Top Things to do in Sofia Region
Top Hotels in Sofia Region
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What to do and see in Sofia Region, Sofia Region: The Best Things to do
Discover the best top things to do in Sofia Region, Bulgaria including Rila Monastery, Boyana Church, St. Alexander Nevski Cathedral, Catedral de Sveta-Nedelya, Vitosha Mountain, Saint Nikolas Russian Church (Tsurkva Sveta Nikolai), Borovets Ski Resort, Yanakiev Ski and Snowboard School, Tsarska Bistritsa, Vitosha Boulevard.
Restaurants in Sofia Region
1. Rila Monastery
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 1,885 reviews
Founded in the 10th century, this monastery was restored in the 15th and again in the 19th century.
Reviewed By 118val - Shepparton, Australia
Rila Monastery is considered to be one of Bulgaria's most holy sites and is UNESCO listed. It is situated in the Rila Mountains in the deep valley of the Riska River. Apparently named after the hermit Ivan of Rila from 876 - 946 AD. The Monastery was founded in the 10th century and was the spiritual and cultural center during the 12th to 14th century. The richly engraved gates lead into a stunning view of the Monastery. Our first visit was to the Museum which housed some amazing artifacts such as old books, beautifully embroidered robes belonging to the clergy and an incredible wooden cross that was intricately carved. We then viewed the stunning external vivid coloured paintings covering the external walls, the interior is equally as stunning but you cannot photograph the interior. Once outside we could see the towers where guards use to protect the site, around the edge of the complex are the monks rooms. The building is well maintained and painted with a series of wooden stair cases and balconies. It is well worth a visit.
2. Boyana Church
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,836 reviews
Located at the foot of Mt. Vitosha, Bojana Church is about 900 years old. The church houses the National Museum, which focuses on regional history, art and cultural artifacts.
Reviewed By brenhell
If you manage to make it up the hill, this church is well worth the journey and 10 Lev entrance fee. The interior has amazing 13th century frescos. Note that the visitor numbers are limited to 8 at any time as space is limited plus they are probably trying to preserve the frescos by controlling humidity levels. You are only permitted to stsy for 10 mins. The grounds are pleasant with benches and plenty of birds( I saw a woodpecker). If you are making your own way there you can combine this visit with the National History museum nearby. We did this by taking trolley bus 2 from the centre to its final stop over the road from the museum. From here you can walk 30 mins up to the church or take bus 107 which goes to the church entrance.
3. St. Alexander Nevski Cathedral
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 6,403 reviews
Completed in 1912, St. Alexander Nevsky Patriarchal Cathedral Stauropigial Memorial-Church is an impressive landmark in Sofia. The church was built as a memorial to the 200,000 Russian soldiers who died in the Russo-Turkish Liberation War (1877-1878).
Reviewed By loukiap550 - Nicosia, Cyprus
A Bulgarian Orthodox cathedral in Sofia (Bg). Built in Neo-Byzantine style, it serves as the cathedral church of the Patriarch of Bulgaria and it is one of the largest Christian church buildings, as well as one of Sofia's symbols and primary tourist attractions. There is a museum of Bulgarian icons inside the cathedral crypt, part of the National Art Gallery.
4. Catedral de Sveta-Nedelya
5. Vitosha Mountain
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,208 reviews
Reviewed By Sharpehunter - Island of Malta, Malta
When you arrive in Sofia your attention is immediately drawn to the Mount Vitosha range which stands tall in the backdrop. Beautiful snow-capped mountains fringed by lush green mixed woodland and forest draws you in immediately. Easily accessible by car, buses and trams, you can even jump the various chairlifts to get higher up the range. My favourite starting point for any hike in Vitosha is Boyana Church. From here there is a myriad of routes to choose of varying difficulty all clearly marked. Take your pick from The Golden Bridges, Boyana Lake and Boyana Waterfall, or just choose a path that looks good, hit the trail and go with the flow. Advisable to wear good walking shoes, the terrain is very diverse and changeable and varies from easy-going paths to steep rocky (and slippy) climbs. Always take plenty of water, make sure you have some food. There are lots of mountain huts that serve great traditional Bulgarian food, beers, wines and soft drinks, but you have to get to them first. Fabulous days out, I still haven't done the actual Black Peak yet, but it's on the agenda.
6. Saint Nikolas Russian Church (Tsurkva Sveta Nikolai)
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 2,089 reviews
7. Borovets Ski Resort
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,487 reviews
Reviewed By davidbP9097CZ - Newport, United Kingdom
Just spent the week in Borovets, we were blessed with the weather, it snowed heavily overnight on several occasions and we had a mix of sunny blue skies and moody clouds during the day, all of which was a great backdrop for skiing. Facilities seem to have been upgraded since last time we came three years ago, new six person chairlift, new hotel complexes and extended Alpin ski school. Being a relative novice at skiing I can’t comment on the comparative benefits of Borovets over any other resort but I found all the slopes great fun and as challenging as you want to make them with the option of green through to black and the ability to mix and match on the way down. At least three snow ploughs were out every night making the slopes pristine for the following day and snow cannons are also strategically placed in case a top up is needed. Great value for money resort, we would recommend.
8. Yanakiev Ski and Snowboard School
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 71 reviews
Dear customers, please leave your honest feedback. This will help us to improve our customer service and the quality of the product which we are providing. For the people who are leaving negative feedbacks to be refunded we want to inform you that this is not our practice so dont waste your time. Thank you.
Reviewed By PolarBearOnTour
Came across Matt and the ski school after some not so positive experiences with another ski school in Borovets for my 6 year old son. After one hour with Veli he has found his love of skiing and had another lesson the next day with Nadia. Small classes (I spied 7 in a group at half term, perfect) which is what parents want. Give them that they will return. We will be back!
9. Tsarska Bistritsa
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 35 reviews
Reviewed By MinnieMad - Holmfirth, United Kingdom
This was the winter ski lodge of the Bulgarian Royal Family build over 100 years ago with a hydro electric plant to supply all its electricity. This is still working now and my partner loved it and found it really interesting. There is also some historical information in a gallery (all Cyrillic sadly) and a nice little cafe. You can walk through the grounds and sometimes go in the house although not when the royal family are in residence which they were when we went there. It was only 5 lev to go in. We really enjoyed it. Bizarrely the royal family were deposed in 1946 but seem to have kind of carried on in an unofficial capacity, or at least doing what they always did but without the state paying for it! Perhaps our royals could learn a thing or two from that!
10. Vitosha Boulevard
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 3,255 reviews
Reviewed By 372rz - De Meern, The Netherlands
This is a very nice street with diversity of stores, many restaurants, ice cream stores and cafes, some benches to sit and take a break. From all the restaurants I will recommend Shtastliveza. It is usually full, reservation is recommended.
