Secrets, Facts, and Legends of Sofia: Full Day Tour

5 photos

Duration

7 hours

Despite that fact that Sofia is very young as a capital of a country it has a very long and dynamic history. Learn about it from a highly educated guide and visit some of the hidden places that you must see while visiting the city.

Highlights

Enjoy the stunning view of Sofia from Vitosha mountain
Learn about the legacy of “The Bells”
Explore the ruins of the Roman city of Serdica
Visit two museums – The National Archaeology Museum and Sofia History Museum
See the highlights of the city center

Full description

At 9:00 AM you will be picked up from your hotel/accommodation by your guide. After a short drive, you will reach Vitosha Mountain. Your destination is a meteorological tower, from which area you will have the chance to see the whole city from above. Your guide will give you a good overview of Sofia, its history, and geography. Your next stop will be one of the most interesting and significant locations in Sofia – a complex called “The Bells”. It is related to a Bulgarian initiative, which started in 1979, called “The Flag of Peace”, gathering children from 135 countries, from both sides of “The Iron Curtain”. Each group had to put a unique bell from its country in this complex.

After this experience, we will drive back to Sofia city center where you will start your walking tour. The first stop is the National Archaeological Museum with its astonishing cultural treasures. On the way, you will see the oldest building in Sofia – the Roman early Christian church St. George, dated in the 4th century. After the museum, you can have lunch in a restaurant situated in the same building, which was a Medieval mosque, and enjoy the archaeological remains next to your table.

Your next destination is the market area of Sofia, famous for the name “Ladies Market” where you will learn a lot about the epoch of the late 19th and early 20th century. You will pass next to a Synagogue, situated almost in front of an active mosque and Catholic Church, giving the name of the square – “The Square of Tolerance. After you visit the Sofia History Museum you will walk by the Communist administrative center, St. Sofia church, Sofia University, and Alexander Nevski Cathedral, where your tour ends. You can ask your guide some final questions and if you need they can give you a ride back to your hotel if it is far from the center.