 Private Sofia Arrival Transfer
Arriving in Sofia and don't know how to get to your hotel? Take the worry out of your holiday and book now - secure an arrival transfer to your centrally located Sofia hotel and relax once you arrive in beautiful and bustling Bulgaria!
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"Ever Growing, Never Ageing" this motto is written on Sofia's coat of
arms. Sofia is one of the oldest settlements in Europe. For over 7,000 years
Sofia has been a meeting place of the four directions of the world. Tribes
and peoples came and went, civilisations flourished and declined but the
city stayed forever. Historically it has been recorded as Serdica, Triaditsa,
Sredets and Sofia. Old Sofia is literally buried beneath a modern facade.
Late last century Sofia totalled only 12,000 residents. In 1946 – 516,000
residents, and today - some 1,200,000 residents, i.e. 14 % of the country’s
population. Drawing a balance, one sees that in the past 100 years the
population has multiplied 100 times.
There are many archaeological sites in Sofia that display the city's
diverse history - the town gates and towers of Serdica, public buildings and
streets thousands of years old. A large part of the ancient city of Serdica
is underneath important modern buildings. The ancient city council is hidden
under the "Sheraton" hotel, a number of basilicas are below the Palace of
Justice, and a Roman residence with elaborate mosaics is below the "Rila"
hotel. Over 250 archaeological, historical and cultural monuments are part
of the cityscape of the capital.
Rila
Rila Monastery is 121km (75 miles) from Sofia, perched high up on the
side of a mountain in the middle of thick pine forests. Rila has a
fascinating collection of murals, woodcarvings, old weapons and coins; and
manuals and Bibles written on parchment. The monastery itself is notable for
its delicate and unusual architectural features. Originally founded in the
10th century by the hermit and holy man, Ivan Rilsky, the monastery acted as
a repository and sanctuary for Bulgarian culture during the 500-year Turkish
occupation from 1396. Fire has destroyed most of the early architecture and
the present buildings date from the 19th century, with the exception of the
14th-century Hrelio’s Tower. There is good accommodation in the monastery
and a nearby hotel. Rila is an excellent starting place for climbs and hikes
in the surrounding countryside.
 Sofia Half Day Sightseeing
This tour will acquaint you with Sofia's most famous points of interest. First is the 'Alexander Nevski' cathedral, followed by The Crypt, St. Sofia church, Russian church, King's palace, The Rotunda, the mosque and the Synagogue. Enjoy a brief glimpse of the Bulgarian history and listen to comments about modern day social, economic and cultural life of the country.
 Sofia Full Day Excursion
Become acquainted with Sofia's most famous points of interest. First is the Alexander Nevski cathedral, followed by The Crypt, St. Sofia church, Russian church, King's palace, The Rotunda, The mosque and the Synagogue. Visit Boyana church and National history museum. Enjoy lunch with this tour.
 Rila Monastery Excursion
Explore Rila monastery, the biggest monastery in Bulgaria and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Hidden away in the Rila Mountains, it is one of the most revered holy places in the country.
More Sofia Sightseeing Tours Events &
Attractions |
Elsewhere
The mountain of Vitosha on the outskirts of Sofia is a National Park with
chairlifts and cable cars to help with the ascent as it is approximately
1800m (6000ft) high. Here, the medieval church of Boyana, a UNESCO World
Heritage Site, can be seen, with its beautiful and ancient frescoes painted
around the year 1200 and thought to be some of the oldest in Bulgaria.
South of Sofia is
Blagoevgrad, home of the Pirin State Ensemble (the
world-renowned folkloric group), and
Sandansky, an ancient spa town and
birthplace of the Roman gladiator, Spartacus. Further south still, travelers
can visit two of Bulgaria’s museum towns: Melnik is known for its wine
cellars, 18th to 19th century architecture and its proximity to Rozhen
Monastery with its beautifully carved altar, stained-glass windows, murals
and icons; and the museum town of Bansko at the foot of the Pirin Mountains
contains the Holy Trinity Church with its carved ceilings and murals, and
its monastery-like houses with high stone walls.
Central Bulgaria
Plovdiv
Founded in 342 BC and the country’s second-largest city, the museum town
of Plovdiv is divided by the Maritsa River and contains both an old quarter
and a new commercial section. The old part contains many buildings dating
from the 18th and 19th centuries (and earlier) in typical National Revival
style. It is possible to wander along the narrow cobbled streets and see
Roman ruins (including an amphitheater), picturesque medieval houses and
17th-century buildings with their upper sections hanging out into the street
and almost touching those opposite. The Archaeological Museum has
collections of gold Thracian artifacts, including cooking utensils, and the
Ethnographic Museum is also worth seeing, as are the churches of St Marina
and St Nedelya.
Elsewhere
8 km (5 miles) from Plovdiv is Batchkovo Monastery, founded in the 11th
century, with some rare frescoes, icons, manuscripts and coins. Batchkovo
lies within the area known in ancient times as Thrace (partly occupied by
the Rhodope Mountains) and many items of archaeological interest have been
discovered, including wonderful gold Thracian objects.
The town of Kazanluk has a Museum of Rose Production and is the center of
Bulgaria’s major export: attar of roses. The valley of Kazanluk itself has
countless archaeological and historic treasures – Greek, Roman, Thracian and
Ottoman. Veliko Turnovo, ancient capital of the Second Bulgarian Empire
(1187-1393), is another museum town, situated on three hills circled by the
River Yantra. It contains extraordinary collections of historic works of
art, including church relics. Turnova has many fine examples of houses built
in the National Revival style (18th to 19th century), many of which were
designed by master builder Kolyo Phicheto and typically seem to grow out of
the steep slopes flanking the river. The Preobrazhenski Monastery is quite
close, as is the open-air folk museum at Etar. The picturesque village of
Arbanassi, a museum town located 4km (2.5 miles) from Turnovo, was a wealthy
merchants’ town between the 16th and 18th centuries and is noted for its
unique stone-built houses, its two monasteries, St Nikola and Holy Virgin
and, in particular, the beautiful murals of the St Elija Chapel. 8 km (5
miles) northwest of Plovdiv, the museum town of Koprivshtitsa is one of
Bulgaria’s best-preserved towns, with primary colored examples of National
Revival architecture apparent everywhere. The town is perhaps best known for
its Great Koprivshtitsa Folklore Festival, held every four years. Further
museum towns to the east of Plovdiv include Tryavna, again with many
examples of houses in the National Revival style; Kotel, which is located in
a small valley in the Balkan mountain range, and is famous as a center for
carpet making; and Zheravna, in the Eastern Balkan range, containing
beautiful 17th-century wooden houses.
The Black Sea Coast
The Bulgarian Black Sea Riviera resorts are ideal for the traditional
seaside family holiday. Swimming is generally safe, as even at 150m (500ft)
away from the shore, the water is only shoulder-high. Areas where currents
are a problem are clearly marked. The Black Sea has half the salt content of
the Mediterranean. Some of the sand is pulled by currents from as far away
as the Mediterranean, flowing through the Bosphorus and Dardenelles. Special
children’s pools have been installed on many of the beaches; swings, slides,
playdomes and donkey rides are also available and most resorts offer a wide
range of watersports.
Resorts
There are dozens of attractive resorts on the Black Sea Riviera. St
Constantine Resort is Bulgaria’s oldest Black Sea spa, centerd on the Grand
Hotel Varna, the largest and most luxurious hotel on the Riviera.
Albena,
named after a famous local beauty, is situated on the edge of a lovely
forest, and is Bulgaria’s newest resort (a showcase and vivid monument to
contemporary Bulgarian design), with good food and lively nightlife.
Golden
Sands, Bulgaria’s second-largest resort, has good facilities and probably
the best nightlife on the Black Sea Riviera. Sunny Day offers a wide range
of beauty and health treatments in two of its four hotels. In a forested
setting overlooking the sea, it is only 15km (9 miles) from
Varna, the Black
Sea capital founded in the sixth century BC, which contains many Roman and
Byzantine remains. Sunny Beach is a large purpose-built family resort with
beautiful and safe beaches. Close to Sunny Beach is the seventh-century
fishing village of Old
Nessebur with its wooden fishermen’s houses and its
famed four dozen Byzantine churches. The Black Sea port town of Burgas has a
Maritime Park and an extensive beach.
Winter resorts
Borovets is a World Cup venue. It is only 70km (45 miles) from Sofia, at
1350m (4300ft) in the Rila Mountains and is the oldest and largest mountain
resort in Bulgaria. There, the 2400m (8000ft) Yastrebets (Hawk’s Nest) is a
steep, twisting red trail for the advanced skier, in operation from November
until April. Seven comfortable, friendly and well-run hotels provide most of
the accommodation and there is a village of timber-framed houses (each
sleeping six) nearby. In Bulgarian resorts, hotels usually provide most of
the nightlife. There is a disco in the Mousalla. There is also a wine bar
and some folk taverns (mehana); sleigh rides through the snow are also
available.
At Pamporovo, in the Rhodope Mountains near Plovdiv, there is one of the
finest ski schools in Europe. Pamporovo is also the most southerly ski
resort in Europe. The major ski runs start from the top of the Snejanka
Peak.
Vitosha, 1800m (6000ft) high and home of the National Ski School based on
the FIS methods, overlooks Sofia. Two of the six ski runs have been approved
for international competitions. All the resorts have been purpose-built to
blend in with the magnificent natural scenery of mountains and forest.
Equipment on hire is modern and well maintained.
The most recent resort is Bansko, a small town in southwest Bulgaria at
the foothills of the Pirin Mountain. There are slalom and giant slalom runs
available, as well as a 5km- (3.1 mile-) cross-country track.
National Parks
To visit Bulgaria and not go to the Valley of Roses is to go to Egypt
and not see the pyramids. The Valley of Roses is in the very heart of the
country and is shielded by the high slopes of two majestic mountain ranges -
the Balkan range and Sredna Gora.
Bulgaria has a number of national parks which abound in rare flora and
fauna, bird species (including vultures, eagles and falcons), as well as
endangered animal species such as bears, wolves and red deer. Facilities for
nature and outdoor enthusiasts have improved in recent years, with different
types of accommodation, including small hotels, lodges, private chalets and
camping becoming increasingly available. Guided tours or private visits are
possible; for some areas, a permit is required. For details, contact the
Ministry of Economy (Tourist Department) or Balkan Holidays (see General
Info section).
The Pirin National Park is situated on the highest part of the Pirin
mountain range. The landscape varies from the ancient Baikusheva pine
forests to crystalline lakes and limestone rocks. Many rare plant species,
such as the near extinct Edelweiss, are preserved within the park, which
also contains nearly 180 glacier lakes. In the southwest, the Rila National
Park covers nearly half of the Rila mountain range and is renowned for its
seven lakes and its 10th-century monastery. Vitosha National Park, just
outside Sofia, is home to many species of butterflies and offers shelter to
wolves, bears and wild cats. The Vratchansky Balkan National Park, in the
northwest, has spectacular rock formations, waterfalls and ancient caves. It
incorporates the Vratchansky Karst Nature Reserve, whose caves provide a
habitat for many species of bats. The Central Balkan National Park, located
to the northeast of Sofia and reached via the Troyan Pass, is noted for the
Raiskoto Praskalo waterfall – the highest in Bulgaria - and its 50 protected
plant species, many of them native to these mountains. The small Sinite
Kamani National Park has spectacular rock formations. The Shoumen Plateau
National Park near the town of Shoumen has a varied landscape of thick
forests and steep rock formations and is home to the Shumenska Krepost
archaeological reserve. Situated near the River Danube close to the town of
Rousse, the Roussenski Lom National Park is known for its rich wildlife and
fauna. The Strandzha National Park in the southeast is Bulgaria’s largest.
It borders the Black Sea and is famous for its oak and beech forests. The
nearby Ropotamo Reserve on the banks of the River Ropotamo has a diverse
landscape ranging from cliffs and forests to sandy beaches, dunes and
swamps; the Arkutino swamp is a shelter for many rare bird species.
World Heritage Sites
Bulgaria has nine UNESCO-listed World Heritage Sites. The Thracian
Kazanluk Tomb, located in the Valley of Roses near the town of Kazanluk, has
perfectly preserved murals dating from the fourth century BC. The Sveshtari
Tomb is situated in an archaeological reserve near the town of Razgrad; it
was built 2300 years ago for a Thracian king. The Madara Horseman, an image
carved into a rock of a horseman piercing a lion with his spear dates from
the early Middle Ages (eighth century); it is located on the Madara Plateau
in the Danube plain. The 13th-century Boyana Church is located at the foot
of the Vitosha mountain in the Sofia suburb of Boyana and is famous for its
murals, which include replicas of icons from Constantinople.
The Ivanovo Rock Monasteries near the city of Ruse stretch for more than
5km (3.1 miles) and consist of cells, churches and chapels dug into the
rocks by hermit monks who settled there between the 11th and 14th centuries.
Old Nessebur is one of Europe’s oldest towns (for details, see The Black Sea
Coast section). The 11th-century Rila Monastery is set on Rila Mountain,
121km (75 miles) from Sofia (for details, see Sofia & The West section). The
Sreburna Lake nature reserve is located near the Danube river, 16km (10
miles) west of the town of Silistra. It stretches over an area of 600
hectares (1482 acres) and is listed for its unique fauna and wildlife,
including the rare Dalmatian pelican, the cormorant and the ibis. Thanks to
swift preventative measures, the park seems to have escaped unscathed from
the recent Danube cyanide spill. The Pirin National Park (for details, see
National Parks section) is a protected area of 27,400 hectares (67,678
acres).
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Park Hotel Imperial Plovdiv