Guidebook for Sofia

No list of “things to do and see” would be complete without talking about the city’s nightlife. In Sofia it is mainly situated in the city center. Apart from the Vitosha boulevard, a favorite when it comes to nightlife and bars is Shishman str. Several pub crawls also operate in the city. Here are some of our favorite bars and restaurants.

Just wanted to share with you how to get to our place by car, from the airport, from railway and bus stations, and also going to the center of the city. I highly recommend a MOOVIT app for transport options in Sofia. It is very useful and friendly to operate with. You way download it from here: https://moovitapp.com/ Transport to the apartment: 1. If you arrive by car let we remind you that there is no parking spot for the apartment, but it is free parking anywhere on the street. Sometimes it is difficult to find exactly in front, need to drive a few blocks around. There is a paid parking right against “Festivalna Hall” and Sweet Bar & Grill. The restaurant also offers paid parking with a barrier, but it will cost you 1 eur/hour. 2. If you are flying in you may choose a taxi service or public transport 2.1 Coming with a taxi service: It is the best and cheapest transport, but please remember that taxies might be tricky with tourists. There are drivers offering taxi service inside Sofia airport terminal, but they are not authorized to do so. They might overcharge you significantly if you ride with them. The trip takes about 10-15 minutes and should cost about 5-6 eur. One of our guests had a bad experience, paying 30 eur. Do not pay such a fee, even if you have already taken the wrong taxi. You can order a taxi instead, but please make sure the number of the car/driver is the same you received from the taxi company as a confirmation. Probably it is better to use Yellow Taxi 91119. Here is the app: https://itunes.apple.com/bg/app/yellow-taxi-91119/id1042670745?mt=8 Also we recommend another app: Taxistars, using all taxi companies to find you the closest taxi car option. Here is the app: https://itunes.apple.com/bg/app/taxistars/id672675339?mt=8 2.2 Coming with a public transport: It will cost 2 eur/person and you have two options – a) Changing two bus lines (40 min trip) or b) Use Metro subway (M2) and then change one bus line (55 min trip). a) Start from Летище София / Sofia Airport, walk 1 min to bus station: Летище София Терминал 2/ Sofia Airport Terminal 2 (2454). From there take bus line 184, heading to: ул. Ген. Гурко/ Gen. Gurko str. Ride for 15 stops, will take approx. 25-30 min. Changing lines at хотел Плиска/ hotel Pliska (2327). From there you need to take bus line 72, heading to Ж.К. Западен парк/Zapaden part Qr., the bus stop is at the parallel street - Nikolay Kopernik str. Ride for 4 stops, will take 7-8 min. Your final stop is ул. Калиманци/ Kalimantsi str. (1974). You need to walk 6 min from Atanas Uzunov str., turn left towards Kalimantsi str., turn second right towards Stoil Voyvoda str., turn left to Popova shapka str. and you will be in front of the apartment shortly. b) Start from Летище София / Sofia Airport, wait for M2 Витоша/Vitosha, Platform: Младост, Център, Обеля/ Mladost, Center, Obelya. Ride for 10 stops, will take approx. 25 min. Changing lines at ст. Васил Левски/Vasil Levski stadium, exit at Graf Ignatiev str. From there walk 1 min to get to bus stop Ул. Граф Игнатиев/ Graf Ignatiev str. (1913), 60m away on bul. Evlogi i Hristo Georgievi. and you need to take bus line 72, heading to хотел Плиска/ hotel Pliska. Ride for 10 stops, will take 16-20 min. Your final stop is Stoil Voyvoda str. (2189). Need to walk 3 min from Georgi Minchev str, turn right towards Stoil Voivoda str. and then turn right towards Popova shapka str. and you will be in front of the apartment shortly. 3. From central railway or bus station (both are situated nearby) you may choose a taxi service or public transport, by changing 2 bus lines to get to the apartment. 3.1 Coming with a taxi service: Please remember that taxies are really cheap in Sofia but might be tricky with tourists. There are drivers offering taxi service inside Sofia central station, but they are not authorized to do so. They might overcharge you significantly if you ride with them. The trip takes about 10-15 minutes and should cost about 7-8 eur. You can order a taxi instead, but please make sure the number of the car/driver is the same you received from the taxi company as a confirmation. Probably it is better to use Yellow Taxi 91119. Here is the app: https://itunes.apple.com/bg/app/yellow-taxi-91119/id1042670745?mt=8 Also we recommend another app: Taxistars, using all taxi companies to find you the closest taxi car option. Here is the app: https://itunes.apple.com/bg/app/taxistars/id672675339?mt=8 3.2 Coming with a public transport: It will cost 2 eur/person (35 min trip). Take bus line 404 from Central railway station (1327), heading to: ап. Дружба/ ap Druzhba. Ride for 7 stops, will take approx.15-20 min. Changing lines at Гара Подуяне/ Poduyane train station (0466). From there take bus line 72 for 4 stops, heading to: Плиска/ Pliska. Your final stop is Stoil Voyvoda str. (2189). Need to walk 3 min from Georgi Minchev str, turn right towards Stoil Voivoda str. and then turn right towards Popova shapka str. and you will be in front of the apartment shortly. Note: Another option is to take bus line 305 or 413 from Central railway station (1327) for 5 stops, will take approx.15 min. Need to get off at Гара Подуяне/ Poduyane train station (0468), walk 3 min (150m) by turning slight right on bulevard Botevgradsko shose until you get to bus stop Гара Подуяне/ Poduyane train station (0466). Transport to the center of the city 1. Taxi service: It will cost 5-6 eur (10-15 min trip). 2. Public transport: It will cost 1 eur/person (25 min trip). Walk 5 min (400m) to Atanas Uzunov str, bus stop: ул. Атанас Узунов/ Atanas Uzunov str (1830, take bus line 72, heading to Ж.К. Западен парк/Zapaden part Qr. Ride for 8 stops, will take approx. 15 min. You need to get off at Пл. Орлов мост/ Eagles’s Bridge Sq.(1289) and then walk 5-10 minutes to get to the center.

I thought it might be good to share with you our favorite places nearby, convenient stores and things to do: 1.Park “Geo Milev” is within a minute walk. It is a nice and quiet place, where you can spend a few hours. When going out of the apartment, take left on Popova shapka str, turn right on Stoil Voyvoda str, crossing Kalimantsi str and you are in the center of the park. Directions: https://maps.google.com/?q=geo%20milev%20park 2. Mall “Serdika Center” is on 48 “Sitnyakovo“ bul., in 10-12 min walking distance. Great variety of shops, big grocery store, bookstores, food court, car wash, banks, etc. Website: https://serdikacenter.bg/ Directions: https://maps.google.com/?q=mall%20serdika 3.Grocery shops: >Our favorite grocery shop is 100m down the street, on the corner of Popova shapka str. and Stoil Voyvoda str. It is a small family shop and it offers local staff, healthy food, vegetables and fruits, beverages, all that you need during your stay. Open: 8:00 am - 9:00 pm. >There is another grocery store on the parallel street – 28 Georgi Minchev str. When you go out of the building you take left on Popova shapka str., then take another left on Stoil Voyvoda str., another left on Georgi Minchev str, walk 100 meters ahead and it will be in front of you. The nearest ATM machine is positioned in front of the store, right next to the entrance. >There is a non-stop shop, just a few blocks away. It is “345” store and it is on the corner of Stoil Voyvoda str. and Atanas Uzunov str. 4.Bakeries: >A must visit place. If you go through Geo Milev park, heading to Festivalna Hall, you will get to a small bakery „ НадеЖко/ Nadejko” with a unique taste and a great variety of homemade bread, bread sticks, vegan cakes, freshly baked french croissant, etc. The address is: 12 “Beethoven L.V”, 1111 Geo Milev, Sofia https://bg-bg.facebook.com/BreadHouseSofia/ Directions:https://maps.google.com/?q=%D0%BD%D0%B0%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%B6%D0%BA%D0%BE >You can find another small family bakery on 38A “Georgi Minchev” str., close to “Stoil Voyvoda” str. 5.Restaurants: >5 min walk to “Don Domat” Restaurant – Two floors restaurants with a big garden area. It is on 37 “Velcho Atanasov” str., 1505 Reduta complex, Sofia. Open: 10 am - 11 pm. Website: http://www.dondomat.com/zavedenia.php?z=4 >Sweet Bar & Grill. It is a nice café, place for lunch and dinner. It has a big open space part. Not good for non-smokers. It is 5 min away, walking through Geo Milev part, heading to Festivalna Hall on “Atanas Uzunov/ Kopernik” street. https://www.facebook.com/SweetBarGrillFestivalna 6.Pharmacies: >Apteka “Deni”/ Аптека Дени - 36 “Popova shapka” str, open 8:00 am -10 pm, tel: (+359) 897 004 849 >Apteka “Medeya”/ Аптека Медея - 27 Velcho Atanasov” str., open 8:00 am - 9 pm, tel: (+359) 2 45106534 And if you don't know yet what to do, you may check out these great free walking tours: https://freesofiatour.com/

Besides the Airbnb apartments, we run a family business – “Tempero” and “Ventana” restaurants, which we highly recommend. As our guests, you will get 10% discount. In the small wooden bowl under the TV, you may find restaurants’ business cards, marked with a red stamp. In order to use the discount properly, please provide the card to the waiter, when you are asking for the bill. Have a look and we will be delighted to have you as our guests! Even if we ran out of discount cards, just give us a call and we can make a reservation for you and apply the discount. Ventana - Coziness, warmth, elegance, style and irresistibly delicious food…. Website: http://ventana.bg/en/ https://www.facebook.com/Ventana.food.garden/ Tempero - Real food cooked with Love… Website: http://tempero.bg/ https://www.facebook.com/RestaurantTempero/

Top 10 Things to Do and See in Sofia If you are reading this, then you are most likely visiting Sofia for the first time. No worries! We are here to guide you through your first experience with a list of essential things to do and see in Bulgaria’s capital and largest city. 1. Explore Sofia’s main landmarks From its beautiful temples to the ancient Roman ruins, Sofia has a lot to offer. The city is full of must-sees due to its rich historical and cultural heritage. A great way to get a good overview of the city’s historical center is of course one of the daily free walking tours. This will get you acquainted with the city’s most important sights in just 2 hours. The tours start in front of the Palace of Justice and end right next to Sofia’s most legendary building – St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral. https://freesofiatour.com/free-sofia-tour/ 2. Vitosha Boulevard Sofia’s city center is very compact and walking is the best way to get your bearings and experience the Bulgarian lifestyle. It is inevitable that you will end up on Vitosha boulevard. It is by far the busiest pedestrian zone in our capital full of many great bars, restaurants and shops. 3. Sofia’s parks. You will be surprised how green Sofia is. Large parks and smaller green areas are one of Sofia’s great advantages. Make sure to enjoy at least a couple of hours walking around Geo Milev park, South Park or Borisova Garden (Sofia’s largest park). However, probably the most crowded one of them all is the City Garden. Also known as “the garden in front of the National Theatre” it truly is one of the most social places in town. Enjoy a drink or two with your friends in this great outdoor environment! 4. Vitosha Mountain Sofia is one of the very few European capitals that does not have a big river or a sea next to it. Instead of that, there is quite a high mountain (2290m), at least according to the Bulgarian standards. It’s the Vitosha Mountain. Apart from giving you a lot of great picture opportunities from pretty much every part of town, it is also the nearest hiking and skiing option. It is well connected to the city center and you’ll be there in no time. Here’s how to get there: https://freesofiatour.com/blog/how-to-get-to-vitosha-mountain/ 5. Traditional Bulgarian Food No visit to Bulgaria is complete without experiencing traditional Bulgarian food. https://freesofiatour.com/blog/bulgarian-food-eat-bulgaria/ The best way to do this, is by visiting a traditional Bulgarian restaurant such as Manastirska Magernitsa or Pod Lipite http://magernitsa.com/en/ http://www.podlipitebg.com/en Decorated in an authentic folklore style such restaurants often offer a show that includes live Bulgarian music and dances. Oh yeah, and don’t forget to try rakia drink! 6. Visit a Museum We recommend that you visit at least one museum during your Sofia visit. And now comes the hard part… which one? Most museums are situated in the center of the city. Here are some of our favorites: •History Museum of Sofia. You will find it in one of the city’s most beautiful buildings – the Former Mineral Baths https://www.sofiahistorymuseum.bg/en/ •National Archeological Museum – Situated right in front of the Presidency, this is for all interested in learning much more about the remote past of our lands http://naim.bg/en/home/ •National History Museum – This one is a little bit further away from the city center, but totally worth the visit. It’s also where you’ll find some of Bulgaria’s most impressive golden treasures https://historymuseum.org/en/ •Museum of Totalitarian Art – Bulgaria’s socialist past is currently best represented in this museum. The museum includes a collection of statues and paintings from the 1944-1989 period https://www.google.com/maps/place/Socialist+art+Museum/@42.6659624,23.3579716,15z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x50f2603d854335ca!8m2!3d42.6659624!4d23.3579716 •National Art Gallery Square 500 – One of Sofia’s newest galleries, often referred to as “The Bulgarian Louvre” it truly offers a great variety of both Bulgarian and foreign art https://nationalgallery.bg/visiting/kvadrat-500/ 7. Nightlife in Sofia No list of “things to do and see” would be complete without talking about the city’s nightlife. In Sofia it is mainly situated in the city center. Apart from the Vitosha boulevard, a favorite when it comes to nightlife and bars is Shishman street. Several pub crawls also operate in the city. Here are some of our favorite bars and restaurants: •Bar Petak/Bar Friday •8/24 bar •Dada Cultural Bar •Exe Club •One more bar •The Little Things •Made in Blue •La Bottega Due Piani 8. Adventure Activities (Things to Do and See) There are many options for adventure lovers near Sofia. Everything from rock climbing to mountain biking to paragliding and kayaking. Here is a more detailed list of such activities. https://freesofiatour.com/blog/adventures-near-sofia/ 9. Attend a Performance If you love performing arts you’ve come to the right place. Sofia is full with affordable options for lovers of all art. •Sofia Opera and Ballet House – With its 126 years of history it offers rich variety of classical and modern opera and ballet performances for adults, kids and even for babies. https://www.operasofia.bg/en/?cgxra=1&ret=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cub3BlcmFzb2ZpYS5iZy9lbi8= •Watch a theatre performance – Unfortunately, there are currently no performances in languages other than Bulgarian. However, there are several options for subtitled theatre performances. http://sofiatheatre.eu/indexen.php •Attend a Classical Concert – For more information in English you can visit Hall Bulgaria. https://sofiaphilharmonic.com/en/%D1%81%D0%BE%D1%84%D0%B8%D0%B9%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B0-%D1%84%D0%B8%D0%BB%D1%85%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%BC%D0%BE%D0%BD%D0%B8%D1%8F-en/ •Go to the National Palace of Culture – a leading venue for all types of events in Sofia. The National Palace of Culture always has something exciting to offer. http://www.ndk.bg/Program/Events-37EN.html 10. Explore beyond Sofia If you’ve come here for just 2 or 3 days you might not have the time to do this. However, we do encourage you to dive deeper into what Bulgaria has to offer. There are countless of opportunities for day trips, nature escapes, hiking and so much more. If you have the time, we recommend a visit to Plovdiv, The Rila Monastary and Veliko Tarnovo. https://freesofiatour.com/blog/top-7-day-trips-sofia/ Also check out: 1. Top 10 Things to Do and See in Plovdiv https://freeplovdivtour.com/blog/10-things-to-do-see-plovdiv-one-day/ 2. Free Things to Do in Sofia https://freesofiatour.com/blog/free-things-to-do-in-sofia/