Sofia – capital of Bulgaria and what a gem! I expected something a little rougher, but no – so very polished and shiny! So many lovely buildings, wide boulevards, parks and green spaces and very clean.
We stayed at the Grand Hotel in the heart of the city and within walking distance to most of the sights of interest, plus shops and restaurants.
The former Communist Party headquarters is todays Parliament building.
The Russian cross usually has three crossbeams, two horizontal and the third one is a bit slanted. The top bar symbolizes the sign that was hung above the head of Christ, it was written: “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews” The middle bar was where Christ’s hands were nailed. The lower bar is the foot-rest.
All streets that run in front or next to royal buildings are paved with special yellow pavers produced in Budapest with material from a local clay pit.
4th century Roman Rotunda, a red brick building built as Roman baths but transformed into the present day St. George Church, the oldest architectural monument in Sofia. Surrounding the church are ruins from the ancient city of Serdica,
The town of Serdika or Serdnopolis was founded 2,000 years BC by the Thracian tribe Serdi, who settled in the region around the hot mineral springs. In the 1st century AD, the town was conquered by the Romans, who appreciated the important and strategic location and the mineral springs.
Serdika was the favorite town of the Roman emperor Konstantin the Great (306 – 337), who loved to say “Serdika is my Rome”. Namely Serdika was the place where the decision to move the capital of the East Roman Empire in Constantinople was taken, and until its construction, Konstantin reigned from Serdika.
More images from around Sofia’s city center.
