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Wednesday, 6 November 2019

Balkan Travel Pt 5: [Bulgaria] Sofia Attractions


Sofia the capital and largest city of Bulgaria has a plethora of attractions to offer I believe. Unfortunately my visit to Sofia was just a fleeting one. I was hoping to stay in a happening place at least but we were put up in Hotel Triada, a tourist class hotel which is located in a banal neighborhood. There wasn't anything interesting to see or to do in its vicinity so that morning I decided to skip my usual morning walk. 

We left the hotel at 8 am. We were supposed to have a city tour of Sofia before leaving for Macedonia. 

 Listed below are the highlights of what I saw on our walking tour.


Saint Sofia Church
Saint Sofia Church is the second oldest church in Sofia with a history that dates back to the 6th century. Many tombs and relics have been unearthed in the church ground and are now kept in a separate museum. This Eastern Orthodox church is still a functioning church and worshipers were seen in the main section performing their rituals. 

The church interior

'The road in front of the church'
'A monument in the garden opposite the church'

Alexander Nevsky Cathedral
Alexander Nevsky Cathedral is an Orthodox church located in the vicinity of St Sofia's Church. The cathedral has 12 bells, all created in Moscow and brought to Sofia from there. The biggest of them weighs 12 tons, while the smallest is only 10 kg.
The domes of the cathedral are covered in gold. Rare and expensive materials were used to furnish the interior of the cathedral - Italian marble, Brazilian onyx, Indian alabaster, and chandeliers from Munich. This beautiful church was constructed over a span of 30 years and was completed in 1924.





Monument to the unknown soldier
This monument was constructed to commemorate the Bulgarian soldiers who died in wars defending their homeland. The Monument to the Unknown Soldier features an eternal flame, turf from Stara Zagora and Shipka Pass, sites of two of the most important battles of the Russo-Turkish War of Liberation, a sculpture of a lion as well as a stone inscription of a stanza.



Other sights
The Holy Synod is the residence of the Bulgarian Patriarch. It is not open to the public.
           A street near the cathedrals that sell Bulgarian Orthodox icons and paintings.
Church St. Nicolas' or better known as the Russian Church has gold cupolas that really stands out from a distance.
A street in the city we walked through.
A Street in the city
                                          An eye-catcher, Draka Gallery building
A street in the city
Traffic control houses like this are common sights in Sofia.

Related Posts: Click To View
Balkan Travel Pt 1: [ Romania] Bucharest Sightseeing
Balkan Travel Pt 2: [Romania] Bucharest Walking Tour
Balkan Travel Pt 3: [Romania] Peles Castle , Dracula's Castle & Romanian Scenery
Balkan Travel Pt 4: Bulgaria Attractions
Balkan Travel Pt 5: [Bulgaria] Sofia Attractions
Balkan Travel Pt 6: [North Macedonia] Skopje A City Of Mutifarious Statues
Balkan Travel Pt 7: [North Macedonia] Memorable Moments In Skopje
Balkan Travel Pt 8: [North Macedonia] Ohrid Photo Gallery
Balkan Travel Pt 9: [Albania] Glimpses Of Albania and Its Capital City Tirana
Balkan Travel Pt 10: [Albania] Walking Tour Of Tirana
Balkan Travel Pt 11: Montenegro Scenic Drive
Balkan Travel Pt 12: The Charms Of Koto Montenegro
Balkan Travel Pt 13: [Montenegro] The Old Town Of Kotor Photo Gallery
Balkan Travel Part 14: [Croatia] The Charms Of Dubrovnik
Balkan Travel Pt 15: [Croatia] The Old Town Of Dubrovnik
Balkan Travel Part 16: [Croatia] The Elaphiti Islands Of Dubrovnik
Balkan Travel Part 17: [Croatia] Plitvice National Park Photo Gallery
Balkan Travel Part 18: [Croatia] Rastoke Villagel
Posted by Lily... at 19:44
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