Bulgaria · Local picks
100+ Places to Visit in Bulgaria
These are the places worth your time in Bulgaria, from the museums, markets and mountain trails of Sofia to Plovdiv's Roman theatre, Veliko Tarnovo's fortress, the Black Sea towns and the peaks above Bansko. Classics sit beside quiet corners many travellers miss, so every kind of visitor finds something to love.
Places to Visit in Sofia
Arts and Culture
- Alexander Nevsky Cathedral (Alexander Nevsky Square)
Sofia's gold domed landmark, with a fine icon museum in its crypt. - Boyana Church (Boyana)
A tiny UNESCO listed chapel with thirteenth century frescoes far ahead of their time. - Serdica Archaeological Complex (Serdica metro station)
Roman streets and buildings uncovered beneath the city's central crossroads. - National Archaeological Museum (Atanas Burov Square)
Thracian gold, Roman sculpture and medieval treasures in a former mosque. - Museum of Socialist Art (Mladost)
A garden of Soviet era statues, including the red star from the old party house. - Rotunda of Saint George (Presidency courtyard)
A fourth century red brick church hidden among government buildings. - National Museum of History (Boyana)
The country's largest history museum, in a former government residence near Boyana Church. - Saint Nicholas Russian Church (Tsar Osvoboditel Boulevard)
A jewel box church with green domes where people leave written wishes at the crypt. - Banya Bashi Mosque (Maria Luiza Boulevard)
An Ottoman mosque built over hot springs, still in use today. - Rila Monastery (Rila)
Bulgaria's most important monastery, with striped arches and painted galleries in a forested valley.
Things to Do
- Central Mineral Baths drinking fountains (Banya Bashi)
Locals fill bottles with warm mineral water from public taps beside the old bathhouse. - Free Sofia Tour (Palace of Justice)
A friendly volunteer led walking tour that is the best introduction to the centre.
Shopping and Markets
- Zhenski Pazar (Stefan Stambolov Boulevard)
Sofia's oldest and liveliest market for fruit, spices, cheese and everyday bargains. - Antique market at Alexander Nevsky (Alexander Nevsky Square)
Stalls of icons, old cameras, medals and Soviet curios beside the cathedral. - Vitosha Boulevard (City centre)
The pedestrian main street of shops and terraces with Vitosha mountain at its end.
Nature and Outdoors
- Vitosha Nature Park (Aleko)
Hike to Cherni Vrah or wander to the Golden Bridges stone river within an hour of the city. - Borisova Gradina (Borisova Garden)
The city's largest park, with lakes, playgrounds and summer open air swimming. - Boyana Waterfall (Boyana)
A forest hike above Boyana to one of the highest waterfalls on Vitosha. - Seven Rila Lakes (Panichishte, Rila)
A classic summer hike past a chain of glacial lakes high in the Rila mountains.
Restaurants
- Hadjidraganovite Kashti (Kozloduy Street)
A folk style tavern with hearty Bulgarian dishes and live music on many nights. - Shtastliveca (Vitosha Boulevard)
A long running favourite for modern takes on Bulgarian classics. - Made in Home (Angel Kanchev Street)
A cosy, homely restaurant with seasonal, creative cooking. - Moma Bulgarian Food and Wine (Solunska Street)
Traditional regional recipes and Bulgarian wines in a rustic, welcoming room.
Cafés
- Fabrika Daga (Veslets Street)
A specialty coffee roaster and brunch spot in an old courtyard workshop. - Dabov Specialty Coffee (Graf Ignatiev Street)
Sofia's best known specialty coffee bar, small and serious about beans.
Bars and Nightlife
- Hambara (6 Septemvri Street)
A candlelit bar in an old barn with no electric light, hidden behind a doorway. - Raketa Rakia Bar (Yanko Sakazov Boulevard)
Dozens of rakias and retro socialist decor in a fun, busy bar.
Events
- Sofia Film Fest (City centre)
The city's international film festival, usually held in March.
Stays
- Sense Hotel Sofia (Tsar Osvoboditel Boulevard)
A design hotel with a rooftop bar facing Alexander Nevsky Cathedral. - Hostel Mostel (Makedonia Boulevard)
A sociable, long established hostel that suits budget travellers. - Grand Hotel Sofia (City Garden)
A classic central hotel beside the City Garden and the National Theatre.
Places to Visit in Plovdiv
Arts and Culture
- Ancient Theatre of Philippopolis (Old Town)
A Roman theatre that still stages summer opera with views to the Rhodopes. - Plovdiv Old Town (Old Town)
Cobbled lanes of painted revival houses, several open as museums. - Great Basilica of Philippopolis (Knyaz Aleksandar I Street)
Vast early Christian floor mosaics restored under a modern cover building. - Roman Stadium (Dzhumaya Square)
Part of a huge Roman stadium visible right below the main pedestrian street. - Balabanov House (Old Town)
A restored merchant mansion with painted ceilings and art exhibitions. - Regional Ethnographic Museum (Kuyumdzhiev House, Old Town)
Folk costumes, crafts and rose oil history in one of the finest Old Town houses. - Dzhumaya Mosque (Dzhumaya Square)
One of the oldest Ottoman mosques in the Balkans, with a café serving Turkish coffee. - Bachkovo Monastery (Bachkovo)
Bulgaria's second largest monastery, with important frescoes and stalls of honey outside.
Things to Do
- Free Plovdiv Tour (Central Square)
A volunteer led walking tour through the Roman city and the Old Town. - Kapana Creative District (Kapana)
Small streets of galleries, craft beer, wine bars and murals.
Nature and Outdoors
- Nebet Tepe (Old Town)
The oldest of Plovdiv's hills, with ruins and the city's best sunset view. - Bunardzhik Hill (Alyosha monument)
A quiet park hill with a Soviet monument and wide views over the city. - Rowing Canal (Trakia)
A long rowing canal and park popular for cycling, running and family walks. - Asen's Fortress (Asenovgrad)
A medieval church perched on a crag above a deep river gorge.
Restaurants
- Pavaj (Kapana)
Modern Bulgarian cooking in a small, lively restaurant in Kapana.
Cafés
- Dzhumaya Mosque coffee house (Dzhumaya Square)
Turkish coffee and sweets in the shadow of the old mosque.
Bars and Nightlife
- Kotka i Mishka (Kapana)
Busy street side bar with craft beers and a friendly crowd.
Events
- Opera Open (Ancient Theatre)
Summer opera and ballet performances under the stars in the Roman theatre. - Night of Museums and Galleries (Old Town)
A September night when museums and galleries open late, often free.
Stays
- Hotel Residence Hebros (Old Town)
A boutique hotel in a restored revival house in the Old Town. - Hostel Old Plovdiv (Old Town)
A characterful hostel in a nineteenth century house full of antiques.
Places to Visit in Veliko Tarnovo
Arts and Culture
- Tsarevets Fortress (Tsarevets Hill)
The fortress of the medieval tsars, with walls, palace ruins and a cathedral on the summit. - Monument to the Asen Dynasty (Asenovtsi)
A huge equestrian monument on a river bend with the best view back to the town. - Church of the Forty Martyrs (Asenova)
A medieval royal church with inscribed columns from the age of the khans. - Church of Saints Peter and Paul (Asenova)
Well preserved medieval frescoes in a quiet church below Tsarevets. - Church of the Nativity, Arbanasi (Arbanasi)
A plain building outside, but covered inside with thousands of painted figures. - Shipka Memorial Church (Shipka)
A golden domed Russian style church below the Shipka pass. - Buzludzha Monument (Balkan Mountains)
A vast, abandoned communist era monument on a mountain top, seen from outside.
Events
- Sound and Light Show (Tsarevets Hill)
Coloured lights, music and bells play across the fortress walls on selected evenings.
Shopping and Markets
- Samovodska Charshiya (Old town)
The old craft street where potters, coppersmiths and woodcarvers work and sell.
Things to Do
- Gurko Street (Old town)
The prettiest lane in town, its houses perched above the river gorge. - Etar Architectural Ethnographic Complex (Near Gabrovo)
An open air museum of working crafts driven by water wheels. - Tryavna old town (Tryavna)
A quiet revival town famous for its woodcarving school and museum.
Nature and Outdoors
- Emen Canyon (Emen)
A short eco trail along a limestone canyon to a waterfall.
Restaurants
- Shtastliveca Veliko Tarnovo (Stefan Stambolov Street)
Creative Bulgarian dishes on a terrace overlooking the gorge. - Hadji Nikoli Inn (Samovodska Charshiya)
A restaurant in a restored nineteenth century inn on the craft street.
Stays
- Hotel Bolyarski (Stefan Stambolov Street)
Central hotel with balconies over the Yantra gorge. - Hostel Mostel Veliko Tarnovo (Old town)
A friendly hostel in a historic house in the old town.
Places to Visit in Varna
Arts and Culture
- Varna Archaeological Museum (Maria Luiza Boulevard)
Home to the gold of the Varna Necropolis, among the oldest worked gold in the world. - Roman Baths of Odessos (Old town)
The largest Roman baths in Bulgaria, with walls still standing to great height. - Dormition of the Mother of God Cathedral (City centre)
Varna's grand cathedral with richly painted interiors. - Aladzha Monastery (Golden Sands Nature Park)
A medieval cave monastery carved into a cliff in forest. - Balchik Palace and Botanical Garden (Balchik)
A Romanian queen's seaside palace with terraced gardens.
Nature and Outdoors
- Sea Garden (Seafront)
A long seaside park of shady paths above the beaches. - Pobiti Kamani (Near Varna)
A strange natural forest of stone columns in the sand. - Cape Kaliakra (Kavarna)
A red cliffed headland with fortress ruins and dolphins often offshore.
Things to Do
- Varna Aquarium (Sea Garden)
A small aquarium of Black Sea fish, good for children. - Kamen Bryag and Yailata (Kamen Bryag)
A wild rocky coast with cave dwellings and sea views.
Bars and Nightlife
- Beach bars of the Sea Garden (Seafront)
Summer bars along the beach below the Sea Garden.
Restaurants
- Staria Chinar (Preslav Street)
A long standing Varna favourite for seafood and Bulgarian dishes.
Stays
- Graffit Gallery Hotel (Knyaz Boris I Boulevard)
A design hotel with modern art throughout.
Events
- Varna Summer International Festival (City centre)
A long running summer festival of classical music, opera and theatre.
Places to Visit in Sozopol
Arts and Culture
- Sozopol Old Town (Old Town)
Wooden houses, cobbled lanes and sea views on a rocky peninsula. - Old Nessebar (Nessebar)
A UNESCO listed peninsula town of medieval churches and timber houses.
Things to Do
- Central Beach Sozopol (Old Town)
A sandy beach right below the old town, handy for families. - Southern Fortress Wall and Tower (Old Town)
A restored section of the ancient walls with a museum and views. - Burgas Sea Garden and Sand Festival (Burgas)
A seaside park with a summer sand sculpture festival.
Events
- Apollonia Arts Festival (Old Town)
Concerts, theatre and art across the town at the end of summer.
Nature and Outdoors
- Ropotamo Nature Reserve (South of Sozopol)
Boat trips along a jungle like river to the sea. - Sinemorets (Strandzha)
Quiet beaches where a river meets the sea near the Turkish border. - Arkutino Beach (Near Primorsko)
A wide sandy beach backed by dunes and a lily lake. - Strandzha Nature Park (Strandzha)
Oak forests, fire dancing villages and quiet trails in Bulgaria's far south. - Poda Protected Area (Burgas)
Birdwatching for pelicans and flamingos beside the Burgas lakes.
Restaurants
- Fish taverns at the harbour (Sozopol harbour)
Fresh grilled fish and fried sprats beside the fishing boats.
Places to Visit in Bansko
Things to Do
- Bansko Gondola and Ski Area (Bansko)
Bulgaria's biggest ski area, reached by a long gondola from town. - Rhodope Narrow Gauge Railway (Septemvri to Dobrinishte)
A slow, scenic train through the mountains. - Melnik (Melnik)
Bulgaria's smallest town, ringed by sand pyramids and known for red wine.
Arts and Culture
- Church of the Holy Trinity (Old town)
A large nineteenth century church with a tall stone bell tower. - Velyanov House (Old town)
A fortified house with painted interiors by a Debar master. - Neofit Rilski House Museum (Old town)
The home of a key figure in Bulgarian education, now a museum. - Dobarsko Saints Theodore Tyron and Theodore Stratilates Church (Dobarsko)
A tiny village church with unusual frescoes. - Rozhen Monastery (Rozhen)
A peaceful monastery a short hike from Melnik.
Nature and Outdoors
- Pirin National Park (Pirin)
Alpine peaks, glacial lakes and old pine forest under UNESCO protection. - Baikusheva Mura (Pirin)
A Bosnian pine more than thirteen hundred years old. - Popovo Lake (Bezbog)
One of the largest glacial lakes in the Pirin, reached via the Bezbog chairlift.
Stays
- Kempinski Hotel Grand Arena (Gondola area)
A large hotel right beside the gondola station.
Events
- Bansko Jazz Festival (Old town)
A free open air jazz festival in August.
More to Explore
We are still checking these with fresh sources, so confirm opening times before you go.
- Supa Star (Oborishte, Sofia)
Hearty soups and simple bowls for a quick, cheap and warming lunch. - Bar Me Gusta (Oborishte, Sofia)
A friendly wine and cocktail bar in the leafy streets near Doctor's Garden. - Kanaal (Lavele Street, Sofia)
A popular cocktail bar with a relaxed crowd and inventive drinks. - Hemingway (Gurko Street, Plovdiv)
A long established restaurant with a big terrace near the Ancient Theatre. - Rahat Tepe (Old Town, Plovdiv)
Traditional dishes on a terrace with views from the top of the Old Town. - Smokini (Old Town, Plovdiv)
Relaxed home style cooking in a garden setting near the Old Town. - Vino Culture (Kapana, Plovdiv)
A small wine bar pouring Bulgarian wines, including local Mavrud. - Plovdiv Antique and Flea Market (Main Street area, Plovdiv)
Weekend stalls of old coins, records and curios near the centre. - Ivan Asen Restaurant (Near Tsarevets, Veliko Tarnovo)
Traditional food on a terrace facing the fortress. - Melon Live Music Club (City centre, Veliko Tarnovo)
A long running live music bar popular with students. - Dolphinarium Varna (Sea Garden, Varna)
Popular dolphin shows; check current welfare information before you go. - Fish market eateries (Varna port, Varna)
Simple places serving fried sprats and fresh fish near the harbour. - Neptun Restaurant (Old Town, Sozopol)
Seafood on a terrace by the sea at the tip of the peninsula. - Villa List (Sozopol, Sozopol)
A seafront hotel with gardens and views over the bay. - Mehana Dedo Pene (Old town, Bansko)
A traditional tavern with folk music and clay pot dishes. - Mehana Baryakova (Old town, Bansko)
A classic mehana serving mountain dishes in a historic house. - Happy End Bar (Gondola area, Bansko)
A popular après ski bar near the slopes.