Free Sofia Tour's Blog
February 5, 2015
Have you ever tried to figure out the public transportation system in Sofia? What to take, where to get a ticket, how to use it, how to get to the airport, train or bus stations? If so, you have come to the right place, because now we will introduce you to the public transport of Sofia and give you useful information on how to survive in the urban jungle. We hope it will help you “blend in” and not look like human on Mars when you get on a bus. So, hop on and let’s get started! Public transport exists in every good-sized city and Sofia is no exception. Although lots of Bulgarians prefer their cars to move around in the capital, there are people who still prefer to use the public means of transport. As a matter of fact, it is getting more popular and quite regular. Taking a ride in the Sofia public transport is a journey in space and time like no other and the only thing […]
December 10, 2013
The Deutsche Weihnachtsmarkt (Christmas Market) is back! From the 22nd November 2019 to the 22nd December, in the City Garden at the Batenberg Square, every local can experience the Christmas spirit with a cup of mulled wine and a portion of the traditional German “wurst”. The Sofia Christmas market is back! The Weihnachtsmarkt tradition The Christmas market is a tradition that goes back quite a long way. During the late Middle ages, in the German speaking countries, the Weihnastsmarkt became a conventional celebration of the four weeks before Christmas, called Advent. For a predecessor of the festival is considered the December market in Vienna, Austria, held more than 700 years ago! This month, for a 9th time in a row, the citizens of Sofia will experience Christmas in the style of Berlin! The market will offer traditional West European dishes and mulled wine (Glühwein), prepared based on a unique recipe. A meal worth trying is the famous German sausage, called “wurst”. It is served with mustard, bread or sauerkraut. Those who […]
June 28, 2012
Sofia is probably the only European capital with such a big mountain so close to the city center. If we don’t consider the European ministates like Andorra. Vitosha is a ski resort (though a bit underdeveloped), nice hiking place and gives you a great panorama view of the city. The city is also one of the highest capitals in Europe. It’s Andorra la Vella again on top, followed by Liechtenstein’s Vaduz and arguably Madrid. So the question inevitably pops up – ‘How to get to Vitosha mountain?’. Here are some options: WALKING AND HIKING IN VITOSHA This is actually how organized tourism in Sofia started. In 1895 the famous Bulgarian writer Aleko Konstantinov managed to convince around 300 people to leave the ‘dusty streets’ and ‘stuffy cafes’ of Sofia and get a refreshing walk from the city centre to the top of the mountain – Cherni Vrah (Black Peak) at 2290 m above sea level. In front of the National Theatre there’s a stone that marks the starting point of this interesting […]
December 23, 2011
Sofia constantly ranks as the cheapest tourist city in Europe. We believe it offers really good value. According to calculations of PriceOfTravel, backpackers need around BGN 30 per day for their stay in Sofia. The city is actually the cheapest in the world apart from Southeast Asia and India. For travellers who are even more budget-conscious, we have collected some completely free things to make your stay in Sofia even cheaper. Here are the best free things to do in Sofia: Transportation Obviously, transport and accommodation are big items in any travel budget. A lot of people come to Sofia hitchhiking which means near-free travelling. The good news is that almost everything interesting in city is within walking distance and in the city you probably won’t need public transportation at all (except for things like Boyana Church or Vitosha). Accommodation Staying with a friend is the best option to get free accommodation. Keep in mind, though, that it’s a tradition here not to go empty-handed to a friend’s place. Any present, no […]
September 17, 2011
Happy day of Sofia! On September 17 Bulgaria’s capital celebrates St. Sofia Day – the date when the Orthodox world pays homage to the Holy Martyrs Sofia and her three daughters Faith, Hope and Charity (though their Bulgarian names would translate as Faith, Hope and Love). The Day of Sofia – September 17th or April 3rd? In 1992 the Sofia municipal council selected this date for Sofia’s Day at the proposal of the mayor. Between 1979 and 1992 locals would celebrate Sofia’s Day on the 3rd of April – the day when Sofia became Bulgaria’s capital back in 1879. However, the city got its current name somewhere around the 14th century from the early Byzantine basilica Saint Sophia (from the Greek Ἁγία Σοφία, Hagia Sophia, meaning “Holy Wisdom”). During the middle ages the church was the most visible structure that in the vicinity city. It was usually the first thing a lot of people would see whenever they would approach. That made a lot of them associate it with the […]
September 1, 2011
Two of the must-see in Sofia that are not part of Free Sofia Tour because they are in the suburbs of the city – Boyana Church and the National Museum of History The only UNESCO World Heritage Site in Sofia and one of the largest history museums on the Balkans. The Boyana Church and the National Museum of History. Together with some hiking in the mountains they make a perfect half-day or day trip outside of the city center. If you get to one of the places, the other is 15 minutes walking distance. But how to get to Boyana Church and the National Museum of History? By BUS (here’s a good map of the public buses in Sofia): National Museum of History Last stop of trolleybus 2 and the museum is just across the ring road. You can get the trolleybus at the Sofia University. Also, you can use bus 63 from bul. Tsar Boris III and bul. Akad. Ivan Evstatiev Geshov. Boyana Church First, you have to take bus 9TM from the National Palace […]
June 29, 2011
Free Wi-Fi Internet Areas in Sofia Internet in Sofia It is easily accessible and available everyhwere. Free wi-fi areas could be found in most public areas such as the Central Railway Station, Central Bus Station, Sofia Airport, Central Covered Market – Halite. Same goes for all hotels, shoping malls, most metro stations and even some of the parks such as South Park (Yuzhen park), Zaimov Park, Doctor’s Garden. You can also expect that most of the cafes, restaurants and bars would have free wi-fi. Sometimes you might have to ask for a password at the counter but generally it’s free. You just have to bring your own device. Unlike other countries, it’s relatively easy here to find free internet. If you don’t have a wi-fi device, you can ask to use a computer at your place of accommodation or you can use a computer at the Tourist Information Center in the underpass of Sofia University. Here is a great list of places with free wi-fi in Sofia. Mobile Internet – 3G […]