Free Sofia Tour's Blog
January 19, 2021
Often referred to as Sofia’s Champs-Élysées, The Vitosha Boulevard is by far the most famous street in Bulgaria. Contrary to many “main streets” in big cosmopolitan cities, this one is equally popular among both locals and visitors. Whether for shopping, a stroll down the boulevard or just to sit down at one of the many cafes and restaurants, Vitoshka (as most Bulgarians call it) is as close as it gets to Sofia’s beating heart. History of the Vitosha Boulevard The development of Sofia’s main street is intertwined with the development of the city itself after it was chosen as the new Bulgarian capital in the late 19th century. The street had several different names throughout the decades. Its initial name was the ottoman “Dzhebel vitosh sokagi”. It was first called Vitoshka (The Vitosha Boulevard) back in 1883. After that, however, the name was changed several times. In the early 20th century it was renamed to “General Yosif Gurko”. Later, to “Tsaritsa Joanna”. After WW2 the street was called “Joseph Stalin” […]
December 1, 2020
There are a number of reasons why one might prefer exploring the city on their own. And while we’re best at guiding walking tours in Sofia and Plovdiv we are also here to help you out if you’ve decided to do things at your own pace and time. If you prefer doing that here’s our suggestion for a self-guided Sofia tour that will take you around the city’s main landmarks. You should be able to cover the route in around two hours. 1. Start: Palace of Justice As with all our tours, the Palace of Justice is the perfect place to begin your journey. It is situated right next to the pedestrian part of Sofia’s main street – The Vitosha Boulevard. Look out for the two lion statues at the very front and you will never miss it. Apart from the countless shops, restaurants, bars and cafes around, the area is also really well connected by tram and metro. Nearest metro station is Serdika. 2. Sveta Nedelya Church You should be […]
November 18, 2020
We must admit that the citizens of Sofia are spoiled by having the Vitosha mountain so close by. There are many different ways to get there. However, today we are focusing on one of our favorites. One of the many hiking paths available is the one that takes you to the Boyana waterfall. The Boyana Neighbourhood Once a village, neighbouring the big city, today Boyana is one of the nicest and most preferred residential areas in Sofia. It is right at the foot of the Vitosha Mountain. Therefore, it is 8km away from Sofia’s city center. To access it you need to go beyond Sofia’s ring road between Dragalevtsi and Knyazhevo. There are mostly houses in Boyana owned by what would be considered as the wealthier part of the Bulgarian society. However, the area is also home to a few must sees during your trip to Sofia. By far, the most famous landmark is the Boyana Church. A UNESCO world heritage site dating back to the 10th century. Another very […]
November 17, 2020
Екипът на Free Sofia Tour вече 10 години е ангажиран с безплатните турове, които разкриват забележителностите на София. През тези 10 години нашата организация успя да развие и редица други проекти. Това, в което се съсредоточихме през особената 2020-та година е представянето на наследството на нашия град в игрови формат. След успеха на вълнуващия лов на съкровища – Sofia Treasure Hunt, сега предлагаме нещо по-подходящо за месеците на физическа дистанция, които ни предстоят. А именно – Големият Софийски Куиз на Free Sofia Tour. Куиз за София Големият Софийски Куиз на Free Sofia Tour е поредица от събития на български език, които представят интересни и забавни факти от софийското минало и настоящи под формата на викторина с награди. Каним ви да се включите в първия онлайн куиз на тема “София”! Куизът е разработен от екскурзоводите на Free Sofia Tour, които запознават гостите на столицата с нейната история, забележителности и скритите ѝ тайни вече цели десет години. Ако смятате, че познавате София като петте си пръста, ако искате да проверите колко всъщност я […]
October 26, 2020
They call it one of the greenest capitals in Europe for a reason! Sofia might not have sea access or a large river crossing it but it is full of beautiful parks – green in spring, yellowish in autumn and (hopefully) white in winter. Here is our selection and description of the most popular and attractive open spaces you should not miss! The City Garden We simply had to start with the oldest one! During the Ottoman rule there was a private garden here in front of the then police station. The park was not open to the public but remained accessible only to the local ruler. Right after the liberation in 1878, the park was officially opened under the name The Alexandrov Garden in honor of the Russian Emperor Alexander II. Today, the most important building in the City Garden is the National Theater Ivan Vazov finished in the first decade of the 20th century. The park is small and neat, with plenty of benches to sit, relax and […]
October 19, 2020
Last month we have had the honour of introducing Bulgaria’s capital to a newcomer – the new British Ambassador to Bulgaria – Mr. Rob Dixon. It was at the very beginning of his stay that he had his first walk around central Sofia. And we were there to guide him! British Ambassador Dixon explores Sofia The British Embassy in Bulgaria has shared a video of the special walk on their Facebook page. Watch the video to see what sights he visited. Free Sofia Tour guide Dimitar Dimitrov had the privilege of revealing Sofia’s fascinating history and main landmarks. He also happens to be a UK-graduate, having studied Masters in Theory and History of International Relations at the London School of Economics and Political Science. The tour included Sofia’s main landmarks with a special British twist, accentuating the story of the British-Bulgarian relations. Новият посланик на Великобритания Роб Диксън с разходка из центъра на София През първите си няколко седмици тук новият британски посланик в България Роб Диксън направи първата си […]
October 15, 2020
Over the past ten years the guides of the Free Sofia Tour have had the privilege of guiding thousands of guests from all corners of the globe around Sofia’s main landmarks. We’ve also had the chance to welcome some pretty special guests. However, few occasions can compare to a special tour with His Excellency, German ambassador Christoph Eichhorn, dedicated to Germany’s 30th Reunification Anniversary. 30 Jahre Einheit – 30th Anniversary of the German Reunification What a monumental event! Here in Sofia, as part of the celebrations a special tailor-made tour was developed to honor the occasion. It was called “The 5 B’s: Battenberg, Bauhaus, Brutalism, Berlin and Bulgaria: following the steps of the German-Bulgarian history in Sofia.” This was an exclusive one-off event, open to all those curious to learn more about this fascinating topic. This rather unusual tour route and topic sparked a huge interest among the local community. So much that we’ve had to add extra slots and a second tour guide. The tour followed the German – […]
October 12, 2020
Sofia Game Night is back! And this time, we are also part of it! About Sofia Game Night Sofia Game Night is an initiative by Goethe-Institut Bulgaria and Game Dev Summit. It focuses on the different types of games. It provides a wider perspective of what games are, what’s their impact on our society, the user experience and the pleasure that they bring. Apart from the obvious description of what a game night could be, Sofia Game Night also has a bigger vision. Its goal is to become a platform for various discussions on the social, political and economic aspects of gaming. Free Sofia Tour is part of 2020’s Game Night Over the past year we have been working on a brand new project – the developemnt of an outdoor game. A game that is both fun, competitive and educational. And we are finally ready! We are proud to announce that we will debut our newest project Sofia Treasure Hunt during the Sofia Game Night. In fact, there will be […]
August 14, 2020
Yesterday was our special day! It was on that day that Free Sofia Tour was born 10 years ago! On the 13th of August 2010 our very first tour was joined by only 1 person. Since then we have walked around Sofia’s main landmarks thousands of times and have welcomed guests from every corner of the globe excited to explore what Bulgaria’s capital has to offer. When our initiative started Sofia was a city that was rarely visited and was largely out of most people’s travelling lists. Over the past 10 years we saw that changing and we hope that our tours played a small part in the process of opening up the city to foreign visitors and spreading the word about its rich history, beautiful landmarks and incredible potential. Happy 10th Birthday! Free Sofia Tour and the 365 Association Free Sofia Tour was the beginning of the 365 Association. Over the past 10 years our incredible team took part in the development of numerous initiatives, projects, exhibitions and cultural activities […]