Where We Be
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| This long sign in Cyrillic seems to have something to do with joining the Bulgarian military (based on the poster below it) |
| Sofia, Bulgaria |
It only takes about three hours to see the most
important sights of Sofia, capital of Bulgaria. A
good place to start is Vitosha Boulevard, the
popular tree-lined pedestrian street filled with
cafes and shops. From here you can visit a
string of lovely churches -- St. Nedalya's (at the
northern end of Vitosha), St. George's Rotunda
(the oldest building in Sofia), and the Church of
St. Nikolas the Wonderworker (a tiny gem of a
church with fairy-tale Russian spires and onion
domes). Save the best for last with a visit to St.
Alexander Nevski Cathedral -- the biggest cath-
edral not just in Sofia but in all of the Balkans.
The other must-do in Bulgaria is Rila Monastery,
a two-hour journey outside of Sofia in beautiful,
mountainous countryside. There are plenty of
affordable tours to get you there. We found an
8-hour tour for under $30 pp on Viator (driver
only, no guide) that visited both Rila Monastery
and Boyana Church -- two UNESCO sites in one
day. Rila Monastery is so picturesque it graces
just about every cover of every Bulgarian travel
guide ever made. Even on a rainy day, it's worth
the journey, so do yourself a favor and go.
important sights of Sofia, capital of Bulgaria. A
good place to start is Vitosha Boulevard, the
popular tree-lined pedestrian street filled with
cafes and shops. From here you can visit a
string of lovely churches -- St. Nedalya's (at the
northern end of Vitosha), St. George's Rotunda
(the oldest building in Sofia), and the Church of
St. Nikolas the Wonderworker (a tiny gem of a
church with fairy-tale Russian spires and onion
domes). Save the best for last with a visit to St.
Alexander Nevski Cathedral -- the biggest cath-
edral not just in Sofia but in all of the Balkans.
The other must-do in Bulgaria is Rila Monastery,
a two-hour journey outside of Sofia in beautiful,
mountainous countryside. There are plenty of
affordable tours to get you there. We found an
8-hour tour for under $30 pp on Viator (driver
only, no guide) that visited both Rila Monastery
and Boyana Church -- two UNESCO sites in one
day. Rila Monastery is so picturesque it graces
just about every cover of every Bulgarian travel
guide ever made. Even on a rainy day, it's worth
the journey, so do yourself a favor and go.
| Even on a rainy day, Rila Monastery shines |
| We can't read cyrillic, so we can only guess why the woman in this ad appears to be wearing a dress made out of lettuce |
| What are the odds? This pigeon flew straight towards me as Robin snapped this photo. |
| Just outside the cathedral is this pretty yellow building which houses the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences |
| The cutest church in Sofia has to be the Church of St. Nikolas the Wonderworker (even its name is cute) |
| The iconic Sofia Balkan Palace Hotel captures the essence of neoclassical architecture |
| Tulips put on quite a show for us during our April visit |
| We passed a slew of museums and governmental buildings as we headed east towards Nevski Cathedral |
| Our route took us past this building covered with inspiring quotes: e.g., "Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value" -- Einstein |
| Just around the corner is St. George's Rotunda, built in the 4th century. When we headed inside, an orthodox priest was chanting a litany of prayers in Bulgarian. |
| St. George's Rotunda is set inside the grounds of the presidential palace |
| Heading north on Vitosha, we came first to St. Nedalya's Church |
| We began our Sofia walking tour on Vitosha Boulevard, the pedestrian heart of the city |
| The exterior of the cathedral wowed us the most, but the interior is also lovely, and it's free to visit |
| The #1 sight in Sofia -- and for good reason -- is St. Alexander Nevski Cathedral. This is the largest Orthodox church in all of the Balkans. Truly impressive! |
| What a lovely setting for a lovely church! |
| Only ten people are allowed inside Boyana Church at a time, because it's so small and the frescoes are so delicate, so while we waited for the rest of the folks on our bus to have their turn, we enjoyed the pastoral setting outside, complete with birdsong, flowers, and even a giant redwood tree planted by King Ferdinand of Bulgaria in 1907. |
| Our second UNESCO site of the day was Boyana Church, on the outskirts of Sofia. No photos were permitted inside, but the frescoes are AMAZING and OLD. They were painted in 1259, and they show real emotion -- something incredibly rare back then. Don't miss the fresco depicting three men in a boat, one of them obviously seasick! |
| It was cold and rainy enough that we took refuge in the only restaurant in the village, where we sat as close to the fire as we could get while enjoying beers and a "shopska salad," Bulgaria's national dish |
| Just outside the monastery is a little "village" where you can find food. We tried a mekitsa for 1 lev (50 cents), a traditional Bulgarian breakfast that tastes an awful lot like a funnel cake |
| No photos are permitted inside the church itself -- but many of the most beautiful frescoes are on its outside gallery walls and ceiings |
| If you like taking pictures, this is the place for you |
| We liked everything about this place except the weather -- cold and rainy when we arrived. But the architecture, the setting, and the frescoes were all gorgeous. |
| Walking map for our self-guided Sofia city tour |
| Rila Monastery is one of seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Bulgaria -- and undoubtedly the most popular of the seven |
| Two stern sentries stand guard at the entrance to the presidential palace |
| Our loop trip returned us to our Hotel "Niky," just off Vitosha Boulevard |
| Rila Monastery & Boyana Church |
| Sofia Walking Tour |
| Vitosha can be quiet or busy depending on the day -- it was absolutely packed on our last day, with sunny 70-degree weather and a local flower festival in full swing |
| But when we first arrived, the weather was chilly and the street almost empty. These enclosed cafes allowed folks to eat "outside" while still staying warm. |
| Sofia is filled with beautiful architecture, so keep your eyes open as you walk along |
| This is Vitosha Mountain, after which Vitosha Boulevard is named (it's prominently visible at the southern end of the boulevard) |
| We passed this interesting mural on our way home |
| Pretty tulips near the National Palace of Culture (just south of Vitosha Blvd.) |
| This is a working monastery, so monks actually live in the rooms surrounding the monastery itself |
| These colorful frescoes were completed in 1846, but they look fresh enough to have been painted last week |
| All the happy heavenly people are depicted on the ceilings and higher walls |
| While all the hellishly unhappy people are painted in muted colors on the lower walls |
