Free Sofia Tour's Blog
November 28, 2018
If you have explored Sofia, been to Plovdiv, visited the Rila Monastery or the seven lakes then probably next on your list is Veliko Tarnovo. Known as the old capital of Bulgaria this city is full of history, charm and great people. This is why this time we will be sharing with you the easiest way to get there. Veliko Tarnovo is situated in the center of Northern Bulgaria at a very strategic location. It is at an almost equal distance away from Sofia (around 220km), Plovdiv (around 200 km), Varna (around 220 km) and Burgas (around 220 km) all of which have airports. No matter where you have landed you will be equally away from this must-see Bulgarian town. You can easily get there on your own choosing from the options listed below. By car or taxi If you have rented a car or plan to do it or even take a taxi this is the easiest and fastest way to get to Veliko Tarnovo. It takes around 3 […]
November 14, 2018
You are planning to visit Sofia? You are 12 – 18 years old? This article is written just for you! I chose these places from my hometown, because as a teenager myself, I’ve visted them plenty of times and I think that they are all worth your time. I hope that this information will be useful for you and will be very happy if you decide to visit my city and add different ideas to this list, so that more teenagers can experience Sofia their way. Number One: Escape Rooms Escape rooms are places where you can get locked in for about one hour and you have to solve tasks, in order to escape. When you are ready with all of the obstacles in your quest you can go out and enjoy freedom once again. Apart from that, you can celebrate your birthday there. There are many different escape rooms in Sofia. The first one that opened in my city, is called “Dextrophobia“. The one which I personally visited for the […]
October 25, 2018
You have already explored Sofia? Great! Then it’s time to see what else Bulgaria has to offer. Sofia is the perfect starting point for various types of day trips including small historical towns, natural landmarks and so much more. Here are our top 7 suggestions for day trips from Sofia: The Rila Monastery and the Rila mountain The Rila Monastery is truly one of Bulgaria’s most emblematic symbols and one of its most picturesquely located landmarks! Nested amongst the majestic peaks of the highest mountain on the Balkans, the monastery is simply an architectural and ethnographic piece of art to be discovered at the end of a scenic mountainous road that leaves you breathless on every turn. And if the inexhaustible array of stunning views displayed towards ancient forests, crystal-water mountain creeks and stiff alpine cliffs are not enough to have you hold your camera out throughout the whole journey, then the sophisticated lines of the monastery complex, its colorful inner yard facade and authentic atmosphere, are certain to do so. No […]
August 10, 2018
We’ve all been to Paris, Rome, Venice and Prague. We all adore those places – vibrant and full of stories. But today we will walk you through a hidden pearl in the heart of the Balkans – Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria. For those who haven’t had the pleasure of pounding the pavement in this ancient and at the same time rapidly modernizing city, and are looking for adventures to remember – here’s the lay of the land in our green, cultural, innovative and adventurous Sofia. First things first If you’re new to Sofia, then you can’t skip a walk in the ancient centre of the city. Culturally rich, culinary tempting and vibrant with cozy coffee shops and modern bars – that’s the right place to experience life in the city. The best thing to do is to get on one of those Free Sofia Tours and learn the most interesting facts about Sofia, the people and the best places to visit. Let the adventures begin Adventure activities seem to be getting more […]
July 30, 2018
Explore Sofia’s biggest landmarks with a private guide! You can book a tailor-made private tour every single day! You get to choose the route, starting point and time, and frame up the whole experience! A sightseeing tour is one of the must things to do when in Sofia. About Us We have been running walking tours in Bulgaria’s capital for 8 years. During that time our walking tours became the preferred option to explore Sofia’s city center. And also, the #1 Activity in Sofia according to TripAdvisor users and other popular social media platforms. Why the 365 Association? Our walking tours run every single day of the year. That includes all national holidays, Christmas, Easter, etc. Our first project was the Free Sofia Tour. It gives you the oportunity to explore Sofia’s main landmarks every single day – 3 times a day – at 10AM, 11AM and 6PM. The idea of Free Sofia Tour is to show the city to individual travelers and small groups. If you are an organized […]
July 6, 2018
Once you’ve made your way through the gates of the plane, took a bunch of elbows in the ribs on your way to border control, avoided some very persistent taxi drivers and jumped into the first bus maybe you are already safe and sound in Sofia city center. Maybe you were lucky enough to land at Terminal 2 and took advantage of the shiny new metro. If so – congratulations and welcome to Bulgaria! You saved yourself some time and a potentially overwhelming culture shock trying to deal with bus tickets and communicating with drivers in this strange Bulgarian language. Ah, ok! You read our blogpost on how to go from Sofia airport to the city center… then everything went smoothly! If you finished exploring the capital city and you wish to dive into the deep and wander around the countryside, it is time for you to learn how to get around Bulgaria. If you didn’t come to Bulgaria by plane, you are already a high-level (and eco) traveler here […]
June 26, 2018
If you are a passionate traveler, a large part of your foreign cultural exploration is undoubtedly food… or in this case – Bulgarian food. One cannot truly understand the life of the other if they don’t mix things up with the local cuisine. You haven’t been to Bulgaria unless you’ve tried Bulgarian food Spicing up your trip with new flavors is a must and Bulgaria is the country where it can get real messy, saucy, cheesy, steaming hot in a clay pot or simply delicious! Bulgaria is a country that will never leave you hungry for two reasons. Firstly, there is the wealth of food for all tastes and secondly, Bulgarians are the kind of people that will always make sure your plate has been filled at least 3 times, and your belt loosened by at least 2 holes. Banitza Undoubtedly, our number one dish is banitsa. This queen of Bulgarian specialties is a pastry usually stuffed with cheese but there are plenty of other versions for the adventurous type […]
June 18, 2018
“The discovery of a wine is of greater moment than the discovery of a constellation” once said the famous American politician and scientist Benjamin Franklin. With this post we plan to help you discover a whole new universe. Please don’t leave Bulgaria without trying a couple of glasses of wine! History of Bulgarian Wine Bulgarians have a long history in winemaking. This is something we inherited from everybody that once inhabited our territory – Thracians, Romans, Byzantines etc. They were all famous for being good wine connoisseurs. From the archaeologists we know that the Thracians had many rituals dedicated to the God Zagreus (or Dionysus as the Greeks call him or Bacchus as the Romans know him) – the God of Wine who inspired some of their most important cults. Images associated with the harvesting of grapes and winemaking are found on pottery, murals and mosaics in residential and public buildings. Even in some tombs. At the end of the 19 century this tradition grew and developed as a professional […]
June 11, 2018
History of Vrana Palace The Royal days of Bulgaria are long gone. However, all around the country you can still find evidence of this period of Bulgarian history. Only 15 kilometers away from the heart of the city center of Sofia you will find the Summer Royal Palace of Vrana. The chosen location was where the homestead of the Ottoman governor of Sofia – Osman Pasha used to be. During the timeline of history, those lands change their ownership quite a lot. At the end of the 19th century they became property of the royal family of Bulgaria. We owe this project to our Royal Highness Ferdinand I. Construction works began at the beginning of the 20th century. The project consisted of the construction of various buildings with different purposes – hunting villa, royal palace, garden, rockery, artificial lakes, greenhouse and stables. Vrana Royal Palace surroundings You will also find a simple wooden house built during the communist regime . It was used by Georgi Dimitrov, our first communist leader. There is […]