Sofia attractions

A giant red star that once crowned Bulgaria’s Communist Party headquarters and a spectacular range of Lenin statues adorn the 80,000-square-foot (7,500-square-meter) sculpture garden of Sofia’s Museum of Socialist Art. As the name would suggest, the museum showcases works from Bulgaria’s Socialist (Communist) period: 1945–1989.

One of Bulgaria’s biggest winter sports resorts, with a heritage dating back to the 19th century, Borovets perches in the Rila Mountains and offers downhill, cross-country, and night skiing. It’s particularly good for intermediates and improvers. A lively but affordable aprés-ski scene makes it a smash with budget travelers, while there’s excellent hiking and mountain biking over summer.

Variously written Kvadrat 500, Quadrat 500, or Square 500, Kvadrat 500 opened in 2015 as the largest museum in the Sofia National Gallery collection. Twenty-eight separate rooms house a wealth of artworks from around the world, with a special focus on Bulgarian art from the 19th and 20th centuries.

Erected in 1954 to commemorate the liberation of Bulgaria by the Red Army during World War II, Sofia’s Monument to the Soviet Army has been a topic of great debate for decades. Over the years, it’s undergone various transformations, including being painted in protest art and serving as a focal point for political demonstrations.

One of the star attractions on Mt. Vitosha, the massif just outside Sofia, Boyana Waterfall tumbles 82 feet (25 meters) down a stark rock face amid shady forest. It’s a tranquil, unspoiled spot that makes an excellent focus for a walk in the national park. One popular route goes by way of Boyana Church, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Over a million years’ worth of Bulgarian history is displayed across the four halls that make up the National Institute of Archaeology & Museum. The museum opened in 1905, occupying a 15th-century former mosque that was once the city’s largest. Exhibits include prehistoric objects, unique Thracian treasures, as well as a range of artifacts spanning Early Antiquity to the Late Middle Ages.

Both interactive and educational, the Museum of Illusions Sofia explores how physics and optical tricks can create unbelievable results. At this family-friendly museum, the illusions aren’t contained to art hanging on the walls, with installations such as light painting, shadow making, and upside-down rooms, which you can not only engage with, but learn about on a deeper level.

Set on 10 acres (4 hectares) on the outskirts of Sofia, the National Museum of Military History pays tribute to Bulgaria’s past glories. An impressive selection of mainly Soviet-designed military hardware includes tanks and fighters. Inside, displays cover art, weapons, uniforms, and insignia, alongside a bookstore, a café, and a library.

Sofia’s biggest park, Borisova Gradina offers lakes, woodlands, and manicured flower beds. Almost as big as New York City’s Central Park—and in a much smaller city—it’s home to two stadiums (the Vasil Levski National Stadium and the Bulgarian Army Stadium), a TV tower, a myriad of statues, the Communist-era Mound of Brotherhood monument, and several children’s playgrounds.

Built on land acquired by Tsar Ferdinand I in the late 19th century, Vrana Palace (Park-Museum Vrana) was the preferred residence of the Bulgarian royal family until their exile in 1946. Previously home to a working farm and a zoo, the grounds of the 247-acre (100-hectare) estate now make for an ideal getaway from the hustle and bustle of Sofia’s urban center.

Rediscovered in 2007, the Tsari Mali Grad (Tsar’s Little Town is a restored fortress an hour south of the capital. The sprawling 10-acre site provides insight into the country’s Thracian, Roman, and Byzantine history, and its religious ruins, rural trails, and hilltop views are a must see for any first-time visitor in Bulgaria.

A royal palace first built as a hunting lodge, Tsarska Bistritsa nestles with a fairytale air near the Bistritsa River and Borovets ski resort in the Rila Mountains. Trophies and antiques fill the cozy, wood-lined interior, with a gallery in the stables and an intimate new chapel in the grounds. A century-old hydroelectric turbine still powers the palace radiators.