Alexander Nevsky Cathedral
The Alexander Nevsky Cathedral is one of the largest Orthodox cathedrals in the world, dominating the Sofia skyline with its gold dome. Free to enter.
City in Bulgaria
Sofia
14 things to see
Sofia regularly ranks as the cheapest capital in Europe, and much of its best sightseeing costs nothing at all. The gold-domed Alexander Nevsky Cathedral is free to enter, the 4th-century St George Rotunda sits in a courtyard you can wander into, and the excavated Roman streets of ancient Serdica lie under glass walkways right in the center. Tip-based free walking tours run daily, all year, and are the easiest way to thread the Roman, Ottoman, and Soviet layers together in one morning. For green space at no cost, head to Borisova Gradina park, then take cheap public transport out to Vitosha mountain, where the lower trails and viewpoints over the city are free even if the cable car is not. The nearby Boyana Church is a UNESCO site worth the small entry fee, and Plovdiv makes an easy budget day trip by bus or train. Spring and autumn give you the mildest weather and the thinnest crowds, which keeps room rates low.
What to see
Things to do in Sofia
What each one costs, where the cost is known.
Banya Bashi Mosque
The only functioning mosque in Sofia, built in 1576 during the Ottoman period. Free to enter outside prayer times, it sits next to the mineral baths and the public hot spring taps where locals fill bottles with free thermal water.
Boyana Church
The Boyana Church is a small medieval church on the outskirts of Sofia, UNESCO-listed for its 13th-century frescoes that are considered among the finest examples of medieval art in Eastern Europe. Entry is paid at a modest price.
Central Mineral Baths
The Central Mineral Baths building is an ornate former public bathhouse in the center of Sofia, now housing the Regional History Museum (small fee). The building itself, with its ceramic decorations and domed roof, is beautiful from the outside.
Hagia Sophia Sofia
A 6th-century Byzantine church that gave the city its name. Free to enter, the austere brick interior and underground Roman ruins beneath the floor offer a stark contrast to the ornate Alexander Nevsky Cathedral across the street.
Ivan Vazov National Theatre
Bulgaria's grandest theater building, with a neoclassical columned facade set in a small park with fountains. Free to admire from outside, and performances inside are remarkably affordable by Western European standards.
National Palace of Culture
The National Palace of Culture (NDK) is a massive brutalist congress and cultural center south of the city center, surrounded by a park. Free to enter the lobbies and walk the park.
Presidential Palace Sofia
The seat of Bulgaria's presidency, located in the city center next to the St. George Rotunda.
Serdica Roman Ruins
The Serdica ruins are the remains of the ancient Roman city of Serdica, discovered during metro construction and now displayed in an open underground passage between the Serdica metro station and the Presidency building. Free.
Sofia Synagogue
The largest Sephardic synagogue in Europe, completed in 1909. Entry costs a small fee and includes the Jewish History Museum on the upper floor.
St George Rotunda
The St George Rotunda is a 4th-century Roman circular church in the courtyard of the Presidency building, the oldest building in Sofia. Free to enter.
Sveta Nedelya Church
A central Sofia cathedral sitting on its own square at the crossroads of the city's main pedestrian streets. Free to enter, the interior holds notable frescoes and icons.
Vitosha Boulevard
Vitosha Boulevard is Sofia's main pedestrian street, running from the Palace of Justice toward the Vitosha mountain, which is visible at the far end on clear days. Free to walk.
Vitosha Mountain
Vitosha Mountain rises directly above Sofia, its summit (Cherni Vrah, 2,290 meters) visible from the city center. Free to hike.
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