Sofia

Sofia

Visit Sofia – one of the oldest cities in Europe and capital of Bulgaria since 1879. Over 250 historic landmarks and architectural monuments blend in with the city’s modern skyline. You will see the gold-leaf-domed extraordinary St Alexander Nevski Cathedral. The rich interior decoration, embodies the spirit of the finest Eastern Orthodox traditions. A superb collection of Bulgarian icons – masterpieces from the 9th to the 18th century – can also be seen in the Crypt.

The St George Rotunda (4th century), the oldest building in Sofia, is situated amid the remains of the ancient Roman town of Serdica.

The St Sofia Church (5th century), one of the most significant examples of early Christian architecture in the Balkans and of the few buildings remaining from the time of Emperor Justinian.

The National Theater (1904), the oldest and most authoritative theatre in Bulgaria.

The Archaeological Museum (1892) is the oldest museum in Bulgaria. It contains over 55,000 monuments and a staggering 1.3 million coins in its collection of archaeological finds from all Bulgaria, in four sections: Prehistory, Antiquity, Middle Ages, Coins.

The National Museum of History (1973) contains more than 650,000 exhibits and is one of the largest history museums on the Balkans.

The National Ethnographic Museum (1892) contains a collection of 10,000 exhibits showing the lifestyle and occupations of the Bulgarians in the 19th century.

The foundation stone of the new Roman Catholic Cathedral of St Joseph (2006) was laid personally by Pope John Paul II during his visit to Bulgaria in 2002.