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Free Sofia Tour's Blog

October 26, 2020

Parks and Gardens in Sofia

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 […]
June 11, 2018

The Palace of Vrana – History, Opening Hours and Prices

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 […]
March 9, 2014

7 fun facts about the Borisova Garden in Sofia

Sofia’s biggest park – Borisova Garden How often do you pass by a park or a garden? You hang out with friends, sit on a bench drinking beer, or just lazily lie on the grass letting time fly? Have you ever wondered about the stories these places hide? Here are some fun facts about the biggest park in our capital – Borisova Garden. We hope that it will help you get to know it better. 7 Facts about the Borisova Garden 1. Initially, the Borisova Garden was in the outskirts of Sofia but as the city grew rapidly the park ended up in the very center of Sofia. 2. The Borisova Garden was built at the end of the 19th century. Its name went through a number of changes. First, it was Razsadnika (The Nursery Garden), then Pepiniera, Tzarigradskata gradina, Knyaz Borisovata gradina (The Prince Boris Garden) and The Freedom Park. 3. A Swiss gardener was responsible for the design. He was brought all the way from Bucharest. 4. The plants for the Japanese Corner, came […]