Sofia
About the City
Bulgaria’s pleasingly laid-back capital is often overlooked by visitors heading to the coast or the ski resorts, but they’re missing something special. Sofia is no grand metropolis, but it’s a modern, youthful city, with a scattering of onion-domed churches, Ottoman mosques, and stubborn Red Army monuments that lend an eclectic, exotic feel.
Excavation work carried out during the construction of the metro unveiled a treasure trove of Roman ruins from nearly 2000 years ago when the city was called ‘Serdica’. Away from the buildings and boulevards, vast parks and manicured gardens offer a welcome respite, and the ski slopes and hiking trails of mighty Mt Vitosha are just a short bus ride from the center. Home to many of Bulgaria’s finest museums, galleries, restaurants, and clubs, Sofia may persuade you to stick around and explore further.
Special Notes
There are times that I visit cities that, though they aren't my personal favorite, I can understand what others like about them. I can't say that about Sofia. I know that there are people who are wild about Sofia. Even on the days that included blue skies (as opposed to the normal winter gray), it felt quite depressing to me. I had a harder time with the language barrier here than anywhere else I have been in Europe. Not only is English proficiency low, but the use of the Cyrillic alphabet also makes translating more difficult.
There are some impressive cathedrals in the city and the cost of living is incredibly low. That said, the same could be said of many other cities in Eastern Europe that would also be more accessible to international students.
Additional Information
