Sofia may not be as breathtakingly beautiful as many other Central and Eastern European capitals but it still has plenty going for it: a compact and manageable city centre with some rather pretty Neo-Classical and Secession buildings, antique gold treasures in the museums and Roman ruins dotted around the place. So prolific are the Doric columns that they are simply left lying around the public parks and recent excavation work has uncovered all manner of traces of the Roman city of Serdica, including an amphitheatre, and old Roman roads that are now part of the tourist attractions.

Without a doubt, the gold domes of the Alexander Nevsky cathedral against the backdrop of a perhaps still snow-covered Vitosha Mountain on a crystal clear day is a view that has to be seen.

Spring, Summer and Autumn are great months to enjoy Sofia's cafe society as tables move out onto the pavement and the fact that Sofia residents try to escape the hot city in July and August makes them the best months for visitors to enjoy a less hectic, traffic-free Sofia.

Sofia's main hotels are centrally located and many of the main sights are within easy walking distance. Check out our walking tour suggestions for spending anything from a couple of hours to a full day taking in a variety of Sofia's main sights.

We have been producing city guides for Sofia since 1993 so we really are the people who can tell you what there is to see and do in Sofia.