Neighbourhood guide · Sofia, Bulgaria
The centre & the Largo
The historic heart of Sofia: the Largo and Roman Serdica, the Rotunda of St George, the Banya Bashi Mosque, the synagogue, the Central Mineral Baths and Alexander Nevsky.
About The centre & the Largo
Sofia’s centre is compact and walkable. Around the Largo, the monumental ensemble of the 1950s, lie the streets of Roman Serdica, the Rotunda of St George, the Sveta Nedelya Cathedral, the Banya Bashi Mosque, the synagogue and the Central Mineral Baths, with their fountains of warm water.
A few minutes east, Tsar Osvoboditel Boulevard, paved with yellow bricks, leads past the Russian Church to St Alexander Nevsky Cathedral.
Where The centre & the Largo is
Our 145 places in The centre & the Largo
Restaurants in The centre & the Largo
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Moroccan in a house
Annette
A Moroccan restaurant in an old house with a garden, much loved in Sofia.
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The back story
Bulgarian yoghurt: the microbe named after a country
Why Bulgarian yoghurt is famous, the scientist who found its secret, and the dishes it goes into.
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Steaks and modern dishes
Cactus
A smart contemporary restaurant in the centre with steaks, international dishes and Bulgarian wines.
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Mediterranean, café and bar
Capo
A boutique Mediterranean restaurant, café and bar, cooking without semi-prepared products.
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Wine and jazz
Checkpoint Charly
A characterful bistro with Bulgarian wines and live jazz on some evenings.
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A hidden garden
Club of the Architect
A restaurant in the courtyard garden of the Union of Architects’ house, a quiet hideaway in the centre.
Кракра 11Explore View on map
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Bulgaria on a new plate
Cosmos
Chef Vladislav Penov’s creative restaurant on Lavele Street, where Bulgarian ingredients and memories become imaginative tasting menus.
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A vaulted cellar
Hadjidraganov’s Cellars
A traditional tavern in vaulted cellars in the centre, with hearty Bulgarian food, local wine and folk music.
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Simple and authentic
Izbata Tavern
A traditional tavern in a brick cellar, serving Bulgarian dishes such as banitsa, sirene cheese and stews at fair prices.
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A French bistro
L’Étranger
A small French bistro on Tsar Simeon Street.
Цар Симеон 78Explore View on map
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Monastery recipes
Manastirska Magernitsa
“The Monastery Kitchen”: Bulgarian dishes inspired by the recipes of the country’s monasteries, in a 19th-century house with a garden.
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Bulgarian classics, done well
Moma Bulgarian Food & Wine
A stylish restaurant for modern Bulgarian cooking and Bulgarian wines, a short walk from Vitosha Boulevard.
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Creative tasting menus
Niko’las
A fine-dining restaurant with creative tasting menus built on Bulgarian produce.
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“The lucky one”
Shtastliveca
A popular restaurant with a quirky, vintage-style interior and a long menu of Bulgarian and European dishes.
Сан Стефано 22Explore View on map
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A beer hall
Stambolov Beer Hall
A beer hall and restaurant on Sveti Naum Boulevard.
бул. Свети Наум 1Explore View on map
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Soup of the day
Supa Star
A small, cheerful soup bar with daily-changing homemade soups, perfect for a quick, warming lunch.
бул. Княз Александър Дондуков 17Explore View on map
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A cosy favourite
The Little Things
A cosy, characterful restaurant near Shishman Street, full of little decorative touches, with Mediterranean and home-style cooking.
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The back story
The mehana and the grill: an evening of Bulgarian food
Kebapche, kyufte, shopska salad and a glass of rakia: how a Bulgarian dinner unfolds.
Cafés & bakeries in The centre & the Largo
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Stay a while
Altruist
A calm specialty coffee bar with room to sit, read or work for longer.
Екзарх Йосиф 49Explore View on map
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A café among antiquities
Art Club Museum
A café and restaurant in a garden beside the National Archaeological Museum, among Roman stones and old trees.
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Good for working
Barista Coffee and More
A friendly coffee bar on Bacho Kiro Street, popular for a coffee and a quiet hour of work.
Бачо Киро 26Explore View on map
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Cakes and croissants
Caffeteria
A central patisserie and café on Maria Luiza Boulevard, with cakes, croissants and coffee.
бул. Княгиня Мария Луиза 9-11Explore View on map
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Since 2014
Chucky’s Coffee House
One of the pioneers of Sofia’s specialty coffee scene, open since 2014 near Vitosha Boulevard, with a strong espresso programme.
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Bulgaria’s coffee pioneer
Dabov Specialty Coffee
The roastery that brought specialty coffee to Bulgaria, founded by Cup of Excellence judge Jordan Dabov, with coffee bars around the city.
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Breakfast and pastries
Sweet & Salty Bakery
A friendly bakery café with sweet and savoury pastries and coffee.
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Hundreds of teas
Tea House Sofia
A calm tea salon with a long list of loose-leaf teas and herbal blends.
Bars & craft beer in The centre & the Largo
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A friendly café-club
Abordage
A café-club with a friendly atmosphere and concerts.
Веслец 22Explore View on map
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Bulgarian craft beer
Baron Craft Beer Bar
A craft beer bar on Budapeshta Street, with a long list of Bulgarian and international beers.
Будапеща 8Explore View on map
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Beer on Dondukov
Dondukov Beer Hall
A beer hall on Dondukov Boulevard.
бул. Княз Александър Дондуков 14Explore View on map
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Over 150 wines
Grape Central
A wine bar and restaurant with more than 150 selected wines and tastings.
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Beer and grills
Halbite
A big, lively beer pub near the Five Corners, with beer, grills and Bulgarian pub food.
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A bar by candlelight
Hambara
A hidden, candle-lit bar in an old building in the centre, one of Sofia’s most atmospheric places for a drink.
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Drinks and DJs
Public
An elegant bar with a terrace and DJs on weekends.
Ангел Кънчев 1Explore View on map
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Rakia tastings
Rakia Museum
A small museum of rakia with tastings of Bulgarian fruit brandies.
бул. Патриарх Евтимий 22Explore View on map
See the full list: The 20 Best Bars, Rakia & Craft Beer in Sofia
Nightlife in The centre & the Largo
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A bar by candlelight
Hambara
A hidden, candle-lit bar in an old building in the centre, one of Sofia’s most atmospheric places for a drink.
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Hip-hop and R&B
Sugar Club
A central club for hip-hop, R&B, funk and reggaeton, for up to 400 people.
Княз Борис I 121Explore View on map
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Stand-up comedy
The Comedy Club
A stand-up comedy club with shows in Bulgarian and some in English.
Малко Търново 2Explore View on map
Hotels in The centre & the Largo
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Built over a Roman amphitheatre
Arena di Serdica
A hotel built over the remains of the Roman amphitheatre of Serdica, which you can see inside.
Будапеща 2-4Explore View on map
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Art and design
Arte Hotel
A boutique hotel on Dondukov Boulevard, steps from the centre.
бул. Княз Александър Дондуков 5Explore View on map
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Near the Crystal Garden
Crystal Palace Boutique Hotel
A boutique hotel near the Crystal Garden and the Russian Church.
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A Sofia landmark tower
Grand Hotel Astoria
A tall landmark hotel, reopened after renovation.
бул. Ген. Тотлебен 8Explore View on map
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By the City Garden
Grand Hotel Sofia
A large luxury hotel on Gurko Street beside the City Garden and the National Theatre.
Ген. Йосиф В. Гурко 1Explore View on map
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Between Vitosha and the theatre
Hotel Rila
A central hotel between Vitosha Boulevard and the National Theatre.
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By the Women’s Market
Hotel Sveta Sofia
A hotel on Pirotska, the pedestrian street near the Women’s Market.
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On Vasil Levski Square
Hyatt Regency Sofia
A modern luxury hotel on Vasil Levski Square, within walking distance of the cathedral and the centre.
пл. Васил Левски 1Explore View on map
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On Parliament Square
InterContinental Sofia
A large luxury hotel on Narodno Sabranie Square, facing the Parliament and close to the cathedral.
пл. Народно събрание 4Explore View on map
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Central and practical
Rosslyn Thracia Hotel Sofia
A comfortable, central hotel close to Vitosha Boulevard and the sights.
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A rooftop facing the cathedral
Sense Hotel Sofia
A design hotel on Tsar Osvoboditel Boulevard, with a rooftop bar looking across to the domes of Alexander Nevsky.
бул. Цар Освободител 16Explore View on map
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Around the Rotunda
Sofia Balkan Palace
A grand hotel in the Largo, wrapped around the courtyard that holds the 4th-century Rotunda of St George.
пл. Света Неделя 5Explore View on map
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The back story
Sofia Hotel Balkan and the Largo
A grand hotel in a monumental ensemble built on top of Roman Serdica.
Sights in The centre & the Largo
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Walk the Roman streets
Ancient Serdica Complex
The excavated streets and buildings of Roman Serdica in the heart of the city, around the Serdika metro station.
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Ottoman Sofia
Banya Bashi Mosque
The working Ottoman mosque of 1566, beside the hot springs, attributed to the great architect Mimar Sinan.
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A bath palace of 1913
Central Mineral Baths & Sofia History Museum
The striped Vienna Secession bath palace of 1913, now the Regional History Museum, with hot mineral water fountains outside.
пл. Бански 1Explore View on map
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On the main square
Church of St Nedelya
An Orthodox cathedral on Sveta Nedelya Square, at the heart of the old centre.
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The church that named the city
Church of St Sofia
The 6th-century brick basilica that gave Sofia its name, with an underground museum of the ancient necropolis.
Париж 2Explore View on map
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A mosque turned church
Church of the Seven Saints
A 16th-century Ottoman mosque, the “Black Mosque”, converted into an Orthodox church in the early 20th century.
Граф Игнатиев 25Explore View on map
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The nation’s stage
Ivan Vazov National Theatre
Bulgaria’s national theatre, a neoclassical building of 1906 facing the City Garden and its fountain.
Дякон Игнатий 5Explore View on map
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The back story
Jewish Sofia: the synagogue and its story
The largest Sephardic synagogue in Europe, and a community with a remarkable history.
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Facing the Tsar Liberator
National Assembly
The neo-Renaissance parliament building facing the equestrian statue of the Tsar Liberator.
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The brothers’ statue
National Library St Cyril and Methodius
Bulgaria’s national library, with the statue of Cyril and Methodius in front.
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The back story
Ottoman Sofia: mosques, baths and bazaars
Five centuries of Ottoman Sofia, read in a mosque by a great architect, a church that was once a mosque, and a museum in a former mosque.
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The oldest building in Sofia
Rotunda of St George
A 4th-century Roman brick rotunda in a courtyard behind the Presidency, the oldest building in Sofia, with medieval frescoes inside.
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Golden onion domes
Russian Church of St Nicholas
A small church of 1914 with golden onion domes and green tiles, one of the most photographed buildings in Sofia.
бул. Цар Освободител 3Explore View on map
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The back story
Socialist-era Sofia: the architecture of the 20th century
The Largo, the National Palace of Culture and the housing estates: how the second half of the 20th century shaped the city you see today.
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Moorish Revival splendour
Sofia Synagogue
The great Sephardic synagogue of 1909, one of the largest in Europe, with a magnificent domed interior.
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Bulgaria’s oldest university
Sofia University
The grand main building of Sofia University, founded in 1888.
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The back story
St Alexander Nevsky Cathedral
Gold domes, a sea of frescoes and bells heard across the city: the story of Sofia’s great cathedral.
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A church below the street
Sveta Petka Samardzhiyska
A small medieval church sunk below street level in the underpass at the Largo.
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Monumental Sofia
The Largo
The monumental 1950s ensemble at the heart of Sofia, built over the Roman city, with the Presidency and government buildings.
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The back story
Vasil Levski, the Apostle of Freedom
Why a slim obelisk on a busy boulevard is one of the most visited monuments in Bulgaria.
Museums & music in The centre & the Largo
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Abstract art
A Cube Contemporary
A gallery of contemporary abstract art.
Юрий Венелин 32Explore View on map
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Home of the Sofia Philharmonic
Bulgaria Hall
The concert hall of the Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra, a few minutes from the City Garden.
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The back story
Bulgaria’s great voices: from Boris Christoff to Sonya Yoncheva
A small country with an outsized gift for opera, and the house museum where one legend lived.
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Naive and surreal
Gallery Paris
A gallery of contemporary painters, mainly naive and surrealist.
Цар Самуил 47Explore View on map
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The nation’s stage
Ivan Vazov National Theatre
Bulgaria’s national theatre, a neoclassical building of 1906 facing the City Garden and its fountain.
Дякон Игнатий 5Explore View on map
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Icons in the crypt
Museum of Christian Art (Nevsky crypt)
A collection of Bulgarian icons in the crypt of St Alexander Nevsky Cathedral.
пл. Св. Александър НевскиExplore View on map
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Fun for families
Museum of Illusions
An interactive museum of illusions on Maria Luiza Boulevard.
бул. Княгиня Мария Луиза 16Explore View on map
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Thracian gold
National Archaeological Museum
Bulgaria’s great archaeological museum, in a 15th-century Ottoman mosque, with Thracian gold and Roman treasures.
Съборна 2Explore View on map
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Folk costumes and crafts
National Ethnographic Museum
Bulgarian folk costumes, crafts and traditions in the former Royal Palace.
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Art behind the cathedral
National Gallery: Square 500
The National Gallery’s great collection of Bulgarian and world art, in a building behind Alexander Nevsky Cathedral.
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The oldest in the Balkans
National Museum of Natural History
The first and richest natural history museum in the Balkans, beside the Russian Church.
бул. Цар Освободител 1Explore View on map
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Opera and ballet
National Opera and Ballet
Sofia’s opera house, with a full season of opera and ballet, a short walk from Alexander Nevsky.
бул. Княз Александър Дондуков 30Explore View on map
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Comedy and satire
Satirical Theatre
The Aleko Konstantinov Satirical Theatre, for comedy and satire.
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Bulgarian art
Sofia City Art Gallery
The city’s art gallery in the City Garden, with Bulgarian art and exhibitions.
Ген. Йосиф В. Гурко 1Explore View on map
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For children
Sofia Puppet Theatre
A much-loved puppet theatre on Gurko Street.
Ген. Йосиф В. Гурко 14Explore View on map
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Art in an empty rooftop pool
Swimming Pool
A non-profit art space on a central rooftop, around an empty pool.
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The back story
The Bulgarian voice: women’s choirs and folk song
Close harmonies, open-throated singing and rhythms in seven and eleven: why Bulgarian folk song astonishes the world.
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The back story
The Ivan Vazov National Theatre
A neoclassical temple of drama by the architects of Europe’s theatres, facing the City Garden.
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A 1980s apartment
The Red Flat
An apartment furnished as a Bulgarian family home of the 1980s, explored with an audio guide.
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Independent theatre
Theatre Off the Channel
A small city theatre known for contemporary productions.
бул. Мадрид 1Explore View on map
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Drama and family shows
Youth Theatre
A theatre on Dondukov Boulevard for drama and family shows.
бул. Княз Александър Дондуков 8-10Explore View on map
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The back story
Zahari Zograf and the Samokov school of icon painting
The painter who covered Rila, Bachkovo and Troyan with saints, sinners and the people of his own time.
Cinema in The centre & the Largo
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Dom na kinoto
House of Cinema
Sofia’s best-loved art cinema, with European and independent films, festivals and premieres.
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The national film archive
Odeon
The cinema of the Bulgarian National Film Archive, with classics and retrospectives.
Parks in The centre & the Largo
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Chess players and fountains
City Garden
The oldest public garden in Sofia, in front of the National Theatre, with a fountain and chess players.
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A garden in the centre
University Botanical Garden
A small botanical garden in the centre, with greenhouses.
Walks in The centre & the Largo
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Chess players and fountains
City Garden
The oldest public garden in Sofia, in front of the National Theatre, with a fountain and chess players.
Thermal pools & beach clubs in The centre & the Largo
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Warm water in the city centre
Mineral water fountains
Public fountains of warm mineral water beside the Central Mineral Baths, where Sofians fill their bottles.
Shopping in The centre & the Largo
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A market hall of 1911
Central Market Hall
The historic covered market of 1911 on Maria Luiza Boulevard, with food stalls, cafés and shops.
бул. Княгиня Мария Луиза 25Explore View on map
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Saturday market
Hrankoop Farmers’ Market
A Saturday farmers’ market by the old Roman wall.
Стара стена 3Explore View on map
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Central mall
Mall of Sofia
A central shopping centre with a cinema.
бул. Александър Стамболийски 101Explore View on map
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The central department store
TZUM
A historic department store building on the Largo, now a shopping centre.
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The Women’s Market
Zhenski Pazar
Sofia’s biggest open-air market, full of fruit, vegetables, cheese, spices and bargains.
бул. Стефан СтамболовExplore View on map
See the full list: Shopping in Sofia: Streets, Markets & Malls
Cars in The centre & the Largo
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Blue and green zones
Parking in Sofia
Central Sofia has paid Blue and Green parking zones, payable by SMS or app.