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| Sofia - short historical facts |
| Sofia was found seven thousand years ago and is the second oldest city in Europe. It has been given several names in the course of history and the remnants of the old cities can still be seen today. Serdika was the name of the central dwelling of the ancient Thracian tribe known as "Serdi". It bore that name when it became part of the Bulgarian state at the beginning of the ninth century and was soon recognized as one of the most important feudal towns, acquiring the Slavic name Sredets. The decline of Sofia during the Ottoman Empire was followed by the rejuvenation after the liberation in 1879, when Sofia was chosen as the capital of Bulgaria at the First National Constituent Assembly. In 1900 the City Council approved the emblem of Sofia and the motto "It Grows but Does not Age". In 1992, in honor of the celebration of St. Sofia the Martyr, the Government chose September 17th as the Day of Sofia. |
| Public Transport |
Generally public transport is available from 6:00AM till 11:30 PM during the working week and from 6:30AM till 11:00PM during the weekends. 21 tramlines, 11 trolley lines and about 200 bus lines perform the city transport services. A subway is available as well, but it covers only one half of the city, so it's a good idea to check for the best way to travel before you decide which transport to use. Two-cabin and two-seat lifts connect Sofia with Vitosha national Park.
Tickets are available at almost each bus stop usually in the newspaper kiosks or in a separate ticket kiosks. Price for a ticket does not depend on the number of bus stops you are going to travel, but to make your travel cheaper there're number of different types of tickets and transport cards on a daily, weekly or monthly bases. |
| Minibuses |
| Another alternative way to travel through the city are minibuses, which in Sofia are called "marshrutka". They travel through a certain path. Since they don't have stops you can stop them anywhere during their path to step in or off them. Price for a ride per person is 1 lev which you have to pay directly to the driver of the minibus. There are 46 routes available which goes not only through the city, but as well to the suburbs of Sofia. You can always ask for more information on this topic. |
| Shopping |
| The main shopping areas in Sofia are on Vitosha Blvd., Graf Ignatiev St., Rakovski St., Pirotska St. and all the streets leading from and to them. The Central Department Store (TsUM) has been repaired as one of the biggest shopping centre on several floors where you will find everything from souvenirs to household goods. The area around Yanko Sakazov St., Oborishte and Shipka streets has all sorts of small private shops, boutiques etc., where service is friendly even if choice is limited. One of the biggest open market for souvenirs, antiques and traditional bulgarion pottery and clothes is just in the green area around Aleksander Nevski Cathedral. You can find all kind of small things. Note that at the most of the stalls you can actually bargain for the price, but of course it depends on the situation. If you are looking for something particular ask for a specialized shop or just make a tour around central and back streets and see what you come across - you can be really surprised. If you find something you like buy it straight away. It might be gone by the time you get back. The Central Halls (Halite) on Maria Luiza Blvd /next to TsUM/ is one of the biggest Food Hall on three levels with over 100 different pavilion shops offering all kinds of fresh foods. Shops also offer household goods and fashion boutiques. Nearby, Pirotska Street has been transformed into a continental style pedestrian area with a variety of shops and street cafes. Underpass just next to Halite is transformed into a small souvenir market so if you are looking for something traditional that might be the place for you. Note: size on the clothes can be due to different standard. A comparative table is available here. |
| Currency |
Official currency in Bulgaria is bulgarian lev/stotinka. Due to bulgarian legal system all payments in Bulgaria must be in bulgarian currency. For most of the shops, restaurants, cafes e.c. this rule is absolutely valid, but in special occasions you can pay in other currency /depends on the situation/.
Exchange of money is possible either in a bank or in an exchange bureau. If you planning to exchange money in an exchange bureau you must always check exchange rates (sometimes they are much lower then the normal one) and also for commission (sometimes rates are higher, but you have to pay commision which at the end leads to even lower rates). There are a few 24/7 exchange offices in Sofia - for more information check "Links" section of our website.
If you need more information on this topic you can visit "Bulgarian National Bank" official website www.bnb.bg. |
| Night Life |
Sofia offers a diverse and rich night life. The city is a non-stop party zone with clubs closing in the wee hours of the morning.
Restaurants and cafes are open much later than elsewhere, often until 4am, and a lot of them are even open 24/7. Sofia is a 24 hour party city with diverse shows and bands and a rich culture. Sofia is known for a great number of dance clubs such as Tequilla, Dali, Planeta, Chervilo, Escape, Back Stage, Alkohol, Sin City, Biad and Mojito, as well as live music clubs, cozy restaurants, chic cafes and hype bars. Based in Voenen club, Chervilo bar is hosting often famous electronic music artists and has a regular electronic music program. Sofia is teeming with pubs, bars and clubs, which give the city a fantastic sense of energy and life. The sophistication of the ‘scene’ in Sofia can easily rival that of any other European Capital City.
Along with Sofia's great history and culture, there is one other thing you need to know about this city Sofians love to party. This could be helped by the fact that there are no licensing laws, making drinking possible at any hour. Day and night countless bars and cafes throughout the city are heaving, with a number of restaurants open 24 hours a day. Head to Vitosha Boulevard for the best selection of bars.
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Sofia
