Arrival in Sofia. What's Next?

Foreigners used to call it a run-down Vienna. Local visionaries now claim it is bound to flourish into a second Lisbon. If you give Bulgaria a try and start your visit from Sofia, just because that's where the main international airport is, you may well be surprised how captivating this vibrant city can be.

By Milena Hristova

Walker's Itinerary

Sofia is among the few European capitals, which boast a close access to the magnificence of the mountain. Perhaps the best view of the city is from the suburbs, located nearest to the Vitosha Mountain. Here claustrophobia falls away to be replaced by an open view of the city's immensity.

To feel the spirit of the city, however, one needs to explore it on foot - during the week, when the city throbs at a hectic pace, or over the weekend when it is virtually empty. Before you embark on your trip, remember - if you want to signify "yes", you shake your head back and forth. To show the answer is "no", nod your head up and down.

You may pick for a starting point of your tour the Balkan Sheraton Hotel Sofia and St. Nedelya Square, which houses the church of the same name.

Most of Sofia's landmarks are along the so-called Yellow Brick Road, which was paved in 1917 with yellow bricks from Vienna, a showpiece of post-war Sofia. These are the buildings of the Presidency, the National Art Gallery and the St. Nicholas Russian Church.

Nearby is the Vitosha Boulevard, which two years ago and quite like similar streets in other European capitals - was pronounced to be a fashion street. And with good reason - the shops here bear names such as Versace, Ermenegildo Zegna, Chanel and Donna Karan.

No walker should miss the fourteen-meter high black equestrian statue of Russian Czar Alexander II. Alexander faces the National Assembly on his right and across which is the most outstanding building in the city - the stunning Russo-Byzantine St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, the symbol of Sofia. Just south of St. Nedelya Square is the neo-classical National Theater Ivan Vazov, where, surrounded by cafes and fountains, elderly men play chess.

You can also take a short stroll to the Opera House on the corner of Rakovski and Vrabcha streets.

Bulgaria was the crossing point of many cultures and is a country in transition - traits that can see clearly reflected clearly in its architecture - neo-classical, neo-Baroque buildings line up side by side with monolithic construction of the communist period, glossy new buildings, sporting modern glass and metal components. This weird eclecticism can bring in one and the same street derelict buildings, where choirs' rehearsals take place, trendy clubs, the fashion house of high-style designers, a book store and an endless string of food retailers.

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Deliciousness under Cover

"Cheese under cover" is not the name of an agent from the times of communism, but..... an item on a menu. Bulgarian cuisine is one of the tastiest in Europe although you may find some of the dishes translated in a clumsy way in the menus. Yet do not jump to rash conclusions - generally English is widely spoken in Sofia and those who are not fluent will go to great lengths to help.

White cheese baked in a clay pot with the lid on, the so-called "Cheese under cover" is a must on the list of those who want to sample traditional Bulgarian food. Another is the popular shopska salad (chopped tomato, cucumber, pepper, union and cheese) and shopsko cheese (white cheese baked in an egg and a pepper on top). At first sight the dishes seem simple, modeled on the peasants cooking. Yet very delicious and healthy. And all for a bargain.

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Keeping a Cool Head

When temperatures fall, one has to admit that the aromatic grapes refresh and enhance the mood of long winter evenings. Sofia has a lot to offer the wine connoisseurs.

Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the few international brands imported in Bulgaria, as they face heavy rivalry from local varieties. It comes as no surprise that Bulgaria-produced wines are the connoisseurs' choice - legend has it that peoples from the Black Sea region were the first ever to process grapes for wine. Small wonder wine menus here can be as long as 20-page list.

Gamza, Mavrud, Melnik are a must for any foreign visitor. The list also features the No Man's Land merlot, a full-bodied wine from Melnik, that has been gaining popularity over the last couple of years. The wine does not refer to the ubiquitous movie, but comes from the three-mile-wide "no man's land" between Bulgaria and Greece to which refugees from Communism once fled.

You may also go for Misket or Dimiat, quality lager beer (Zagorka, Kamenitza, Astika) or the tradition spirit rakiya.

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Money Tips:

Money can be exchanged at banks, bureaus, hotels and airports. Don't change money with people who offer their services in the streets. You face the real risk of being cheated or ripped off. Foreigners are prone to be overcharged in restaurants, hotels and primarily taxis. Don't fool yourself into thinking it is the service charge that some restaurants would add to your bill.

Transport:

Public transport can be a real adventure in Sofia, so you'd better use it if only on a budget. Along with the trams, trolleys and busses which cover the whole territories of Sofia, you can also take the underground. It will whisk you from the center to the West of the city.

Gifts:

You can easily find embroidered table linens and all kinds of memorabilia at the flea market, enclosed by the Alexander Nevski Cathedral and St. Sofia. At Traditzia, a charity gallery, the items on sale - ceramics and embroidery - are made by children and adults in social institutions. On Slaveykov square, which is Sofia's book market, you may also find an intriguing present. As well as in the number of gallery spread n the city.

参考：

 索非亚市内景点介绍（英）

索非亚市内景点游（英）

索非亚市景点网上游