Sofia

The city has had several names over the past 2,500 years: the Romans called it Serdika when they took it from a Thracian tribe with a similar name, the Slavs called it Sredets when they integrated it into the first Bulgarian Empire, and the Ottomans called it Sofia, the Greek word for "wisdom", when they made it their base for the Balkans. You can still find remnants from each of these societies in parts of the city. People first came here for the hot water springs that still flow abundantly in the centre of the city. Many of the later Roman emperors took a liking to these thermal baths, and developed the city into a regional capital; Emperor Constantine even considered building his imperial capital here instead of Constantinople. From there, Sofia has had ups and downs; sacked by the Huns, then a fortress for the first Bulgarians, then sieged and rebuilt by the Ottomans. The decline of Sofia towards the end of the Ottoman Empire was followed by the rejuvenation after the Russian liberation in 1878, when Sofia was chosen as the capital of Bulgaria at the First National Constituent Assembly, and followed by a brisk and straightforward period of construction. During the Second World War, thousands of buildings were destroyed or damaged by bombing campaigns, until the Soviet Red Army occupied Sofia and established a Communist government, which constructed Stalinist Gothic public buildings and concrete tower blocks.

By plane Over 20 airlines operate service to/from Sofia, with direct flights to/from Athens, Paris, Vienna, London, Rome, Amsterdam, Munich, Warsaw and other European cities. There are also domestic flights from Varna. Along with traditional carriers, some low-cost companies serving Bulgaria are EasyJet (to/from London-Gatwick, Madrid, Manchester) and Wizz Air (to/from Paris-Beauvais, Barcelona, Brussels-Charleroi, Dortmund, Eindhoven, London-Luton, Milan-Bergamo, Rome-Fiumicino, Valencia) and RyanAir. Bulgaria Air, the national carrier operates service to/from Alicante, Amsterdam, Athens, Barcelona, Beirut, Berlin, Brussels, Bucharest, Frankfurt, Istanbul, Larnaca, London (Gatwick & Heathrow), Madrid, Málaga, Manchester, Palma de Mallorca, Paphos, Paris, Rome, Skopje, Tel Aviv, Tirana, Tripoli, Valencia, Vienna and Zürich. Budget airlines including EasyJet, Eurowings and Wizz Air operate from Terminal 1, while the traditional carriers including Bulgaria Air but also Ryanair operate from Terminal 2. There is a free shuttle bus operating between Terminals 1 and 2 every 15–30 minutes between 05:00 and 23:00. Outside of those hours, a free shuttle bus can be requested at the information desk or you can use Bus#84 . After midnight you might asked to book a cab for such ride. There are shops, cafes, post offices, ATMs, and money exchange offices at the airport. To travel between the airport and the city centre: Sofia Metro Line 4 (Yellow) operates service to the airport between 05:30 and 24:00.

By public transport Sofia has a well-developed, cheap, and efficient public transport system that consists of buses, trolleybuses, trams, and subway lines. The transport network can be confusing for visitors who do not know it well, but there is a journey planner. The price of a single metro ticket is €0.80, while a bus/tram/trolleybus ticket is €0.80 (transfers within 30 min) and €1.10 (transfers within 60 min). There are also daily travel cards (€2). If you are staying for 4 or more days, or 3 or more days and arriving directly in the city centre, you can also buy a 3-day ticket on an electronic card from the public transport offices (not from metro stations or at the airport). Fare inspectors ambush and board buses and trams in groups (and their attitude is generally not friendly at all), sometimes accompanied by police, and make no exceptions. The fine is €20. Tickets can be purchased using contactless bank cards and payment apps such as Apple and Google Pay, which might be the easiest solution for foreign visitors. In the metro, the ticket gates have a contactless symbol indicating the location of the reader (it's on the left side, not the right). On buses and trams, there are blue electronic readers with the same contactless symbol. Contactless purchases will be capped to the cost of the daily travel pass. Paper tickets and daily cards can be bought at most newspaper stands especially ones adjacent to public transport stops, and from the driver. Validate your card/ticket as soon as you get on the bus/tram/trolleybus.

Q234707 In the administrative center of Sofia, the streets are paved with specific yellow bricks. They were laid in the beginning of the 20th century, purportedly as a present to the Bulgarian Tsar Ferdinand for his wedding from the Austria-Hungarian royal family (though many historians consider it a vanity project of Sofia's mayor). They are not a great material for wet weather, but they continue to add colorful flair. Museums Galleries Churches thumbnail|Boyana church Other places of worship The city has been described as the "triangle of religious tolerance", because temples of three major world religions—Christianity, Islam and Judaism—are situated within two blocks of each other. Historical buildings Sofia is one of the oldest cities in Europe and has ancient ruins throughout the city center. When Bulgaria gained autonomy from the Ottoman Empire in 1878, Alexander of Battenberg was elected the first prince of Bulgaria. Monuments Public squares Parks and gardens Architecture Other sights

Football – The men's national football team plays at Vasil Levski stadium (capacity 43,000) 1 km southeast of city centre. Five city clubs play in First League, Bulgaria's top tier: CSKA Sofia play at Bulgarian Army Stadium (capacity 23,000) just south of the national stadium. CSKA 1948 were formed in 2016 after a bust-up at CSKA Sofia. They play at Stadion Bistritsa (capacity 2500) 15 km south, and shared with Septemvri in the Second League. Levski Sofia play at Stadion Georgi Asparuhov (capacity 25,000, aka Vivacom stadium) 3 km east of the centre. Slavia Sofia play at Alexander Shalamanov Stadium (capacity 25,500) 4 km southwest. Lokomotiv 1929 play at Stadion Lokomotiv (capacity 17,500) 4 km north. Theatre and performing arts Vitosha Vitosha A magnificent landmark mountain very popular with the locals and rising just south of the capital. It is easily accessible by public transportation, bus 63 (from stop Tsar Boris III) or 66 (from Metrostantsiya Vitosha metro stop), or by car. Day trips in Vitosha on a sunny day are highly recommended. In the winter, it is well suited for skiing and its proximity allows one day ski-trips; in the summer it is great for hiking. A great way to spend few days in Sofia, being on its "balcony," enjoying sunny days on the mountain with a spectacular view on the capital. It is a unique chance to witness the rare symbiosis of a metropolitan city with its nature park.

It is strongly advisable to skip exchange offices on the street and use exclusively banks for exchanging money. Some exchange stalls will try to scam you by buying your currency at very unfavorable rates. See Bulgaria#Money for exchange rates.) It's also possible to change money at a good rate in casinos if you play there. Ignore anyone on the street wanting to change money; you will get an awful exchange rate, or a handful of fake banknotes. ATMs are widely available and accept all major credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, Amex, Diner's, etc.), although you have to check your daily limit with your bank. ATMs will let you withdraw at most €200 in one go, but if your card limit allows it, you can make two or more withdrawals. Credit cards are widely accepted in larger stores and supermarkets, but in small souvenir shops or restaurants you will definitely need to carry some cash. Souvenirs can be bought many small shops in the subways in front of the old Party House and in the metro station at the Largo. The Ethnographic Museum has a small shop tightly crammed with souvenirs of all kinds from all over Bulgaria (on the right, just as you enter the main entrance). Antiques and souvenirs can also be found in Alexander Nevsky square, in stalls just opposite the church.

Sofia is full of trendy cafes with outdoor seating in the summer and good-quality restaurants. Fast food You can easily find take away food in Sofia. For less than €2 you can get a slice of pizza, a hot-dog or a sandwich. You can get more traditional Bulgarian food in bakeries, offering banitsa and other kinds of pastry. This food is often consumed with ayran or boza. Another possibility is to get a katma, which is a big pancake filled with cheese, ham, jam or chocolate. Budget Pizzeria-type restaurants and snack bars can be found all over Sofia. Although many are very uninteresting for the traveler looking for a meal with a local flavor, some include excellent Bulgarian dishes. All these are in the city center: Mid-range Splurge

Mineral springs Sofia was founded here because of the quality of its mineral waters. In the city, there are 7 independent mineral water springs. Top off your water bottles here! At the Sofia History Museum, there is a tap in a corner of the façade, and a larger cluster of mineral water drinking fountains just across the small street to the north (left when facing the building). Cafés International chains Costa Coffee and Starbucks have several locations across the city Bars Nightlife The Sofia nightlife is vibrant, concentrated mostly in two areas - the city center and around Studentski grad (Студентски град/Student's town), which is the neighborhood with the university dorms. There are frequent live performances in various venues, check the freely distributed guides in various shops and restaurants like Programata (Програмата/The Program). The primary distinction between the clubs is whether the music includes chalga (чалга/folk-Turkish-Greek-Serbian influenced local genre) or not. Expect that any local acquaintances will have strong feelings whether they attend or not the chalga clubs. There are hundreds of clubs and bars, and luxurious places charging exorbitant sums. It is better to pay with cash, as POS terminals are not widely available, especially in the cheaper places. The people start to gather after working hours for a beer, cocktail or glass of wine, moving to dinner around 20:00 and clubs and discos after 23:00. In the warm months, crowds overflow from the more popular places like Bilkova (Билкова/The Herbal) on the street.

Budget Mid-range Splurge Maria Luiza Hotel occupies an exquisite building dating back to the turn of 20th century and listed as one of Bulgaria's cultural monuments of national significance. Maria Luisa Hotel offers a combination of the standards and services found in a luxury hotel plus the privacy and independence of one's own home.

Generally, Sofia is a safe and walkable city, even at night. Nevertheless, avoid poorly lit areas and use your common sense. One problem area is around the central bus and rail station, continuing south down Maria Luiza Blvd and the Lions' Bridge (Lavov Most). Dark areas of the city parks should also be avoided — Borisova Garden in particular can be unsafe after dark. These areas are known for drug use, opportunistic theft, and approaches from touts selling contraband. Single women should take particular care. Pedestrians should be careful since many Bulgarian drivers do not yield right of way to those on foot. Do not get into conflict with football fan groups if they seem drunk and aggressive. Avoid wearing football shirts or scarves of the Sofia-based football teams, especially on match days. Be wary of petty thieves and poorer neighborhoods, as pick pocketing and thefts are common. If you are approached by locals trying to sell stolen goods, give you directions or bother you exercise caution. If you get in legal trouble, the Bulgarian police and judiciary may not protect you adequately because of corruption and nepotism.

5G internet is available from all three major mobile networks (A1, Vivacom, Yettel). WiFi is widely available in public places.

In the region: To the north, among the Balkan Mountains: the Iskar Gorge, picturesque Etropole, and Pravets with its golf resort and the museum of Bulgaria's last Communist dictator To the west: Bankya, a mineral springs resort known for its thermal baths, from central Sofia, almost absorbed as a suburb (e.g. accessible by public transport) To the southwest: industrial Pernik on the other side of Vitosha; further away is Kyustendil, "Bulgaria's orchard" under the Osogovo Mountain on the border To the south, under the slopes of Rila: Dupnitsa and Blagoevgrad, with the Rila Monastery, the most famous in Bulgaria and a (suitable for a day trip from Sofia) To the southeast, closer: Samokov and the mountain/ski resorts of Borovets and Malyovitsa Elsewhere in Bulgaria: Plovdiv – Bulgaria's second most populous city, with good highway and rail connections to Sofia. Its Old Town, Roman ruins, and relaxed atmosphere make it a great day-trip. Veliko Tarnovo – A beautiful city along a winding river, the former capital of Bulgaria in the Middle Ages. Other countries: North Macedonia, via the Gyueshevo/Deve Bair crossing by Kyustendil, to the southwest, towards Kriva Palanka and Kumanovo Romania, by international trains starting in Sofia - either Craiova via Vidin, or the capital Bucharest via Ruse Serbia is less than to the west, via the Kalotina/Gradine crossing - Dimitrovgrad, Pirot and Niš Turkey, by international train to Istanbul