These change every hour which is a good time to visit. The building is reliviely new and they built it in the 1950s. It also houses some other govenemtn departments.

As with most capital cities, an interesting thing to do is to see the various famous government buildings. In Sofia you can see the Presidential Palace of Republic of Bulgaria in the city centre. It’s a nice building to see, with ceremonial guards at the entrance. These change every hour, which is a good time to visit. The building is relatively new, and they built it in the 1950s. It also houses some other government departments.

Temple of Bulgarian Martyrs

Temple of Bulgarian Martyrs Communist Tour

Another place of interest to visit is the Temple of Bulgarian Martyrs. This is in the Palace of Culture park and worth finding when exploring the area. They built the Temple of Bulgarian Martyrs to honour the memory of all victims of the communist regime in Bulgaria in the second half of the 20th century.

Temple of Bulgarian Martyrs Wall

There is also a monumental wall to see with all the names of people that were killed or banished from the country during the totalitarian rule of the communist party.

Shopping

Cute Shop

If staying for a longer trip, an option for things to do is to enjoy some shopping. There are various malls and out-of-town shopping centres to visit. There are also lots of options for independent shops throughout Sofia, including near the markets and Vitosha Boulevard. During my visit, I needed to buy some new walking shoes and found a variety of shops with options.

Getting Around Sofia

Underground Sofia

The city is simple to navigate on foot or using the extensive underground, tram and bus network which you can travel tapping on with a debit or credit card. You can also purchase a variety of ticket options. On using the public transportation network to get around Sofia, I found it easy to use, not overly busy and they seem to run to schedule.

The taxis in the city are also relatively cheap, we found using the TaxiMe app to be the most reliable. It also gives you an estimated price while travelling, which was pretty accurate. It’s a bit like other ride sharing apps, with the option to pay cash.

Is Sofia in Bulgaria Worth Visiting?

Night Cathedral

Sofia is certainly well worth visiting as it’s a fascinating city with many places of interest to visit. We enjoyed a few weeks here and didn’t get bored as there are loads of things to do. The various religious buildings are stunning, the Roman sights are also fantastic too. You have options for museums to visit on which ever subject piques your interest. Sofia also has lots of pleasant places to eat or drink out, most of which are of good value.

6 thoughts on “Things to do in Sofia Bulgaria, Tourist Attractions & Places To Visit”

  1. We visited Sofia many years ago but only had an afternoon there, so missed out on loads of its attractions. The cathedral is stunningly beautiful and we’d love to spend time at the National Theatre. The National Gallery and Museum of Illusions also appeal. The market looks great as well.

  2. I’ve heard a decent amount about Bulgaria recently, and it really sounds like a great place to visit. Sofia looks no different. Lots of impressive churches with attractive Byzantine styles. The market would be fun; they’re always good ways to experience a bit of local flair. Why is it called the Women’s Market, though?

  3. This brings back so many fond memories of our time in Bulgaria two years ago. Sofia is such a stunning city with a rich history, delicious food, and modern bars! We never properly managed to navigate the public transport though so we walked a lot…

  4. Gosh they do love their churches don’t they? My interest would be more piqued with the baths, ruins and excavation sites. The art gallery looks intriguing, too. I also noticed a mixture of cultural styles e.g. I can see Cyrillic and Greek symbols, whilst the Zone of Tolerance resembles the Hagia Sofia in Istanbul.

    Carolin | Solo Travel Story

  5. Lovely to read another post on Sofia and thanks for sharing your take on the city šŸ˜‰ I remember visiting it a few moons back and always wanting to return. Such an interesting history and people. Sofia is a city of becoming #flyingbaguette

    Jan – https://flyingbaguette.com/

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