Things to do in Sofia: ideas for weekdays, evenings and weekends

The easiest plan is on foot. Start at Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, pass Sofia University and walk down Tsar Osvoboditel Boulevard towards the Russian Church and the Presidency. In the courtyard behind it stands the Rotunda of St George, one of the oldest buildings in the city. From there you are two minutes from the Largo and the excavated streets of ancient Serdica, visible for free from the square and from the metro station.

Carry on to the Central Mineral Baths. Next to them are taps with warm mineral water where locals fill bottles. With time to spare, the Women’s Market is close by, and Vitosha Boulevard runs straight to the National Palace of Culture (NDK) and the park in front of it.

• Do not want to plan a route? Free Sofia Tour starts daily in front of the Palace of Justice, in English, and you tip what you like at the end. Times change with the season, so check their schedule.
• Wear comfortable shoes: most of the centre is closer together than it looks on the map.

The National Museum of History in Boyana is one of the largest in the country and easily fills half a day. Square 500, behind the cathedral, holds a large part of the National Gallery’s collection. The Archaeological Museum sits in a fifteenth-century mosque right in the centre, and the Museum of Socialist Art has a park of statues you will not see anywhere else.

Many museums have reduced or free entry on certain days. Check their website before you go, and check the closing day too, which is often Monday.

Borisova Garden is the large park closest to the centre, with long running paths, Ariana Lake and plenty of benches. South Park is wider and wilder, a favourite with dog owners and runners. West Park and North Park are quieter and almost free of tourists.

For a short break in the centre, try the Doctors’ Garden, where ancient stone fragments sit between the trees, or the City Garden in front of the National Theatre, with benches, a fountain and chess players.

One of the best things about Sofia is that the mountain starts almost inside the city. Public transport takes you to Boyana, Dragalevtsi or Simeonovo, where trails start for every level. Buses to the higher points run less often, sometimes only at weekends; timetables are on sofiatraffic.bg.

Easy options are Boyana Waterfall, the Golden Bridges with their stone river, and Kopitoto with a view over the whole city. Longer is Cherni Vrah, Vitosha’s highest point at 2,290 metres.

• Mountain weather changes quickly: take a jacket, water and a charged phone.
• The Mountain Rescue Service is on 1470, and 112 works everywhere.

Sofia has many theatres close together, though nearly all performances are in Bulgarian. Dom na Kinoto shows European and independent films, Odeon cinema shows classics, and the Sofia Philharmonic plays at Bulgaria Hall.

For something lighter, look for a quiz night in a bar, a board game club or stand-up comedy. The streets around Tsar Ivan Shishman and Oborishte are good for an evening walk with one stop for a drink.

Pancharevo Lake is half an hour away and has a path along the shore. Trains through the Iskar Gorge take you past cliffs, monasteries and small stations worth getting off at. For a full day, consider the Seven Rila Lakes, Rila Monastery, Plovdiv or Koprivshtitsa.

Most of the above works perfectly well alone. If the real question is “with whom”, look for formats where people do something together: a small group walk, a board game, a park workout, a volunteer action. Conversation starts around the activity rather than from nothing.

Haide lists exactly these small events in Sofia, each with a clear time, a place and a person hosting it. You are welcome to come on your own.