Hobby clubs in Sofia: board games, running, hiking, dance and climbing

The easiest hobbies to start in Sofia are running in the park, group hikes on Vitosha, board games, folk or Latin dance, and climbing. Each has places that welcome beginners, and for most of them you do not need to bring anyone. Pick something that happens every week: people become friends through repetition, not on the first visit.

Board game clubs are among the easiest places to talk to a stranger. The rules give you a topic and the game gives you a reason to share a table. The Other Castle (Drugiyat Zamak) in Poligona, behind The Mall, has been running since 2012. It is a shop and a club, and it holds tournaments and themed days.

Plenty of bars and cafés in the centre also keep a shelf of games. If you are alone, ask whether there is a table you can join, or come to an announced tournament, where pairs and groups are made on the spot.

Every Saturday 5kmrun holds a free, timed 5 km run in South Park and West Park. You register on 5kmrun.bg (in Bulgarian, but short), get your time, and the next Saturday you see the same faces. There is no age or pace limit.

Sofia also has running clubs with group sessions during the week, announced on Strava, Instagram and Facebook. Good places to run are Borisova Garden, South Park and the trails at the foot of Vitosha.

Hiking societies are the oldest hobby clubs in Bulgaria. The Bulgarian Tourist Union was founded on Cherni Vrah in 1895, and you join it through local societies. Edelweiss, a Sofia society with more than 130 years of history, runs regular hikes on Vitosha and around the country; its programme and weekly meeting are on its website, in Bulgarian.

If you prefer English, the Sofia Expats group on Meetup runs after-work sunset hikes on Vitosha alongside its other meetups. There are also many Facebook hiking groups of every difficulty. Look at how many people go and whether the leader describes the route and difficulty clearly.

• Routes and maps are on the Vitosha Nature Park website.
• The Mountain Rescue Service is on 1470, and 112 works everywhere.

Bulgarian horo dances are easier than they look. They are danced in a circle, with no partner. Horo Ensemble has three schools in Sofia and takes beginners of any age. In Studentski Grad, Ritmo Dance Studio teaches salsa, bachata, kizomba and folk dance and starts new beginner groups in the autumn.

In Latin dance classes partners rotate, so coming alone is normal and you meet more people that way.

Climbing is more social than it looks. Between attempts you rest next to other people and talk about the same route. Walltopia Climbing & Fitness in Sofia Tech Park and Balkan Climbing near Ring Mall are large gyms with rope walls and bouldering. Balkan Climbing runs a beginners’ course, and Walltopia explains how to start on its website.

Bouldering, which is low climbing above thick mats, needs no partner. For rope climbing you take a short lesson and a belay test before climbing on your own.

If you want to try something once without signing up anywhere, people post small events on Haide: a game, a walk, a workout in the park. You can come on your own.

• Go three times before you decide whether you like it. The first time everything is unfamiliar.
• Choose one day of the week and protect it.
• Tell the coach or organiser you are new. They will usually introduce you to someone.
• Do not buy gear before your third visit.

What hobby can I start in Sofia on my own? Something with a steady rhythm and a group: the Saturday 5kmrun, a group hike, a horo or salsa class. Coming alone is normal there.

Are there free clubs in Sofia? Yes. 5kmrun is free, and volunteer causes on TimeHeroes.org cost nothing. For clubs with a fee, check the price on their website.

Where can I play board games in Sofia? At clubs such as The Other Castle, or in bars and cafés with a games shelf. Tournaments are the easiest way in if you do not know anyone.

Do I need experience to start climbing? No. Gyms run beginner introductions, and bouldering needs no partner.