Sofia, BulgariaSofia's most creative neighborhood — a formerly neglected tangle of streets north of the National Theatre that has been transformed into the city's center of craft beer, independent galleries, design studios, and street art. The best concentrated dining and nightlife in Sofia, in the most walkable quarter.
🏛️
The greatest Bulgarian Orthodox church — a magnificent 1912 Neo-Byzantine cathedral with a gold dome visible from across the city, built to honor the Russian soldiers who died liberating Bulgaria from Ottoman rule. The crypt museum has the finest collection of medieval Bulgarian icons in the world. Free to enter the cathedral.
🏛️
Roman ruins in the middle of a metro station — the ancient Roman city of Serdika (3rd–4th century) is visible through glass floors and underground passages at the Sofia metro station. An extraordinary piece of urban archaeology: walk through Roman streets, basilicas, and gates while catching the subway.