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Bulgaria: Road trip Bulgaria, Day 4: Со́фия

Vacation around 1st of May has lately been reserved for road trips and so was this year. Our 4th day was reserved for exploring the capital of Bulgaria, Sofia.

We decided to join the Free Sofia Tour, so we met with others in front of the Palace of Justice, where our guide Vasil took us around the city.

Previous days of Bulgaria road trip: Day 3, Day 2, Day 1.

We gathered in front of the Sadebna palata (Sofia Court House)

St. Nedelya Church is a medieval church that has suffered destruction through the ages and has been reconstructed many times.

 

 If you were a good listener, you could get a Lukcheta, a typical Bulgarian mint candy.

Church of St Petka of the Saddlers acquired its present name due to it being a patron of the saddlers in the Middle Ages, who performed their rituals in the church.

 

While we were exploring the Ancient Serdica archaeological complex, the result of five years work and a 15 million leva budget, that opened in central Sofia on April 20 2016, the MiG-29s planes were having an exercise for Day of Bravery and the celebration of the Bulgarian Armed Forces Day.

This remarkable, partly covered excavation site, situated just above the Serdika metro station, displays the remains of the Roman city, Serdica, that once occupied this area. The remains were unearthed from 2010 to 2012 during construction of the metro. There are fragments of eight streets, an early Christian basilica, baths and houses dating from the 4th to 6th centuries. Sofia was originally named Serdica or Sardica, after the Celtic Serdi tribe, who were moving through the region at the time. On the picture there are remains of the hypocaust (subloor heating system).

Banya Bashi Mosque was completed in 1566, during the years the Ottomans had control of the city. The mosque derives its name from the phrase Banya Bashi, which means many baths.

The history of Sofia is presented in the magnificent former Turkish Mineral Baths in Regional History Museum.

Sofia and its surroundings boasts more than 30 mineral springs. Most are hotter than 33°C and have low mineralization. This makes the water perfect for consumption (after proper cooling).

Office house of the National Assembly (Former House of the Bulgarian Communist Party)

 

Remains of Serdica are also visible in underground passages

 

The fountain at Atanas Burov Square in front of the presidential office

The Church of Saint George is an Early Christian red brick rotunda. It is considered to be the oldest preserved building in the city, built at a time when Sofia was the residence of the emperors Galerius and Constantine the Great.

The former Communist Party House was completed in 1955. In order to represent the Communism in Bulgaria, a massive red star crowned the rocket-shaped spire of the building. However, when Bulgarians attempted to torch the building in 1990, the star was removed. Subsequently the red star was substituted by the flag of Bulgaria.

Ivan Vazov National Theatre was founded in 1904. Before being named after the prominent writer Ivan Vazov it also bore the name of Krastyu Sarafov.

Russian Church or known as the Church of St. Nicholas the Miracle-Maker was built on the site of the Saray Mosque, which was destroyed in 1882, after the liberation of Bulgaria by Russia from the Ottoman Empire.

 

The Saint Sofia Church gave the name to the city in 14th century, previously known as Sredets (Средец). In the 16th century, during Ottoman rule, the church was converted into a mosque: the original 12th-century frescoes were destroyed and minarets were added. In the 19th century two earthquakes destroyed one of the minarets and the mosque was abandoned. The Saint Sofia Church is now one of the most valuable pieces of Early Christian architecture in Southeastern Europe.

It is interesting that church Saint Sofia has no belfry. Its bell was hung on the old tree in front.

The St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral is believed to be one of the top 50 largest Christian church buildings (by volume) in the world. The cathedral's gold-plated dome is 45 m high (46.3 m with the cross), with the bell tower reaching 53 metres. The temple has 12 bells with total weight of 23 tons, the heaviest weighing 12 tons and the lightest 10 kilograms.

The construction of the St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral started in 1882 (having been planned since 19 February 1879), when the foundation stone was laid, but most of it was built between 1904 and 1912. The cathedral was created in honour to the Russian soldiers who died during the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-1878, as a result of which Bulgaria was liberated from Ottoman rule.

The free tour was properly finished

The interior of the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral is decorated with Italian marble in various colours, Brazilian onyx, alabaster, and other luxurious materials. The central dome has the Lord's Prayer inscribed around it, with thin gold letters.

The marble parts and the lighting fixtures were created in Munich, the metal elements for the gates in Berlin, while the gates themselves were manufactured in Karl Bamberg's factory in Vienna, and the mosaics were shipped from Venice.

  

After a geocache we returned back to the city centre

Nada took some photos of us and received a warning from the police officer for walking in the middle of the road

Bulgaria road trip members: Rok, Barbara, Miha, Katja, Tuši, Nada and Aleš

Photo with the The National Guards Unit of Bulgaria, purely ceremonial unit for the security of the President of Bulgaria.

 

After another view of the Serdica we went to see the interior of the Banya Bashi Mosque.

What is notable for the mosque is the domed ceiling, which was restored to its original design, after the fall of Communism. It is also decorated with exquisite calligraphy.

The Central Bath (Tsentralna Banya) from the park

 

Time for a fast sausage

 

Old and modern cars. I let one in the VIP section.

Our friend Natalia recommended Q-Ftetaria

  

We all had some nice snacks along with the beer

 

We all loved the electric wiring in the city, while Tsar Osvoboditel (Alexander II of Russia) couldn't see that 2 centuries ago.

Narodno sabranie (National Assembly) is the unicameral parliament and legislative body of the Republic of Bulgaria.

Knyazheska Garden and a monument built in 1954 to honor the Soviet troops in Bulgaria during World War II.

If You See Me Collapse, Pause My Garmin

 

Surprise, surprise. It costs us 39 leva (cca 20€).

City walk in Sofia

GeoCaches found (all received a visit by trackable items "Siebasiach's Figure Eight Geocoin", TB735HE, "Sanban s1", TB42DJW and "Julia ud Zweeenes 100000 Caches", TB35GHN):
- Alexander Nevski cathedral, GC7KYTA
- City Garden, GC7KYVH
- The Old Church, GC3EACY
- King Liberator, GC7T0Y9
- Sofia Reverse Cache, Whereigo, GC720HE
- Dr. Math, Whereigo, GC3YVAM