Only 15 minutes’ drive by bus or car, Vitosha is the perfect skiing, snowboarding and summer hiking spot. Not many capitals in the world have the advantage of both a ski centre and a splendid national park so close from the bustling city centre. However, if nature wonders are not your subject of attraction, the city’s architecture and history will grab your attention for sure. To feel Sofia’s spirit, stroll through the narrow streets in the centre and visit the numerous monuments of Bulgarian culture.

The first to catch your eye will most probably be the glided cupolas of the St Alexander Nevski Cathedral - the most spectacular building in Sofia. Named after a Russian tsar it is a typical example of Russian churches in the 19th century. The church is said to hold up to 7000 people. The Crypt below the cathedral houses 300 permanent exhibits, depicting Orthodox Church Art from its origins in the Middle Ages to the National Revival period, an altar cross and a pair of altar doors from the Rila Monastery. Sofia's protective fortress walls for 12 centuries, straddle the city center, where remnants of the original Serdica settlement (2nd Century) still lie.

The St George Rotunda is part of a large archaeological complex with rare Roman architectural features. In the underpass directly in front of TZUM, nestled among the cafes and shops, is the tiny church of Sveta Petka Samardzhiiska, built in the 14th century. St. Sofia is the oldest Eastern Orthodox Church in Sofia. St. Sofia is in fact the church that gave its name to the present day capital back in the 14th century. As several other sanctuaries on the Balkans, it has an interesting story to tell - under Ottoman rule it was turned into a mosque, but when an earthquake in 1818 toppled the minaret, and a second some 40 years later killed the Imam’s two sons, it was abandoned and restored as a church again.

Across Vassil Levski Blvd. on either corner with Shipka Street are two further impressive educational establishments. The Cyril and Methodius National Library with a statue of the two brothers in the garden area directly in front, and Sofia University, a Baroque-style building from the 1920’s. The large seated sculptures depict the brothers Evlogi and Hristo Georgiev, who donated the land and funds for this building.

Don’t think that Sofia doesn’t have other stories to tell and secrets to reveal. Soak up the vivid atmosphere and discover the other traces of Sofia’s great past!