Happenings of Hayley

In June of this year (2026) I spent 4 days solo exploring Plovdiv and then Sofia, and had a thoroughly good time!

I started by flying into Sofia and then getting the metro from the airport into the city centre. This was really easy to do, it’s very well signposted inside the airport and you can only go in one direction towards the city centre, and you can just tap your bank card. Easy peasy.

For this trip I planned to head to Plovdiv first, spend a couple of days there and then head back to Sofia for a couple days to and then fly back. It made sense to me to finish with Sofia as that’s where I am flying from.

From the centre of Sofia, the train station is about a 40 minute walk, which for me was great because I had plenty of time until my train, and it meant I could go slowly and get a tease of Sofia before I explored it properly.

Plovdiv

Plovdiv is about 3 hours away from Sofia by train and is home to a very picturesque old town, wonderful views from seven different hills and Roman remains everywhere.

The first thing I did when I arrived was check-in to my hotel before treating myself to a tasty traditional Bulgarian meal. My route took me down Knyaz Alexander, one of the centre-most shopping streets, of which you can exit to easily reach the old town.

It is also on this street that you’ll find the Ancient Stadium of Philipopolis, just casually sitting below the street. It’s so intact, it’s amazing.

For food I actually went to the restaurant attached to my hotel for convenience, but it’s really highly rated (which I checked after oops). It’s called Ресторант Патрики, and I had a pork chop in a very nice gravy with pureéd sweet potato and brocolli – very tasty!

Okay, onto my first proper day exploring….and I went straight to the Ancient Theatre of Philippopolis.

To step in and walk around the ancient steps it is only 3.58 Euros, but if you want a combined ticket to see other sites it’s 10.74, which is very good.

Often used as a stage, which you can see from my photo, this site not only allows you to see anciet Roman history, but also some good views of the rest of Plovdiv, with the Bulgarian mountains on the horizon.

From here you can easily explore the rest of the old town, and some of the best streets include:

• ul. Saborna
• ul. Tsanko Lavrenov
• ul. Konstantin Stoilov
• ul. Doctor Stoyan Chomakov

And I want to specifically highlight ul. Stramna, otherwise known as the Street of Crafts. It’s here that you can pop into to various workshops where the locals make all sorts of crafts. Visitors can browse local made souvenirs, and even have a go at making them.

The whole area of the old town is just so pretty, with cobbled streets and colourful old buildings everywhere. It’s also where you can reach one of the seven view points.

Nebet Tepe sits at the top of ul. Doctor Stoyan Chomakov and has amazing views over the city – it’s also worth coming back again for sunset.

The neighbourhood of Kapana is also well worth a visit. It’s home to trendy bars and restaurants, with the trademark cobbles like the rest of Plovdiv old town – it’s a great way to finish a day of exploring. Try Cat and Mouse Beer Bar for a great selection.

Oh, and something else to mention about Plovdiv, cats EVERYWHERE. Sweet little guys, all friendly, all fed, all owned, just wandering like cats do. See how many you can spot!

Sofia

I got the bus back to Sofia, which actually is quicker than the train. The bus station was easy to find, but not so easy to know which bay is for your bus. Luckily there were a few people gathered around one bay, so I figured that was for Sofia, and it was – people are very friendly.

The check in time at my hotel was a few hours after I arrived, so I proceeded to explore straight away, and first stop was the famous Patriarchal Cathedral St. Alexander Nevsky.

With it’s huge size, gold domes and blue hues, it was different to any other cathedral I’d seen! Simply stunning, and even more so inside.

All around this area are stunning buildings and sites that are well worth a look:

• St Sofia Church
• Tsar Samuil Monument
• The National Art Gallery
• Cathedral Saint Nedelia

Around the corner from the Cathedral Saint Nedelia is another church, the Sofia Church of St. George, which also happens to be Sofia’s oldest building, dating back to the 4th Century. It is also surrounded by some of the city’s ancient ruins, which just adds to the wonder of the site.

Whilst we are on the topic of ruins, right near this church is the metro station of Serdika, which is not only a central and useful stop, it’s also home to the archaeological remains of ancient Serdika, which sit above and below the station.

Underground is where you can see the intersection of Serdika’s historic main streets – Decumanus Maximus and Cardo Maximus. It really is a site to behold.

Another must visit in Sofia is the street called Vitosha Blvd, and is arguably the most popular street in Sofia with plenty of bars, restaurants and shops, with great views of the Bulgarian mountains in the background.

From here, somewhere important to visit is the Red Flat. In an unassuming apartment block sits a flat that offers an interesting and immersive museum experience into everyday life in communist Bulgaria during the 1980s.

It honestly feels like a time capsule. The apartment belonged to an average family, and the audio guide does an excellent job of explaining what daily life was like during the final years of the communist regime – well worth a visit.

You’ll find me recommending this a lot, but the last thing I did in Sofia was a walking tour to learn about Bulgarian history, Sofian history and the importance of some of the statues and buildings.

The favourite thing I learnt was about the Tsar Samuil Monument, but I’m not going to spoil anything, you’ll have to find out for yourself!