Sofia (Bulgaria) (Apr 26, 2025):
Sofia's story in a few lines:
Origins:
Sofia is one of the oldest cities in Europe, with over 7,000 years of history. Its first settlements date back to the Neolithic period.
Antique:
It was known as Serdica during the Roman Empire, an important administrative and commercial center in the region.
Middle Ages:
It passed through Byzantine and Ottoman hands, leaving a unique cultural and architectural mix.
Independence:
In 1878, after liberation from Ottoman rule, Sofia became the capital of the new Bulgarian state.
Ottoman era:
For almost five centuries (from the 14th to the 19th century), Sofia was part of the Ottoman Empire.
Sofia: It's cool, like any big European city, and it's super safe, but the people are unfriendly, they're quite rude, they don't know how to smile and they don't help you.
Rila Monastery (Bulgaria): It's very beautiful, but you can't go inside, so you have to spend an hour or two to see just an open area and a small church, and on top of that, the restrooms cost extra. I don't think it's worth the long journey. The guide didn't speak Spanish, so you might miss some things on the way to the monastery.
We have to emphasize, as we mentioned before, that the Airbnb we stayed in was the best so far. Completely renovated, practically brand new, impeccably clean, and with countless amazing touches, like a coffee machine stocked with naturally roasted beans, chocolates, kitchen roll, cling film, and tons of cooking supplies, oil, salt, spices, etc. In the bathroom, there were brand new towels that smelled wonderful, soaps, and even Colgate White toothpaste.
As we went up through the portal, it seemed like it would be our last day; everything was falling apart, there was a terrible smell of damp, cables were hanging off, there were photos of people who had died on the doors, etc.
We liked it, but the people are too cold; they avoid you if you try to ask them something.
It is a safe, accessible, clean city and has a lot of history.
We were quite disappointed with the synagogue. If you've seen the one in Budapest, this one isn't worth it, and the audio guide kept cutting out, making it take forever to see each point. To get in, you have to go through a security checkpoint with some very unpleasant and rude guards.
Interesting facts:
Restaurant:
We had dinner at the restaurant Hadjidraganovite kashti And when it came time to pay, they told us that the tip was not included in the bill. We told them that we didn't want to tip (in other words, since the service didn't deserve it) and to our surprise, the waiter simply stopped talking, handed us the card, and rudely threw the receipt on the table.
On one of the excursions, the guide himself told us that in general, Bulgarian people are quite aggressive in their way of speaking, that they don't beat around the bush like English, with "good morning," "please, could you," etc., that they arrive and say only what they want without any beating around the bush or anything similar; in fact, I don't think we saw any locals smile.
Sofia goes very well with Koprivshlitsa as a natural and historical getaway from the capital, and with Plovdiv thanks to its direct connection, as they form a very balanced route between modern capital and historical city.
Flight+hotel package with lastminute.com: €593.40 total round trip with Wizzair.
Airbnb Sofia: Unique Central 1 Bedroom Flat: 5 nights (the best of all the ones we've been to).
Excursion: 1 day trip to Plovdiv and Koprivshtitsa: €50/person round trip. Civitatis.
Excursion: 1 day trip to Rila Monastery: €20/person round trip. Getyourguide.
Excursion: 1 day to Skopje (Macedonia) €56/person round trip. Flixbus
Information obtained from the web https://www.exteriores.gob.es
Passport/ID: Both are valid.
Visa: It is not required.
European Health Insurance Card: It's necessary, it's very easy to order online and they'll even send it to your home, it's free. Request.
Vaccines: There are no mandatory vaccinations for entry.
International driving permit: There's no need.
Badge: Bulgarian Levy (BGN).
Payment card/currency exchange: we always go with Revolut definitely.
Roaming: Yeah.
Where to eat: If you want to eat at a restaurant, there's also the app. TheFork which has many discounts. If you book with the code 7C1B79A3 When you are finishing the booking, you will get 1000 Yums = €10 discount at your next meal. In addition to other special offers they often have, or simply to accumulate points and use them for discounts on your next payments.
Other destinations in Bulgaria: 
