Amazing experiences I had during my travels in Sofia, Bulgaria.

Though I already wrote a straightforward list of fun things to do in Bulgaria’s capital city, I want to share another article highlighting my own unique, personal experiences in Sofia.

The four days I spent there were truly magical, and here are some of the reasons why.

Magical Moments in Sofia, Bulgaria

Exploring the city

I spent my first day wandering through the city alone. I thoroughly enjoyed my first impressions of Sofia.

The sun was shining and the rich blue sky made all the gorgeous monuments and churches look stunning.

In between exploring and taking pictures I chilled out in numerous parks. Sofia has so much greenery!

Local shops

I stepped into a health and beauty store just to browse.

Somehow I ended up wearing every different product in the shop because the outgoing saleswoman insisted I try everything.

I put on eye cream made from snails, hand lotion made from yogurt, and endless sprays and lotions infused with rose, Bulgaria’s favorite natural product.

The woman was so enthusiastic and happy to tell me about all of Bulgaria’s specialties and their health benefits.

I even bought some rose and yogurt lotion because it was so incredibly cheap.

Alexander Nevsky Cathedral

The Alexander Nevsky Cathedral is the city’s most famous landmark.

So of course I spent ample time exploring the inside and admiring the outside of this giant, majestic building.

While I was inside the dark, intricately decorated church, a group of three men started singing hymns in melancholy harmony.

The beautiful sound echoed off the stone walls of the cathedral, filling the space with mesmerizing music.

I somehow stayed in here for about 20 minutes, just standing in one spot and absorbing the surreal moment.

Fun at the hostel

My accommodation in Sofia was Hostel Mostel.

I paid only seven euros a night for a comfy bed in an 18 bed dorm room.

I had so many wonderful experiences thanks to this hostel, including meeting countless interesting, like-minded people in the cozy common room.

The hostel organized a pub crawl, which was so much fun.

We all drank cheap wine, had interesting conversations, danced to heavy metal music at a nightclub, and ate cheap street pizza at 2 am.

Hostel Mostel also offered an impressive breakfast buffet full of homemade waffles, Bulgarian yogurt and cheese, and lots of vegetables, fruits, and cereals.

I quickly learned that Bulgaria takes pride in its dairy, so cheese and yogurt made frequent appearances throughout my trip. (sorry for the poor quality of the following photos)

Vegetarian restaurants in Sofia

On the topic of food, I was blown away with the quality and prices of food in Sofia.

I ate at many vegetarian restaurants and treated myself so much. Everything was so cheap that I couldn’t help myself!

My first meal in Sofia was at Dream House, a vegetarian cafe where I ate amazing quinoa soup, rainbow salad, hummus, and raw coconut berry cake. It all costs about 9 USD.

My friends and I also made a habit of eating at the Sun and Moon vegetarian restaurant.

Every time we dined like kings, paid affordable prices, and fell in love with our amazing Bulgarian waiter who served us every time we ate there.

Day trip to Rila Monastery

I had a few magical adventures outside of the city as well.

I booked a day trip to Rila Monastery, Bulgaria’s largest and most iconic Eastern Orthodox monastery.

Though the weather was freezing and rainy, our guide still took us on a snowy hike up into the Rila Mountains after we explored the monastery.

We hiked to a hidden stone church next to a tiny damp cave where Saint Ivan of Rila lived for years before creating the monastery.

His story is pretty incredible. It was cool to see the actual spot where the saint lived with absolutely nothing except a strong faith in God.

Instead of crawling back down the small stone steps we took to reach the cave, our guide told us to leave through a hole in the roof.

So one by one we climbed a small wooden ladder and squeezed our way through a tiny opening in the rocks, covering ourselves in dirt and snow in the process.

Rural restaurant in the mountains

After our visit to the Rila Monastery, our guide brought us to a random local restaurant in the middle of the mountains for lunch.

Wanting to sample a traditional Bulgarian dish, I ordered tarator, a cold yogurt-based soup with cucumbers and dill.

Other specialties I tried throughout the weekend included Banitsa, a flaky pastry filled with crumbly white cheese, and a vegan version of the traditional tripe soup which used mushrooms and coconut milk.

Vitosha Mountain

My friend and I decided to spend some time in nature by hiking Vitosha Mountain, located just on the edge of the city.

We spent a few hours hiking through the forest. Streams, grasslands and lots of trees accompanied us on the way.

After reveling in the success of reaching the top and overlooking the entire city, we got lost on our way back down.

We ended up walking through random, quiet residential villages. No one really spoke English so we were wandering around for a while trying to find our way.

Once we finally found our way home our legs felt like jelly and we were beaming with satisfaction.

Summary of my magical moments in Sofia!

I definitely had more magical moments in Sofia, but to include every single one would mean writing a novel.

I’m sure this post is already long enough and anyone who has actually made it this far, thank you for reading!

Anyways, I am still shocked at how much I loved Sofia. Especially considering I did not research it much beforehand.

Ryanair’s cheap flights into Sofia are causing the city to rise in popularity.

So hopefully the city’s special culture does not become overrun with tourism.

But everything was so affordable. The people I met were amazing. All the food was delicious. The natural beauty was refreshing. And the experiences I had were unforgettable!

So I would highly recommend Sofia to any budget travelers in Eastern Europe.

Are you traveling to Bulgaria? Visit iVisa.com to check if you need a visa!

For other travel articles about Eastern Europe, check out these links:

How To See Kotor, Montenegro On A Budget

Why Warsaw Changed My Life

Why I Fell In Love With Sibiu, Romania

10 Best Things To See In Croatia

Transylvania, Romania: The Ultimate Budget Travel Guide