365: Culture tour or how to experience Bulgaria through all of your senses
May 11, 2015
Разходки с ЕВРО находки в София
May 15, 2015
This year the 365 Association, which stands behind the Free Tours of Sofia and Plovdiv, is launching two new and exciting projects: the 365: Communist Tour (link for the tour) and Culture Tour (link for the tour).
The idea behind starting a 365: Communist Tour actually arose out of the experience of our guides doing the Free Sofia Tour. On many occasions our guests show a deeper interest in the topic and have asked about what it was like in Bulgaria during that period, wanting to learn more about the story of our side of the Cold War.
Illustrating how Bulgaria became communist country with the help of some red strings. Photo source: Free Sofia Tour
The 365: Communist Tour – Communism and Europe
The Cold War is, of course, something that practically affected the whole world in the previous century. It has been over 25 years since communism officially disappeared in Europe. It is natural that memories are already starting to fade away or get distorted. At the same time, most people still have strong opinions on the topic. If you just talk to a local about it, you are likely to hear radically different stories, depending on who you are talking to.
Because of this, we decided we must satisfy the demand and offer a walking tour through the main sites of the era. The tour covers many different aspects of the period’s specific history and the way they affected the lives of ordinary people in a balanced, non-biased fashion.
Celebrating the first ever 365: Communist Tour at the Palace of Justice. Photo Source: Free Sofia Tour
The 365: Communist Tour
The tour takes place every day at 4 p.m. during the summer season (April to October) and five times a week: on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays (November to March) at 4 p.m. The starting point is The Palace of Justice. The same place that the Free Sofia Tour starts from. It takes about three to three-and-a-half hours (don’t get scared, there is a short 15-20 minute break). Our guides Daniel, Nikola, Niki, Martin, Dino, Vasil and Stefan will show you the most important places and tell you the most significant stories of the era. The price is 22 leva (11 euro) per person.
Wonder what happened to this symbol of communism? Join our tour!
The 365: Communist Tour and the Iron Curtain
So, if you remember the Cold War, but are wondering what it was on the other side of the Iron Curtain; or if you were on this side of the Iron Curtain, but are interested in the Bulgarian perspective; if you don’t remember the Cold War and were maybe even born after it was already over; if you are curious about this period of history that you’ve heard about from your parents and grandparents; or if you find having to be included in a waiting list in order to buy a car and free and universally available healthcare and education equally amusing, you are definitely welcome to visit us!
Last update: April 2019
14 Comments
[…] informative and entertaining and so I thought I would give them a try. And I found myself on the Communist tour, which lasts 3½ hours and covers almost all the city centre and 45 years of Bulgarian history. […]
My wife and I are going to Sofia from 5th to 7th of June 2016, could you tell me the Communism tour´timetable for these specific days?
Thanks in advance,
[…] които правят Free Sofia Tour) са започнали да правят и комунистическа обиколка на София. Таргет групата на тура са чужденците, самият той е на […]
I would like to participate to this event at this thursday. 2 adults. Please inform me about the process of payment
thank you
[…] is no way I can do justice to Daniel’s nearly four-hour long tour about Communism in Bulgaria, but I suppose sharing a bit is better than sharing […]
Can I just show up at your meeting spot, pay and join the tour?
[…] then headed back into the centre of Sofia for the 365 Communist walking tour. Martin kept us entertained for near four hours, picking out the best of the communist era […]
i had studies there those era of communism and it was real
peace and quite and beautiful life , everybody with his job,
good universities with many foreighners students, good public healthcare, clear environment and good relations ships with the other side countries.
Can we have a tour today?
Tony Saikley
0877864858
[…] Nevsky Hamachi 33 Gastronauts Mr. Pizza Banitsa (Bulgarian Cheese Pie) Ayran (yogurt drink) The 365: Communist Tour of Sofia Museum of Socialist Art, Sofia Tour in an old Communist Car The Bells Monument The Bohemian Blog […]
You could have found at least someone that has respect and appreciation of history. Your narrative is a mixture of bizarre fairytales and propaganda, far from any historical accuracy. At least be frank with your customers and tell them that your bizarre and one-sided interpretation does not rest on any records of the period. You make no distinction between the repression of Stalinism and late socialism, following the line of discredited Cold War hawks like Robert Conquest, a CIA operative, who was caught with his pants down about his over-exaggerations. Also, tell them that on the so called monument of the victims of Communism is listed the name of a child-murderer – Lieutenant Colonel Konstantin Yordanov, but he is not a fascist, right? Because, “there was no fascism in Bulgaria”. Maybe he was mentally ill? Yeah, right! He ordered the murder of children because they were “Communists”. Just like the killers in My Lai, that raped, killed and burned a whole village because the villagers were Communists, not even babies were spared. Your Communist Tour, US style, is nothing but a lesson in self-colonizing to another Master. And before you jump the gun, let me tell you that I happened to live 12 years under this “horrible regime” and I am glad that I got my education before the amazing “democratic reforms” that made a mockery of the educational institution. Under this horrible regime my parents’ library contained the works of Western and Russian classic and modern literature, science and philosophy. Now, the average Bulgarian can hardly afford a book. Ignorance is strength! I know how to differentiate between facts and propaganda.
[…] Of course, Romania and Albania are far apart. I decided to break the trip up by staying in Sofia, Bulgaria for a few days. Well, actually I only wanted to stay one day, but it turned out that buses to Albania only happened a few times a week. I did sight-seeing around Sofia, and my favorite activity was the Communist Tour. […]
[…] in history, but I became fascinated by the personal stories about communism. I paid to go on the communist tour in Sofia, Bulgaria, which was certainly […]
[…] interested in learning more about Bulgaria’s communist past, making Bulgaria a hot spot for Red Tourism. There are a few different companies that offer a Communist tour with an overview of the most […]