Sofia, Bulgaria

Three bedroom apartment in the city centre with a jacuzzi. In the heart of Sofia, set within a short distance of Council of Ministers Building and Banya Bashi Mosque, Golden Pearl - jacuzzi top center luxury apartment offers free WiFi, air conditioning and household amenities such as a toaster and coffee machine. Located in the Centrum district, the property provides guests with access to a hot tub. The property is close to popular attractions like Ivan Vazov Theater, Cathedral Saint Alexandar Nevski and Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski. The spacious apartment features 3 bedrooms, a flat-screen TV with cable channels, a fully equipped kitchen with an oven and a microwave, a washing machine, and 1 bathroom with a hot tub. Towels and bed linen are featured in the apartment. This apartment is allergy-free and non-smoking. Popular points of interest near the apartment include Archaeological Museum, Presidency and Sofia Central Railway Station. The nearest airport is Sofia Airport, 7 km from Golden Pearl - jacuzzi top center luxury apartment.

One of the most famous landmarks in Sofia is St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, an impressive Orthodox cathedral. Looming over the entire cityscape, it claims to be one of the most beautiful cathedrals in the region, located right in the heart of the capital city. It is one of the top 50 largest Christian churches in the world and it serves as the cathedral church of the Patriarch of Bulgaria. St Alexander Nevsky Cathedral was built at the end of the 19th century to honour the Russian soldiers who died during the Russo-Turkish War.

The National Art gallery used to be former royal palace of Bulgaria. It was completely destroyed during World War II. Afterwards, after the abolition of the monarchy and the establishment of a Communist government in Bulgaria, most of the palace became ownership of the National Art Gallery. Part of the building was designed by a Viennese architect which you can clearly see from its facade.

Not too far from St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, you will find the Church of St Paraskeva, a massive unique-looking church built in the early 20th Century with a similar architectural style to the St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral but smaller and with its own unique take. The church has a large central dome and inside are bright paintings to tell the story of St. Paraskeva. There is no entrance fee and it is open every day.

The City Garden is a beautiful scenic park with fountains, park benches, and greeneries, surrounded by some of the prettiest European-style buildings in the city.

A popular thing to do in Sofia is take a trip up Vitosha, the best-known mountain in the area.

Bulevar Vitosha is a bustling pedestrian street lined with posh stores, restaurants, and bars you can indulge yourself in. The street is named after the famous Vitosha Mountain, which can be seen in the distance from many parts of the city.

If you head west via Tsar Osvoboditel Boulevard (which by the way we call “the yellow pave road” due to its surface), you will get to the very center of Sofia. It is one of the landmarks of the capital. The ensemble consists of three buildings which are considered to be the symbol of the Socialist Classicism. If you are coming from the National Archaeological Museum you will find the National Assembly of Bulgaria on your right. The building on the left is nowadays the President’s Office, but also hosts Hotel Sheraton and the Ministry of Education. The one opposite it is today accommodating the TZUM department store (a central universal store) and the Council of Ministers of Bulgaria. The last two are almost identical buildings. One of the most spectacular things is to watch the changing of the guards in front of the President’s Office. Similar to the famous ones in front of Buckingham palace, the guards have nice uniforms and are not allowed to talk to the civils while on duty. The whole area was renovated a couple of years ago and now has an European look. Following the democratic changes after 1989, the symbols of communism in the decoration of the Largo were removed, with the most symbolic act being the removing of the red star on a pole atop the former Party House and its substitution by the flag of Bulgaria.

Standing opposite the National Assembly, you will see one of the newest landmarks of Sofia. St Sofia Monument stands where in the past a statue of Lenin used to be. It was removed after the democratic changes in 1989 and for a long time this place was empty. The statue is a bit controversial, as many thought it was too provocative. The woman has a crown which is a symbol of power, the wreath is a symbol of fame and an owl in her other hand symbolizes wisdom. The crown is also a reference to the Goddess of Fate, Tyche, inspired by the old emblem of Sofia during the 20th century.

If you pass through the only arch on the President’s office, you will get to the inner yard which you will find more peaceful than the Independence square. One interesting monument in this inner yard is the red-brick rotunda of St George. This is the oldest building in Sofia, dating back to the 4th century and around it you will find the remainings of the ancient town of Serdica. St George church is famous for it frescoes inside the central dome. It was originally built in the early 4th century as Roman baths before it was converted into a church during the Roman Empire and Byzantine Empire.

Go out of the yard and head towards TZUM- the department store opposite the President’s office. In order to cross the street, you have to take the subway. The whole area is like an open air museum of the remaining of the ancient town of Serdica. The subway is one of the places where you can find a large choice of souvenirs.

You will not miss the minaret of the located nearby mosque. In fact, its name means “many baths”. It was built over natural thermal spas. You can be sure that this is true because of two reasons. Just a few meters behind it is the central bath. And secondly, many people are still using the hot springs in the area as a water source. Banya Bashi mosque is the only functioning mosque in Sofia which serves the needs of the Muslim community. It was built during the Ottoman rule of Bulgaria (which lasted for five centuries) and it remains like a symbol from this period.

Just opposite Banya Bashi Mosque you can see the building of the Central Sofia Market Hall or how we call it- Halite. This is amongst the largest covered markets in Sofia and it dates back since the end of the 19th century. Although the building was renovated in the 2000s, there is a plan that the inside will be further changed this year. Besides different craftsman goods, meat, sweets, fruits and vegetables, one can also enjoy the canteen area on the second floor.

Located 300m down Maria Louiza Boulevard in opposite direction of St Sofia Monument. It is the Lion’s bridge. The bridge dates back to the 19th century and it is a deed of a Czech architect (he also created a similar bridge which we plan to visit later on- the Eagles’ Bridge). The bridge came on the place of a previous one called Motley Bridge, which name comes from the red and yellow coloring it had. The name of Lions’ Bridge comes from the four bronze sculptures of lions, its most recognizable feature. It connects the Central Railway Station with the center of the city.

This street together with the area around turned into the creative hub of Sofia in the last 20 years. You can find a lot of small craftsman shops, cute cafes and restaurants. Also the surrounding is very creative, with many buildings with graffiti art

Vasil Levski is the biggest hero in Bulgarian history. Thanks to him and his active movement in the end of the 19th century Bulgaria took back its freedom from the Ottomans. He is also known as the Apostle of Freedom because he founded the Internal Revolutionary Organisation, and sought to foment a nationwide uprising through a network of secret regional committees. In fact, his original name is Vasil Ivanov Kunchev. There are so many theories about the way he got the pseudonim Levski (i.e. Lionlike). I want to believe that this one is true- due to his revolutionary movement, he was the person who the Ottomans eagerly wanted to catch. In one of the many cases when they were close to doing so, the Apostle jumped over a hole which seemed impossible for an ordinary person. Since then his peers gave him the name Vasil the Lionlike.

The Eagles’ bridge spreads above Perlovska river (it looks more like a canal than a river). The name of the bridge itself comes from the four statues of eagles on it, which are, symbolically, its protectors and patrons. Similarly, if you remember the Lions’ bridge- the same Czech architect planned this one as well. An interesting fact is that both one of the lions from Lions’ bridge and also one of the eagles can be found on the 20 BGN banknote.

Boris’ Garden is the largest green park in the heart of Sofia. Its name comes from one of the most important rulers of Bulgaria- Knyaz Boris. Initially the garden’s name was Knyaz Boris’ Garden, but the word “knyaz” later disappeared

Tsar Ivan Shishman Street is another creative area similar to Ekzarh Yosif Street. Street art, cute shops, cafes and bars is what you will find there. This turned into one of the hipster areas in Sofia

It is also popular under the name Church of St Nicholas the Miracle-Maker. The church is a Russian Orthodox church built in the early 20th Century in a beautiful Russian Revival architectural style, unlike the other churches around it. After the liberation of Bulgaria from the Ottoman rule by Russia, the church took the place of the mosque which stood there. The Russian embassy which back then was nearby ordered to build the Church of St Nicholas the Miracle-Maker. As the tradition of the diplomatic churches says, it should have the name of its patron- the emperor of Russia in those days.

The theater is the oldest and most authoritative theater in the country. The building of the theater together with the fountain in front of it are one of the most instagrammable spots in the last few years. The small square in front of it hosts different events throughout the whole year.

Another Bulgarian Orthodox church with a small park in front of it. The church brings its name from Cyril and Methodius and their five disciples, known in the Orthodox Church collectively as “the Sedmochislenitsi”. Next to it there is a small market with a couple of stands selling local fruits, vegetables, spices and nuts.

If you are interested to learn more about the rich and long history of Sofia, check out Sofia's Regional History Museum, a fascinating museum that offers a deep dive into the rich and diverse history of the region. The museum open every day except Monday's and there is a small entrance fee.

This is a day trip but is claimed to be one of the most important tourist attractions when visiting Bulgaria. It is one of the most sacred Orthodox monasteries that attract more than 900,000 believers, pilgrims, and tourists from across the world each year. Nestled in between the rolling mountains of Rila at an elevation of 1,147 m (3,763 ft) above sea level, covering more than 8.7 ha (940,000 sq ft), the monastery is considered to be the largest temple in the entire country. There is a bakery here too which is worth checking out.

This small bar located on a side street has a huge selection of beers, as well as some spots to stand outside and enjoy the sunshine.

Lots of nice beers on tap, and even better it has a nice little garden where you can sit outside. Super friendly staff.