Once through the Bulgarian border control we headed straight to Ivan’s pad in Sofia. Its a couple of years since we stayed here and the owner is super nice. Straight away he recognised us and it was good to see a friendly face after days of queuing amongst frustrated and angry travellers. We parked up and at €10 per night (plus €2 electric) we made home for the next 3 days. 

Our Bumble paid camping spot Sofia N042.743042, E023.285470

In between catching up on lost sleep, washing, scrubbing Vin, updating the blog (no wifi in Serbia) and taking the mosquito net to pieces (again) we managed to visit Sofia.  Last time in Bulgaria we let our emotions get the better of us and we ended up having a bad experience.  Listening to hearsay of horrific experiences, motorhome theft and allowing our imagination to run wild.  So this time we were adamant on seeing a bit of Bulgaria before we made any judgement.

So, Sofia our first stop. Shabby and rough around the edges but what a marvellous core. We zipped in to the centre several times on Eor our motorbike but right out side Ivan’s place is the bus and tram stop. As we started to discover more and more historic sights, we slowed down appreciating the city for what it is. Sofia isn’t a city like London, Paris or Rome though. It’s history is a cultural mesh of Eastern and Western influence. Churches, mosques and Soviet buildings all sharing the same small space of the city. Its fascinating. 

The Theatre, which took us an eternity to find

In the city centre near Serdika, three main religious buildings sit next door to one another..the Sveta Petka Church, Banya Bashi Mosque and Sofia Synagogue. Locals call this area the Triangle of Religious Tolerance. Sofia is home to people from different cultures, ethnicities and religions who coexist peacefully. For us we had a triple dose of ‘first time‘ experiences…inside a mosque, a synagogue and a Russian church. 

Banya Basi Mosque – The Mosque of the Central Baths is the only Muslim place of worship in Sofia that still serves its original function. It was built in 1576 and it used to have the public bathhouse next door. Externally its very eye catching with large blocks of honey coloured stone layered with terracotta bricks. Inside, very basic but extremely calming, colourful and pretty. The sort of place you could take time out to reflect (click the image).

Sofia Synagogue – tucked behind the market, the synagogue is described as spectacular Moorish design and one of the largest synagogues in Europe. After shuffling around the side, clambering through a gate, bag searched and paying an entrance fee of 4 lev we were quite disappointed. Inside, it was quite plain and lacked any real architectural detail liked we expected.

Russian Church – Standing beside the busy road, the Church of St Nicholas the Miracle-Worker, is the most striking building in Sofia. It was built to serve Sofia’s Russian community and was consecrated in 1914.Modelled on 16th-century Muscovite churches, it boasts a cluster of shimmering gilt domes, one of which thrusts skywards at the tip of a pea- green spire. The porch, with a pitched roof covered in green tiles, exudes a fairytale charm.

On our last day in Sofia we ventured over to Party House.  Built to house the Central Committee of the Bulgarian Communist Party, this is Sofia’s most imposing example of Stalinist-era architecture. The area was surrounded in police and as we slowly moved closer we realised it was some sort of demonstration. Crowds chanting and drums banging.

Party House

Around the corner is the Presidency and today, it was surrounded by police as well as armed guards. We plucked up courage to ask one of the stern face police about the demonstration. She explained it was all to do with farmers protesting against government reforms. It didn’t sound that exciting and can’t imagine a load of farmers getting too heavy handed, so nothing to really worry about. We thanked her and moved away to watch the changing of the guards. The 20th century building is the Bulgarian president’s office and looks rather bland compared to the rest of Sofia.

Sofia’s Alexander Nevsky Cathedral is one of the city’s highlights. On our way over to the cathedral and the riot police zoomed passed picking up cops on every corner. Everything seemed to be rather frantic. We are not sure if the farmers got out of control or the police just had enough? Either way, glad we moved on when we did. The Bulgarian Orthodox Cathedral stands proud with beautiful shaped golden dome roofs. Inside (no photos) it’s dark and musky, but there’s also a feeling of strong silence and solitude.  It takes a while for your eyes to adapt but take a pew and you soon see it’s extremely beauty.  

After being part of several empires, there is so much history here.  You will notice this instantly in the architecture and layout of the cities. Sofia opens your eyes to how many layers of history are hidden here. There is a calm and laid back energy in Sofia.  One that makes it easy to visit and easy to like. The people are humble and polite, the streets are calm and it is easy to simply wander and enjoy the city for what it is. After 3 days we’d seen most of the sites but, we weren’t quite ready to leave but we were ready to explore Bulgaria.