Things to do in Sofia

For the those with a penchant for shopping until dropping, Bulevard Vitosha should make your eyes light up. As Sofia’s main commercial street, you’ll find a good choice of shops, as well as bars and restaurants, which come alive as the evening draws in. For non-shopaholics visit Sofia's mineral baths for a glimpse at local life. There are no longer public baths in the city, but it is possible to join the locals here in filling your bottles or whatever vessels you have at hand, with the city's hot spring water – renowned for its healing properties.

There are pretty parks aplenty to wander around to your heart’s content and watch the Bulgarian world go by. Yuzhen Park offers the city’s best views over Vitosha Mountain massif, while absorbing the tranquil ambience that makes this part of the city worth venturing out to. More central is Sofia’s City Garden, established in 1872. As well as chilling out in between sightseeing, catch a glimpse of the amateur chess players congregating in the park to improve their game.

Once you’ve given Sofia a look around head off the beaten track to Bulgaria’s beautiful sprawling countryside. Just outside of Sofia is Bulgaria’s very own winter sports wonderland. The flora- and fauna-rich Vitosha National Park is an affordable and stunning spot from which to enjoy snowboarding and skiing during the winter months. Once things warm up a little, go hiking and stumble upon cascading waterfalls and abundant coniferous forests. On weekends there is a ski lift to take you up, otherwise it´s a four hour walk.