A Day in Sofia

So I’ve been to Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, several times now, but I’ve realizes that I had never really written about it. This particular visit was due to a meeting of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons committee, of which I am now Co-Chair. This is exciting for me, because I deal with this issue in my work since my kids are prime targets, and also something that is important to me on a personal level. I’m so glad to have the chance to help lead this committee and to help lead this committee to spread awareness of this huge - yet still unfortunately overlooked - issue.

Anyway, Sofia is a big city (the biggest in Bulgaria), but even as it holds such an important place in the country and in the region, it is an often misunderstood place. I often start my day at the Central Bus Station, a monstrous glass-faced building, and head either for the Peace Corps office or the center. Since the PC office is in the middle of nowhere with practically nothing interesting around, other than rows of residential block apartments, I try to hang around the center as much as possible. Here, most of the interesting things in town are located with a radius of a couple of kilometers or less.

In the direct center of town is located a square called “The Largo” (currently being totally redone), in which is located Parliament, the President’s office, and the Ministry of Justice (interestingly located in the building that once housed the former headquarters of the Bulgarian Communist Party).


Watching over this square is the gold-skinned statue of Sofia, the personification of Wisdom. The statue stands in the place of a statue of Lenin, toppled during the fall of Communism, and is a symbol of Bulgaria's desire to put its past behind and start anew with other nations in the world of democracy.

A short walk away from the center is the impressive Alexander Nevski Cathedral, the largest in Bulgaria, and large enough to occupy its own square. The domes are a brilliant gold that can be seen from many places around town, and the interior is covered in impressive frescoes and sculptures.

Right next to Alexander Nevski is the Church of Saint Sofia (Hram Sveta Sofia), dating back to the 6th century, and also the city’s namesake. Arguably more impressive than Nevski due to its age and significance to the city, the brick building also houses an eternal flame for fallen Bulgarian soldiers.

Heading the other way from the Largo, we reach Boulevard Vitosha, the city’s (and pretty much the country’s) main shopping street. The street starts at the Church of Sveta Nedelya, another famous and beautiful church and heads towards Mount Vitosha, a still snow-capped mountain just outside of town. The Boulevard runs for more than a kilometer and includes tons of international high-fashion (and expensive) stores.

At the end of Vitosha is located the National Palace of Culture (NDK for short), a gigantic complex of theaters, meeting halls, and even TV studios (BTV, one of the big Bulgarian channels, calls this home). It is also here that my group officially swore in as Peace Corps Volunteers. Pretty much anything with national cultural significance happens here. It’s also located in a huge park, which is a nice place to hang out when the weather is good.

There are plenty of other interesting things to check out in Sofia as well and I can spend (and have spent) a good bit of time just wandering around. And the food! Mmm… It’s one of the only places in Bulgaria where you can find good international food. Anyways, I hope this was a good introduction for all you people outside of Bulgaria. And for the people in Bulgaria, you probably know all this already. But maybe you liked the pictures… or something…

Until next time…