Hidden Sofia: A Guide to the Ancient Capital and Its Modern Highlights

Sofia is one of Europe’s most surprising capitals, with seven thousand years of history hidden in plain sight. On this walking tour, I’ll also show you treasures that reveal how Bulgaria’s capital has reinvented itself through the eras. You’ll also discover how the city’s unique lack of a distinct Old Town creates a compact territory where ancient Serdica meets modern Sofia.

The tour starts on St. Nedelya Square, above the ancient Roman forum of Serdica, from where you’ll weave through vibrant boulevards and tucked-away courtyards. You’ll walk through peaceful parks where locals meet for chess and morning coffee, and descend into underground archaeological complexes to walk Roman streets.

You’ll also hear how communist symbols were transformed into democratic spaces, and Neoclassicism, Art Nouveau, and Modernism found their way into the city’s architecture. Along the way, you’ll learn about Bulgaria’s history from its Roman Empire roots through Ottoman rule and the Communist period, to modern times.

The tour finishes at the Patriarchal Cathedral St Alexander Nevsky, whose golden domes are a reminder of Bulgaria’s Orthodox identity, but also honor Russian liberators.

On this 90-minute tour, you’ll have a chance to:

• Stroll through Roman Serdica, where Emperor Constantine declared ”Serdica is my Rome” – before choosing Constantinople instead
• Taste the famous mineral spring water praised by ancient Thracians and Romans alike
• Visit the 4th-century St. Georgi Rotunda Church, Sofia’s oldest building that’s served various purposes throughout the years
• Explore the Square of Tolerance, home to the Orthodox Cathedral of Saint Nedelia, the Catholic Cathedral of Sofia St Joseph Parish, the Central Synagogue, and the Central Mosque
• Learn how Bulgaria saved nearly 50,000 Jewish lives during Nazi occupation
• Take in the Banya Bashi Mosque, the only active mosque in Sofia
• Walk along Sofia’s famous golden carpet of yellow cobblestones, and see street artists in the liveliest square in town
• Stand in the former Presidential Palace of the Republic of Bulgaria, where Tsar Boris III died mysteriously after meeting Hitler in 1943

By the end of this tour, you’ll have a greater understanding of how Sofia’s absence of an Old Town has created one of Europe’s most fascinating archaeological centres.