Sights · 30 of the best in Sofia
Boyana Church
UNESCO World Heritage
Photo Credit
Image courtesy of © Ivano Giambattista · CC0 via Wikimedia CommonsAbout Boyana Church
Boyana Church looks modest from outside, but inside are frescoes painted in 1259 whose lifelike faces are among the masterpieces of medieval European art, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979. To protect them, visits are short and in small groups, so check the times. It is in the Boyana district at the foot of Vitosha, close to the National History Museum.
Why it's on our list
- A UNESCO World Heritage Site
- Frescoes painted in 1259
- Timed visits in small groups
Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with Boyana Church before you go.
What’s nearby
Distances from Boyana Church are approximate, measured in a straight line (as the crow flies). Times are approximate too: walking at about 80 metres a minute, cycling at about 15 km/h and driving at typical city-traffic speeds. Traffic and routes vary.
Key sights
- National Palace of Culture (NDK)6.2 kmCycle 25 minCar or taxi 22 min
- Borisova Gradina6.9 kmCycle 27 minCar or taxi 24 min
- Church of St Nedelya7.3 kmCycle 29 minCar or taxi 25 min
- Ivan Vazov National Theatre7.4 kmCycle 30 minCar or taxi 25 min
- National Archaeological Museum7.5 kmCycle 30 minCar or taxi 25 min
- Sofia Synagogue7.6 kmCycle 31 minCar or taxi 26 min
- Banya Bashi Mosque7.6 kmCycle 31 minCar or taxi 26 min
- Russian Church of St Nicholas7.7 kmCycle 31 minCar or taxi 26 min
- Central Mineral Baths7.7 kmCycle 31 minCar or taxi 26 min
- Church of St Sofia7.9 kmCycle 31 minCar or taxi 27 min
Getting around
- Central Bus Station8.7 kmCycle 35 minCar or taxi 29 min
- Sofia Central Station8.7 kmCycle 35 minCar or taxi 29 min
- Sofia Airport (SOF)13 kmCar or taxi 42 min