Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria is just a 2.5 hour flight away from Frankfurt, Germany. Me and a friend spontaneously booked this trip just one week before flying out because it was €32 round trip. I didn’t know that it would be the most memorable €32 that I’ve spent.

Our hostel (Hostel Mostel) was only €17 per person for 2 nights. We later discovered that the reason for this cheap price is because 1 Bulgarian Lev is equivalent to 0.51 EUR. Lev also means Lion in Bulgarian, they love their lions a lot. 

We spent 2 nights in Sofia and just about 2 full days because we arrived one the evening of the first day.

Sofia is one of the most beautiful cities I have visited so far, and I’ve been to 22 countries! The weather indeed played a huge part. The entire duration of our stay had cloudless blue skies and gorgeous sunsets. I’d you’re looking for a great lookout point to watch sunset, I highly recommend the Lovers’ Bridge behind the Place of Culture. You’ll get a view of the mountains too! The bridge itself is just a pedestrian walk and has nothing romantic about it.

A must-do in Sofia are the free tours. My personal favourite is the Sofia free tour which happens 365 days a year, rain or shine. My tour guide Martin was amusing and passionate. The two hours walking around with him flew by. I previously visited the attractions with my friend the day before but didn’t realise their cultural and historical significance until during the tour. I left with a profound sense of admiration for Sofia and a lot of gratitude towards Martin.

Sofia is also the first place to have a free food tour! We got to try a lot of local and exotic bites. There are two options, vegetarian AND alcoholic or meat involved BUT non-alcoholic. 

Sofia is probably best known for their Alexander Nevsky Cathedral but right next to it is the Saint Sophia church which gave the city it’s name. Other must see sights are the hot mineral fountains, Roman Empire remains at the Metro Serdika, Cathedral of Saint Nedelya and the Rotunda Cathedral. The water from the hot mineral fountain is drinkable and very refreshing. You’ll see many locals filling up litres to store at home. It’s said to contain many health benefits. 

Sofia has adequate public transportation but we walked everywhere with the exception of to and from the airport! The Metro is payable via card and costs 1.60 Lev per journey. The metro has 3 lines, blue, red and yellow. The yellow line will take you from Sofia airport straight to the city centre in 7 stops. 

Bulgaria is one of the cheapest countries to visit if you live in the EU. So take advantage of this fact and do try their cuisine. Bulgarian food is rich and flavourful and so yummy. They also have plenty of foreign cuisine. One of my favourite places to eat was Bistro Pesto, a quaint small pasta restaurant which serves you fresh pasta straight from the pan! The average price is 18 Lev. 

Sofia also has a lovely cafe culture and plenty of modern cafes around town. You’ll often see young people hanging out or working remotely in these cafes. 

Walking the streets of Sofia does surprisingly feel very safe! It is quiet and dark however everything is relatively near and a night walk won’t do you  much harm. The weather however was brutal for us, even though we came from Germany. The cold was biting so be sure to bring gloves! Keep in mind that sunny does not equal to warm.

My favourite thing about Sofia is the people. Everyone was so warm and welcoming, from the ram drivers waving at us, to random strangers walking up just to say hi to us and cafes giving us extra pastries! Most people can speak English very well. I was pleasantly surprised as my experience with the locals in the Slavic country Slovakia wasn’t great. Bulgaria really changed my opinion on Eastern Europe for the better. 

If you’re looking for an underrated city to visit, Sofia is it. With the rich culture, architecture, history and food, Sofia does really have everything!