Sofia is Bulgaria’s capital and largest city, a metropolis of roughly 1.2–1.3 million people with roots in Thracian and Roman Serdica and a long Byzantine, Ottoman and modern history. Its compact centre layers ruins and grand avenues around the Largo and Serdica archaeological zone, with headline sights including the gold-domed Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, the early-Christian Basilica of St Sophia and the UNESCO-listed Boyana Church at the city’s edge. Green space is close: Vitosha Mountain rises just south for hiking and winter skiing, while mineral-spring drinking fountains dot neighbourhood squares. Culture runs from the National Palace of Culture and major museums to lively bars and venues in streets like Vitosha Boulevard. Getting in and around is straightforward via Sofia Airport (SOF), an expanding metro network and plentiful trams and trolleybuses; national rail and coach links make easy day trips to Plovdiv and the Rila Monastery.
PUBS
Adams Rock Bar
Nosferatu Craft Beer Shop
Rock’nRolla
SHOPS
VENUES
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