Sofia Things to Do Tips by desert_princess Top 5 Page for this destination

The Monument of King Liberator

The Monument of the Russian King Liberator Alexander II is facing the Parliament and having on its back The Radisson hotel.

"King librerator
grateful bulgaria"
are the words under the feet of king's horse.

http://stara-sofia.com/PametnikCarOsvoboditel.pdf

Popa - The Statue of Partiarch Evtimii

The Statue of Partiarch Evtimii is an important Orientation point in Sofia Center aswell as the most common meeting point for Sofians .It gets very crowded after work hours as everybody is meeting everybody to spend the evening with.

As I said Popa is the most common place for dates and if you are gonna see a dear friend,flowers are a good gift. So no surprise that there is a flower booth nearby.
The prices are very reasonable ,and you will make a good impression.

The monument story (in Bulgarian)

For example this beautiful orange flower costs 1,5 euros / 3 lv !

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Directions: Located at the crossing of Vassil LevskiSteet, Patriarch Evtimii and Graf ignatiev Street

The Yellow Pavement Area Aleksander Nevski Cathedral Review

The Yellow Pavement Area is the most beautiful part of Sofia . It's called like this because the streets are all covered with yellow stones . You will find here The Sofia University "Kliment Ohridski",The "Alexander Nevski" cathedral , The Parliament , Embassies, The Military club and Chervilo, The Russian Church, The National Art gallery ,the Archeologic Museum, The Presidency, The National Assembly, The St George Rotonda, The ruins of Serdika, Sheraton hotel , Tzum and the Statue of Sofia with the Metro Station.

If you have only a short time to visit in Sofia - this is where you should go

Историята на жълтите павета

"Как се е появил този керамичен паваж в центъра на столицата?
През годините са публикувани неверни сведения,
свързани с княгиня Елеонора Каролина Гаспарина Луиза,
принцеса фон Ройс цу Шлайц-Кьостриц
и втора съпруга на Фердинанд I Български от 28.02.1908 г.,
впоследствие Царица Елеонора.
"един вид подарък за сватбата на българския княз Фердинанд с госпожа Елеонора ...
а жълтите павета по "Цар Освободител" са били зестрата на княгиня Елеонора, втората съпруга на Фердинанд"

Address: Al. Nevski Sq.

Directions: On the centre of Sofia

Phone: +359 2 988 17 04

National Opera and Ballet National Opera and Ballet Review

Ninth Easter festival 23 - 7 may 2005
"Swan Lake" - Tchaikovski
I don't remember seeing a Ballet, I guess it never interested me till today. So I just went to take a look......and got spellbound!!!! Sooo much beauty and grace I haven't seen for long !!!! You don't need to speak bulgarian to see a Ballet....the only thing you need are eyes for beauty ...the rest is MAGIC!!!!! I would reccomend this to anyone!!!
The Prima ballerina was Viara Natcheva (She is a prima of the Berlin Ballet too ). And the word I have for her is PERFECTION!!!!She is born for ballet....sooo talented,so fragile and strong at the same time - she is the grace in person!!!
Here she is - Viara Natcheva/Odette-Odille with Rossen Kanev / Prince Sigfried

With " Swan Lake" starts the hisory of the Russian Classical Ballet - as Glinka sets in 1836 the beginning of the Russian national opera with "Ivan Susanin". The premiere of the ballet takes place on 20 february 1877 in Bolshoi Theatre, and the choreography,having turned itself into a classic, is the edition from 1895 of Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov,staging of Mariynski Theatre.

pics from "Swan Lake" and " More Swan Lake"

Address: Bul " Dondukov" 30

Phone: 9811549 , 9871366

The Red House

Located close to the monument of Patriarch Evtimii, The Red House is a newly reconstructed by the "Beautiful Bulgaria" project center for progressive arts .
Recently an exibition of the world famous fashion photographer Helmut Newton was hosted here , on her way to Vienna.
Modern Ballet and theater spectacles and different exibitions aswell as seminars can be seen here.
The house was reconstructed after being left for long years with no inhabitats. A former workshop of the most famous bulgarian sculptor Andrei Nikolov ( his most famous work is "spirit and substance"/ Duh i materiia in Bulgarian, and his students among which Vladimir Guinovski and Velitchko Minekov - personnal friends of our family.In these workshops were created the most famous monuments and sculptures on the territory of Sofia and Bulgaria.
Vladimir Guinovski is the author of the monuments of : "Cyril and Methodii" in front of the National Library and the same in Rome, "Hristo Botev" monument in Vratza,"Vassil Levski" in Veliko Turnovo military school, "Elin Pelin" Baylovo and many others works ,abroad aswell.
Its unusual architecture and very high ceilings make it perfect for the purpose it's used today.

Address: Liuben Karavelov Street 15

Website: http://www.redhouse-sofia.org/

The Round Tower of the Serdika Fortress

The ruins of the Round Tower of Serdika Fortress are to be found close to the old central mineral springs. Now only the old reservoir is remaining.
The fortified town - first with round , later triangle towers of Serdika - was built in the end of the II century.It was situated in the area between the streets of Legue , Alabin, Pozitano, Washington ,Halite, Ekzarh Josif and Serdika. By the planning of the town was applied the roman regulatory system, where the streets were wide from 3,8 to 6 m and were orientaded north - south and east - west,paved with stones and having water and canalization networks underneath.

Directions: The Round Tower of the Serdika Fortress is to be seen between the streets of Ekzarh Josif and Iskar ,not far from Banya Bashi Mochee

Sveti Sedmochislenitzi Church of Sveti Sedmochislenitsi Review

Sveti sedmochislenitzi are the five students of Cyril and Methodii along with their enlighteners that were carrying the mission to spread and defend the Slavic Alphabet though the world . their names are - Kliment, Sava,Naum , Angelarii and Gorazd.

Sveti Sedmochislenitzi church is an example of the Bulgarian national-romanticism.
Build at the emplacement of Kodja Mehmet Dervis Djami (Imaret Djami) known also as "the Black Mosque" because of its minaret tiled with black marble. Destroyed before the liberation from Ottoman rule in 1878. The mosque was built after the plans of architect Sinan in 1528, commissioned by Mehmet Pasha ( Great Visier of Suleiman II the Magnificient - 1520-1566) . A turkish school for priests - a medrese - was later added , as well as caravanserai / jail and a bath. After 1878 the jail and the priest school were temporarily used as prison until building of the Central Prison.They were afterwards destroyed in 1929.
Reconstructed into a church after the idea of Petko Karavelov , who was jailed here between 1891 and 1894. The mosque was turned into an Otrhodox church in the years 1901 to 1903 , after the plans of Architects Milanov and Momchilov,in collaboration with architect Pomerantsev.
The exterior was entirely changed and was successfuly transformed with implementation of elements of the Bulgarian cultural heritage.
The electric clock on the western facade was a bold artistic decision for a church building and was placed in 1930 by G.Hadjinikolov.
The Iconostasis icons were made by Stefan Ivanov ,who was still a student at the School of painting back at the time. The internal walls were painted by Anton Mitov and Stefan Badzhov ,both students from his class. At the end of 20th century , Assen Gitzov ,from the national Art Academy , completed the painting of the church.
Buried in the yard near the apsida are Petko and Ekaterina Karavelovi.

Address: Graf Ignatiev street

Directions: You will find the church and the market on your right side, walking from Popa to Slaveikov Square

Sofia Synagogue Sinagoga Review

In construction

Directions: near Tsentralni Hali

Website: http://www.sofiasynagogue.com/index.php?lang=en

St George Rotonda and an ancient Roman street St Georges Rotunda Review

The oldest architectural monument in Sofia - the "St George" church built in the IV century.It is as well the only remaining building from that period in good shape , all the way to the intact roof.
Since its building , probably as martyrion(a religious place devoted to a saint martyr) the construction of the rotunda is dated back to the beginning of the 4th century, from the time of Emperor Constantine the Great (306-337),who stayed in Serdika on several occasions.It was transformed in baptistery in 313 because of the mass conversion to Christianity in the Roman Empire.In the 6th century ,under the rule of Justinian the Great(527-565) ,it was transformed into a church.Its first paintings date back from this time. The vault has been destroyed twice - during and earthquake and the Huns and Westgoths invasions in 4th and 5th century and in 9th century - during the siege of Khan Krum. Under the rule of sultan Salim I (1512-1520)the Rotunda was transformed into a mosque bearing the name Gyul Djamasy.Wall paintings were than erased by white plaster and the mosque has been ornated with floral motives.
After the liberation of Bulgaria from ottoman rule, the Rotunda was left at the side until the death of Alexander Battenberg,when it was transformed into a temporary mausoleum until his remains were moved to the one specially constructed for him in 1898.
In 1915 the Rotunda was cleaned fromeverything that made her a mosque , the minaret was destroyed,the plaster was cleaned and the medieval paintings uncovered.
Now , everyday a liturgy is held , in the ancient liturgical language of the Slavic Orthodox - Church Slavonic and the chants are performed after ancient east orthodox ecclesiastic singing, known also as Byzantine music.

Nestled in the backyard of Sheraton hotel Sofia at one side and the President's residence from the other, The St George Rotunda an ancient Roman street ,surrounded from typically communist architecture from all 4 directions are an interesting clash of the centuries.

Directions: In the yard of the Presidency - Pass the President Guards on the left and you will be there

The British Embassy

Embassy of her Majesty of Great Britain"
Bul "Vassil Levski" 38

Hopefully you won't need any assistance from the embassy for bad reasons,such as lost or stolen Passport, money or whatever ,but just in case ,it's good to know where you have 2 go.
Some 200m from Popa on Vassil Levski street in direction to NDK.

Actually this is only the British consulate now - the embassy has been moved in the recent years at the back of the National Art gallery.

Address: 9 Moskovska Street

Phone: +359 2 9339222

Website: http://www.fco.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPage&c=Page&cid=1007029395231&a=KOverseasMission&aid=1013618504872