Sofia (София)

Faith, Hope and Love Children’s Centre
16+ Centre

Sofia is the capital of Bulgaria, and is situated close to the western edge of the country, on a plain between two mountain ranges - the Stara Planina (Balkan Mountains) and the Rila Mountains. Mount Vitosha, marking the edge of the Rila range, towers over the city, and adds some atmosphere to even the most monotonous parts of the city.

While most of the city is dominated by thousands of communist-era tower blocks, the city centre is architecturally much more interesting, with several ancient orthodox churches, and a sizable old town, although the influence of communist planning, in the form of underground shopping arcades and the hideous National Palace of Culture is visible almost everywhere. There are plenty of hotels around, if you should want to stay in the city, and many of these can be booked in advance from the UK, especially if you have a Bulgarian phrasebook. However, the best and cheapest way to stay in Sofia is by staying in a room in a private flat - you can book these when you arrive from a shop in the street behind the tourist information centre (which is always closed). Nearby there is also the best (ridiculously cheap) internet café in the city - very useful for contacting home when phonecalls to England are so expensive. It’s also air conditioned, which is a godsend when temperatures in the city get too stifling. On that subject, if the heat gets too much for you, you can buy water (”mineralna voda”) at most of the kiosks on street corners around the city.

Restaurants are one of Sofia’s strong points, especially pizza, and you should be able to find everything from MacDonalds to Traditional Bulgarian if you look hard enough. It helps to be able to read cyrillic, though, both to read the menu and to understand the bill. In some restaurants you will find that the English menu has special “tourist” prices on it, as well, so if you can try to get both (hint: at most Chinese restaurants, dishes are intended to be shared, and helpings will be enormous!). The nightlife in Sofia is lively, but it is essential to be well-dressed, since clubs and bars in Bulgaria are restricted largely to the wealthy. Most clubs and bars are within walking distance of the centre (though often difficult to find), and taxis are to be avoided at night if possible.

The city is served by an extensive network of trams and buses, which can take you to and from most places in the city using standardised 40 stotinki tickets (100 stontinki = 1 lev = ~30 pence). These have to be bought for each bus or tram you use at kiosks by the side of the road or track, but not on the actual bus/tram. Once on the vehicle, you have to stamp your ticket as soon as possible, or you run the risk of being grabbed by a ticket inspector - they are paid by a percentage of their takings (and are often “freelance”!), and therefore will demand arbitrary fines, and may even try to grab you before you get to the machine.

The other method of getting round the city is by yellow taxi. Try to go for a firm which seems to have large numbers of taxis, and try to avoid the more manic (i.e. younger) looking drivers, who generally drive the Mercs. Getting from the airport to the city centre requires a taxi, since there is no direct bus - changing buses in the suburbs requires some knowledge of the city’s geography (and the cyrillic alphabet).

The international bus station, and the central railway station (Centralna Gara) are directly connected with the city centre by public transport, though getting a taxi is usually quicker. Allow some time at the bus station for finding your bus and discovering where to buy the ticket - it can be chaotic, especially at peak times, and you’ll almost certainly need a phrasebook. Intercity buses are normally quicker than trains, despite the state of Bulgaria’s roads, though the price difference is minimal.

The Foundation for a Free and Democratic Bulgaria

The FDB Foundation are our main contacts in Sofia, and they fund a centre fo street children in the northern suburbs of the city, the Faith, Hope and Love Children’s Centre as part of the St. Sofia Bridge Project. The 16+ centre, formerly also part of the project but now independent, is for homeless and unemployed teenagers, and aims to provide guidance for them in the transition from institutions to independent life.

Last updated: February 25th, 2008