Explore Sofia

Why visit Sofia

Sofia is one of the oldest continuously inhabited capitals in Europe — the Thracian settlement of Serdica predates Rome — and the layers show. Excavations under the Serdica metro station expose 2nd-century Roman streets visible through glass floors as commuters walk past. Above ground, the gold-domed Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, built 1882–1912 as a memorial to the 200,000 Russian soldiers who died in the war that freed Bulgaria from Ottoman rule, dominates the centre and seats 5,000 worshippers under its central dome. A short walk away, the tiny 4th-century Rotunda of St George (the city's oldest preserved building) sits inside a hotel courtyard, and the Boyana Church on the southern slopes of Vitosha mountain holds 13th-century frescoes that prefigure the Renaissance by 150 years — it's UNESCO-listed for good reason. Sofia is also a serious mountain capital: a 30-minute drive or chairlift puts you on the ski slopes or hiking trails of Vitosha, with a 2,290m summit. The Vitosha Boulevard pedestrian strip is where locals meet for coffee, rakia, and shopska salad after work.