Sofia City Breaks

Easily the largest city in Bulgaria and the nation’s capital, Sofia is a condensed, walkable city that makes sightseeing city breaks here that little bit easier. The city is encircled by mountains, with the Balkan Mountain range to the north and the Vitosha Mountains to the south. The atmosphere of Sofia is young and energetic, self-confident and cosmopolitan. Fast developing into a modern European city, Sofia still represents the east-meets-west vibe of its past, with Ottoman mosques jostling for position with domed churches and neo-classical Stalinist architecture leading onto tree-lined boulevards and 19^th century Russian and Viennese balconied buildings. With its rich past and striking mix of architecture, Sofia makes for a fantastic Eastern European cultural city break.

There are a great many things to see and do in Sofia, many of which can be enjoyed for free or next to nothing, and therefore will fit nicely into a cheap city break itinerary. Visit the impressive Natzionalen Archeologicheski Musei; housed in a 15^th century mosque and displaying some fantastic Thracian, Greek and Roman archaeological pieces. See some fantastic pieces of art at the National Art Gallery, located in the Tsar’s old palace. The Church of St Sofia (Tsurkva Sveta Sofia) is well worth a visit, making for some great photo opportunities, and there is even a free walking tour of the city, great for those on a budget, which departs from the corner of the Palace of Justice (Sudebna Palata) twice a day. Those interested in an authentic Bulgarian shopping city break experience will want to make a trip to one of the huge, sprawling markets that occur here; Zhenski Pazar is the largest, punting a huge range of delicious foodstuffs, shisha pipes, fake designer clothing and other goodies.

Accommodation in Sofia ranges from the cheap and cheerful to the height of extravagance, and everything in between. Those on a luxury city break may want to consider the opulent Maria Luisa Hotel, housed in one of Bulgaria’s most treasured buildings and listed as one of the country’s monuments of cultural significance. For those on a budget, the Art Hostel at €9 a night is hard to beat, with a friendly atmosphere and touted as ‘probably the coolest hostel in Europe’ by the Guardian. The nightlife in Sofia pulsates with an energy befitting a capital city. There are countless bars, cafes and clubs to suit all tastes. The biggest clubs are to be found in Students' town (Studentski grad) and are generally very cheap to get into (on the whole below €3); some of the most popular include Avenue, Tantra, Orient 33, Jeam Beam, Maskata and Stroezha. To find the best city break deals to Sofia, use directline-citybreaks online search tool.