Sights · 30 of the best in Sofia
Church of St Sofia
The church that named the city
Photo Credit
Image courtesy of © Matti Blume · CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia CommonsAbout Church of St Sofia
The Church of St Sofia is a simple, beautiful brick basilica of the 6th century, built over an older Christian cemetery, and in the 14th century the whole city took its name from it. Beneath it, a museum lets you walk among ancient tombs and mosaics. Outside stands the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
Why it's on our list
- Built in the 6th century
- Gave the city its name
- An underground museum of the necropolis
Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with Church of St Sofia before you go.
What’s nearby
Distances from Church of St Sofia 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.
Nearest metro stations
- Sofia University St. Kliment OhridskiM1M4600 m8 min walk
- Serdika IIM1M2M4800 m10 min walk
- Orlov mostM3800 m10 min walk
Nearest taxi ranks
- Taxi rank, Knyaz Alexander Dondukov Blvd.250 m3 min walk
- Taxi rank, Vasil Levski Blvd.300 m4 min walk
Key sights
- St Alexander Nevsky Cathedral150 mWalk 2 minCycle 1 minCar or taxi 3 min
- Russian Church of St Nicholas200 mWalk 3 minCycle 1 minCar or taxi 4 min
- Ivan Vazov National Theatre450 mWalk 6 minCycle 2 minCar or taxi 4 min
- National Archaeological Museum550 mWalk 7 minCycle 2 minCar or taxi 5 min
- Central Mineral Baths650 mWalk 8 minCycle 3 minCar or taxi 5 min
- Banya Bashi Mosque800 mWalk 10 minCycle 3 minCar or taxi 5 min
- Church of St Nedelya800 mWalk 10 minCycle 3 minCar or taxi 5 min
- Sofia Synagogue950 mWalk 12 minCycle 4 minCar or taxi 6 min
- National Palace of Culture (NDK)1.7 kmWalk 21 minCycle 7 minCar or taxi 8 min
- Borisova Gradina2.5 kmWalk 31 minCycle 10 minCar or taxi 10 min
Getting around
- Central Bus Station1.6 kmWalk 21 minCycle 7 minCar or taxi 8 min
- Sofia Central Station1.9 kmWalk 24 minCycle 8 minCar or taxi 9 min
- Sofia Airport (SOF)6.9 kmCycle 27 minCar or taxi 24 min