Aleksandâr Nevski Church
Sofia’s most photographed monument,
Alexander Nevski is a magnificent neo-Byzantine
cathedral-sized church, topped by copper and golden domes.
Considered the heart of the city, it was built between 1882 and
1912, in honour of the Russian soldiers, who fell when the
Russian army helped liberate Bulgaria from Ottoman rule in 1878.
The church takes its name from Alexander Nevski, credited with
saving Russia from Swedish troops in 1240
Standing next to
St Aleksander Nevski, this early Byzantine brick church
dates to the fifth century, although there were several churches
here before it, as well as the pre-Christian Serdica city
necropolis. The present church still follows the classic
Byzantine plan of a regular cross with a central dome. The city
took its name from the church in the 14th century, which was
converted to a mosque under Ottoman rule, when the original
12th-century frescoes were destroyed and minarets added. During
the 19th century, the building was abandoned, following damage
caused by an earthquake. After the Liberation in 1878, it was
restored and reinstated as a church
Boyana Church
a tiny village
just outside Sofia, outwardly unassuming Boyana Church houses a
spectacular set of medieval frescoes.
The National History Museum
The National
History Museum is a treasure house of ancient Thracian gold and
silver, apocalyptic Bulgarian icon paintings and colourful
frescoes lifted from the country's monasteries.
Zlatni Mostove
Scramble around
the huge boulders of the so-called Stone River, or launch an
assault on the Cherni Vrâh peak.
Mount Vitosha
An easy bus ride
from Sofia, the mountain is mobbed at weekends by city folk, who
come to hike the dense forests in summer, or ski the slopes in
winter.
Sofia Synagogue
Standing next to St Aleksander Nevski,
this early Byzantine brick church dates to the fifth century,
although there were several churches here before it, as well as
the pre-Christian Serdica city necropolis. The present church
still follows the classic Byzantine plan of a regular cross with
a central dome. The city took its name from the church in the
14th century, which was converted to a mosque under Ottoman
rule, when the original 12th-century frescoes were destroyed and
minarets added. During the 19th century, the building was
abandoned, following damage caused by an earthquake. After the
Liberation in 1878, it was restored and reinstated as a church
Zhenski Pazar
Browse through a
vastly popular central market, where you can pick up everything
from fresh vegetables to the kitchen sink. |
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Tours of the City
Walking Tours
Many private travel agencies organise walking tours with
English-speaking guides, as well as excursions out of town, including
Balkantourist, 1 Vitosha Boulevard (tel: (02) 875 192; website:
www.balkantourist.com),
Balkantour Ltd, 27 Stambolijski Boulevard (tel: (02) 988 5543;
e-mail: balkantour@hotmail.com),
Tourist Service, 127 Rakovski Ulica (tel (02) 988 8108, e-mail:
tourist-service@ind-bg.bg),
and
LYUB Travel, 11 M Kamak Ulica (tel: (02) 963 4427), which
specialises in weekend getaways for ex-pats.
the historic sights are all
concentrated around Ploshtad Sveta Nedelya and are well marked, making a
self-guided tour the easiest and cheapest option. |
 JAN:
The
International Fair of the Masquerade Games
every even year mid Januaryin
Pernik
FEB: Marenitsa,
the coming of spring is celebrated by wearing red and white tassels,
Feb-Mar, throughout the city
St Trifon’s Day, a vine growing and wine making festival, 14 Feb,
villages outside the city
MAR:
Liberation Day,national holiday celebrating liberation from Ottoman
rule in 1878, 3 Mar, throughout the city
APR:
LazaruvaneSt Lazarus's Day
(the day before Palm Sunday) sees young girls dressing up in
folk costumes to perform dances in honour of the coming spring.
Orthodox Easter Apr, throughout the city
A rewarding time to be in Bulgaria: after midnight Mass on Easter
Sunday, celebrants flood out onto the streets bearing candles
symbolizing the Resurrection, before smashing specially painted eggs.....Restaurants
in the village of
Bansko cater to crowds of Sofia folk at Eastertime
and in high summer, with their famous grilled food and live folk
music
MAY
Labour Day, national holiday, 1 May, throughout the city
St George’s Day, Orthodox festival and official holiday, also
agricultural celebration heralding the end of spring and beginning of
summer, 6 May, throughout the city
Culture and Education Day, national holiday honouring Saints
Cyril and Methodius for devising the Bulgarian alphabet, 24 May,
throughout the city
Sofia National Book Fair, organised by the Association of
Bulgarian Publishers, late May, NDK
Sofia Music Weeks
- The famous Bulgarian Music Festival. festival of classical and contemporary
orchestral repertoire, May-Jul, Bulgaria Music Hall and NDK
JUN
Festival of European Co-productions, international annual
non-competitive feature film festival, early Jun, Lumičre Cinema, NDK
AUG
Birthday of St John of Rila, 18 Aug, Rila Monastery
Folk Music Festival, first weekend Aug, Koprivshtitsa
The Feast of Assumption at Dragalevtsi monastery of
Dragalevtsi on Aug 15, for processions and services marking the Feast of
Assumption ( Golyama Bogoroditsa ).
International Folklore Festival, last week Aug, Plovdiv
SEP
Day of Unification, national holiday, 6 Sep, throughout the city
Independence Day, national holiday, 22 Sep, throughout the city
OCT
Feast Day of St John of Rila, 19 Oct, Rila Monastery
Kinomania, three-week film festival, showing the newest and best
international and Bulgarian films, Nov, NDK
NOV
International Jazz Festival, second week in Nov, various venues
DEC
Music Evenings, featuring classical music, early Dec, various venues
Sofia National Book Fair, organised by the Association of
Bulgarian Publishers, mid-Dec, NDK
St Nicholas’ Day, 12 Dec, throughout the city
Christmas, national holiday – most families celebrate Christmas
on 25 Dec, although traditional Orthodox Christmas is 7 Jan, 25-26 Dec,
throughout the city
New Year’s Eve, festivities, 31 Dec, throughout the city
The city’s official arts
centre, Natsionalen Dvorets na Kulturata or National Palace of
Culture (NDK), 1 Ploshtad Bulgaria, Yuzhen Park (tel: (02)
9166 2300; website: www.ndk.bg), is a
colossal modern structure incorporating concert halls, exhibition
spaces, congress facilities and the Lumičre Cinema. Most major
cultural events take place here. The box office is to the left of the
main entrance.
Tickets to cultural events are available from the National Palace of
Culture (NDK), for all major venues, or from the individual
venue box offices. The English-language weekly Sofia Echo
supplement, Culture Shock, and the monthly Sofia City Info
Guide can provide details of ‘what’s on’.
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business people are reserved and often highly suspicious of an
outsider’s intentions until the proper introductions and contacts have
been established. Business visitors should request meetings well in
advance –