Sofia was one of those cities where I wasn’t quite sure where to begin exploring. Fortunately, I arrived at exactly the right time.
By chance, I was in Bulgaria on May 24, one of the country’s most important national holidays. Instead of seeing Sofia on an ordinary day, I found streets filled with marching bands, traditional clothing, performances, ceremonies, and crowds celebrating Bulgarian culture.
That ended up being a perfect introduction to a city where thousands of years of history are mixed into the modern capital.
Alexander Nevsky Cathedral
If I had to choose one landmark to represent Sofia, Alexander Nevsky Cathedral would be an easy place to start.
Eastern Orthodox Christianity is the predominant religion in Bulgaria, although the country’s long history has also left Sofia with Muslim, Catholic, Jewish, and other religious communities.
Alexander Nevsky Cathedral is one of the largest Orthodox cathedrals in the world and can accommodate thousands of people. Its enormous domes and central location make it one of the most recognizable symbols of both Sofia and Bulgaria.
May 24 in Sofia
I hadn’t planned my visit around May 24, so finding myself in Sofia during the celebrations was pure luck.
The holiday celebrates Bulgarian education and culture and the Cyrillic alphabet, and much of central Sofia seemed to be participating. There were parades, music, dancing, traditional clothing, and events throughout the city.
I started the day by following this marching band down one of the main avenues.
At first I wasn’t sure how close I should get while taking photographs. Then I noticed that some of the local journalists weren’t exactly shy about getting into position.
I decided to follow their example and crossed in front of the parade a few times with the rest of the photographers.
I could probably fill an entire page with photographs from the May 24 celebrations alone. There were several groups of performers in the parade, and I managed to photograph some of them before they became surrounded by the crowds.
Following the Celebration Through Sofia
Rather than follow the parade from beginning to end, I kept weaving in and out of it while exploring different parts of the capital.
Eventually I reached a large gathering where the crowd was so dense that I couldn’t even see what was happening at the front. I could hear live music and see television cameras raised above everyone on platforms.
When I returned later, almost everyone was gone. The square that had been packed earlier was nearly empty, and fresh flowers had been placed around the monuments.
The Ancient Church of St. George
I’d like to think I would have found the Church of St. George anyway, but it was actually while following the day’s events that I stumbled across it.
The church dates to the Roman period and is generally considered the oldest preserved building in Sofia. What makes it especially interesting is how hidden it feels. Modern buildings almost completely surround the ancient brick rotunda, and if you don’t walk through one of the surrounding passageways it would be surprisingly easy to miss.
Photography wasn’t allowed inside the main church when I visited, but I was able to take a photograph near the entrance where religious images were illuminated by candles.
Painting Sofia
Around the rotunda I noticed at least a dozen people painting the church. At first I assumed it was some kind of school project because many of the painters looked young.
Then I continued exploring Sofia and kept finding people painting in other parts of the city.
Apparently Sofia just has a lot of painters.
Roman Sofia Beneath the Modern City
These Roman remains were actually among the first things I photographed after arriving in Sofia.
It wasn’t until later that I realized I had been wandering around the grounds near Bulgaria’s National Archaeological Museum. There were signs explaining the history of the artifacts outside, while the museum itself held far more inside.
Of course, I somehow managed to miss the museum.
Fortunately, Sofia has enough ancient history scattered around the city that I didn’t have to go far to find more.
Only a few blocks away, stairs lead down from the modern streets into the remains of ancient Serdica, the Roman city that once stood here.
That contrast became one of my favorite things about Sofia. You can be walking through a modern European capital and suddenly find yourself looking down at streets and buildings from the Roman Empire.
Church of St. Petka of the Saddlers
If you’re interested in ancient history, Sofia is one of those cities where new discoveries seem to appear beneath later layers of the city.
The Church of St. Petka of the Saddlers is much younger than the Roman ruins surrounding it, but is still centuries old. Archaeological work around the church uncovered additional structures and a crypt beneath it.
There is also a long-running tradition connecting the church with Bulgarian national hero Vasil Levski, although whether he was actually buried here remains disputed.
Ivan Vazov National Theatre
Another landmark I passed was the Ivan Vazov National Theatre. With the holiday underway, there was live dancing near the theater when I visited.
Vitosha Boulevard
One of the liveliest parts of central Sofia is Vitosha Boulevard. The pedestrian street is lined with restaurants, bars, cafes, and shops and was packed with people during my visit.
Some of that crowd was probably because of the holiday, but I got the impression that Vitosha would be a busy place on almost any nice weekend.
Everyday Sofia
Between the major landmarks, I spent a lot of time simply walking through random neighborhoods and photographing everyday life.
Sofia has plenty of parks, and in one of them I found a large group of men crowded around a board game. There were so many people watching that I couldn’t actually see what game they were playing.
A Market Full of Old Cameras
I also passed through a small market selling a mixture of antiques, appliances, and other random items.
One vendor had an impressive collection of vintage cameras. I assumed anyone selling that many cameras must have at least some interest in photography himself.
Ironically, he didn’t seem particularly happy when I photographed his stand.
South Park
Another place I discovered almost by accident was Yuzhen Park, which simply means South Park in Bulgarian.
I noticed it from about a block away because of its size and the fountains, so I walked over to investigate. The park had cafes, picnic areas, skateboarding ramps, and plenty of open space.
I was convinced I’d come back that evening to photograph the fountains at night.
I never made it back.
Neighborhoods and Street Art
Sofia’s neighborhoods vary considerably, but many of the older areas are filled with the historic architecture I associate with this part of Europe.
This building was one of my favorites simply because of the little field of flowers in front of it.
On narrower streets where buildings didn’t have room for gardens, some people seemed to compensate by decorating the walls instead.
Vasil Levski and the Unknown Soldier
I came across several national memorials while walking through Sofia, including this monument to Vasil Levski.
At the time, I knew he was a Bulgarian national hero but knew very little about when he lived or what he had actually done.
I later learned that Levski was one of the leading figures of Bulgaria’s revolutionary movement against Ottoman rule. He organized a network of revolutionary committees across the country and became one of the most important symbols of the movement that eventually led to Bulgarian independence.
A Stop at the Medical University
One of the smartest people I know back home in Washington, D.C. is a Bulgarian neuroscientist who began his career here.
Knowing that, I felt obligated to make a quick stop at Sofia’s Medical University.
It was the weekend and most of the campus was closed, but I could at least send him a selfie from the gates and surprise him from the place where his career had started.
Modern Sofia
Although much of what interested me about Sofia was its history, the city obviously wasn’t frozen in the past.
My Bulgarian friend told me about the country’s relatively low taxes and the growth in business and development that Sofia had been experiencing. Around the city I saw plenty of newer construction alongside the older neighborhoods.
Banya Bashi Mosque
Another layer of Sofia’s history comes from the centuries when Bulgaria was part of the Ottoman Empire.
Banya Bashi Mosque was built in the 16th century and remains an active mosque today. Its name is connected with the thermal baths that once characterized this part of Sofia.
What makes this area especially interesting is how closely Sofia’s different periods of history sit beside one another.
The Sofia History Museum
Directly beside the mosque is the former Central Mineral Baths building, which now houses Sofia’s history museum.
This ended up being the main museum I visited in the capital, and it was well worth the stop. The exhibits cover an enormous stretch of Sofia’s history, beginning long before the modern city existed.
Centuries of Artifacts
I especially enjoyed the older artwork and everyday objects.
The museum made it easier to understand just how many different periods of history are represented around Sofia. Objects that might look insignificant on their own suddenly had a completely different meaning when placed within the city’s much longer story.
The Royal Carriages
One of my favorite exhibits was the collection of elaborate royal carriages connected with Bulgaria’s monarchy.
Ferdinand I married Princess Marie Louise of Bourbon-Parma in 1893. She died only six years later after giving birth to their fourth child. Ferdinand eventually married again years later, but his first marriage remains part of the personal story behind Bulgaria’s royal family during that period.
My Time in Sofia
I arrived in Sofia expecting to explore another European capital and ended up walking into a national celebration.
That changed the entire experience.
I followed marching bands through the streets, photographed people in traditional clothing, stumbled across a fourth-century church hidden between modern buildings, walked through Roman ruins, watched artists painting outdoors, drank a beer on Vitosha Boulevard, wandered through parks and markets, and finished with a museum that tied together much of the history I had been seeing outside.
Sofia isn’t a city where all of its history has been placed neatly behind museum walls. Roman streets, Orthodox churches, Ottoman architecture, national monuments, communist-era influences, and modern development all exist within the same city.
And because I happened to arrive on May 24, I got to see modern Bulgarians celebrating that history and culture right in the middle of it.
