Sofia - Culture

Sofia has the buzz of a capital city and the convenience of a compact centre where all the main sights can be visited on foot.

Tsar Osvoboditel Boulevard

The area of interest to visitors is basically that bounded by Vitosha, Patriarch Evtimii, Vasil Levski and Knez Dondukov Boulevards and Sveta Nedelia Square. The main sights are concentrated on Aleksander Batenberg Square, Narodno Sabranie Square and Tsar Osvoboditel Boulevard - the area paved with yellow bricks. The best shops are on Vitosha and Stamboliski Boulevards and in the underpass of the National Palace of Culture ( the NDK). The biggest department store is TSUM, just north of Sveta Nedelia Square. Books, records and cassettes, stamps, leather goods and crafts are all good value. New galleries for icons, contemporary art, ceramics and sculptures are opening up all the time. Small street markets, such as the Rimskata Stena Market, are a picturesque sight in summer, as piles of colorful vegetables, fruits, flowers and herbs are sold.

Amphora - thyton  part of Thracian Golden Treasure

Like any capital city, Sofia is rich in museums. The National History Museum undoubtedly has the finest collection. It was assembled in 1981 to celebrate 1300 years of Bulgarian statehood. Thracian gold treasures are spaciously displayed, often singly, so they can be fully appreciated. Artefacts such as bas-reliefs, ceramics and silverware reveal the achievements of the medieval capitals, and there is a strong collection of material from the National Revival period, including folk costumes, carpets and domestic items.

The National Archaeological Museum in Stamboliiski Boulevard is housed in the Buyuk Mosque, a handsome l5th century building barely large enough for the extensive collection of finds from sites all over Bulgaria, including the former capitals of Pliska, Preslav and Veliko Turnovo. A comparatively new exhibition in the spacious surroundings of a former arsenal is The Land and People Museum, which was opened in 1987. This displays minerals, precious and semi-precious stones. and some astonishing giant crystals. For visitors with more time' to spend, the Ethnographic Museum and the National Art Gallery are also worth a visit.

Patriarchial Cathedral Alexander Nevski

Sofia' s skyline is dominated by the gold domes of the Alexander Nevski Memorial Church, built in honor of the 200, 200.000 Russian casualties Bulgaria's War of Liberation of 1877-78. Its lavish exterior is surpassed by the frescoed interior and splendid iconostasis. Craftsmen and artists worked for thirty years to create this enormous church, where nearly 300 mural paintings and decorative finishes in marble, onyx, alabaster and gold can be admired. In the crypt beneath, a large exhibition of icons from all over Bulgaria is effectively displayed.

Smaller and much less flamboyant than Alexander Nevski, is the nearby Church of St. Sophia, from which the capital takes its name. This muted red brown church was built during the 6th century on the site of even earlier churches. It follows the classic Byzantine plan of a cross with a dome at the intersection. Inside there are ancient mosaics of trees, flowers and birds.

The Russian Church of  St. Nicholas

The prettiest church in Sofia is the so-called Russian Church, St. Nicholas, on Tsar Osvoboditel Boulevard. Its bright yellow tiled exterior, gilded domes and emerald green spire contrast with its dark interior. Within a short walk of each other are the Orthodox Church of St. Nedelia, the Central Synagogue and Banya Bashi Mosque, underlining Sofia' s position as the inheritor of a varied succession of influences. Sightseeing around the central area reveals many traces of Bulgaria' s history, intruding on the modern city. Remains of the city' s ancient Byzantine walls are visible to pedestrians using the subway under the Largo, and within the courtyard of the refurbished Balkan Sheraton Hotel is the 4th century Rotonda of St. George's Church. Ancient and modern juxtaposed.