Experience in Sofia, Bulgaria by Alek

What is it like to live in Sofia? Would you recommend it? What is the city like?

So Sofia is a quite cheap city to live in. You would definitely find a nice room to live in for less than 400 euros. The food in the shops may not be as cheap as you would expect, but eating out is really cheap. You can have a proper 3-course lunch for 4 euros. The city is full of different cultures and you can meet all kinds of people. Of course, the city is not the richest so stray dogs and homeless people are not an uncommon sight. The people are really friendly and the chances are that if you stop a young person, he will speak English. It is not the same with old people, there you will have a tough time. But if you really want to communicate, Bulgarians are quite energetic and with all types of gestures, the message will get across. The city is safe, but I would not recommend walking at night in the neighborhoods at the end of the city. Taxis are really cheap, but be careful, if you are a foreigner, they will boost the price - do not pay more than 25 lev. There is almost no route in the city that should cost more than that, and 25 is quite stretched, the usual price is around 10.

Sofia is a perfect starting point for exploring Bulgaria and you can reach any point in the country only within a few hours. Also, the airport is becoming bigger and bigger, which leads to a lot of cheap flights to different destinations around Europe and the Middle East.

I will totally recommend living there. I love the city, I love the culture and the people.

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What is the food like? What are your favourite dishes?

The food is the best part of Sofia and Bulgaria. There some great dishes to try. To start there are several soups that have to be tried. Bob Chorba (Bean soup) and Shkembe Chorba (Tripe Soup) are great traditional soups. The later may not appeal to everyone, but is something that has to be tried at least once. But maybe, the best soup is the cold soup - Tarator.

It is made from cucumbers and our yogurt (I will tell more about it in a bit). The Tarator is a great summer meal and goes well will a lot of main dishes. For example, it is typical to eat tarator with Musaka (If you have been to Greece you know this one) or Piles oris (it is basically rice with chicken, but Bulgarians do miracles with the spices for this one). Also while you are in Bulgaria, try the Grill. Kebabche or Kufte or even better Tatarsko Kufte are great meat meals. They go perfectly with the souse Lutenitsa (it is similar to Ajvar, which you can try as well). To make the combination complete, have a Shopska salata. It is a salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and the special ingredient - white cheese (the Bulgarian cheese is something that has to be tried for sure). Or for the vegetarians, if they are not in the mood for another salad, try Lozovi Sarmi (stuffed grape leaves), but be careful, they can be stuffed with meat as well. Something that has no meat in it is Purjeni Tikvichki (fried Cucurbita pepo) served with a white sauce, they make a great summer snack. But I left for last my favorite Bulgarian main dish - the Gyuveche. Cooked in a traditional Bulgarian pot which shares the name of the food. The Gyuveche is filled with all sorts of ingredients like tomatoes, lukanka (Bulgarian salami, MUST try it), kashkaval, the above-mentioned lutenitsa, onions and whatever the cook decided, it makes a dish wich explodes of different tastes.

And to wrap up - let's talk about sweets and desserts. If have ever heard anything about Bulgarian food, well then you know what is coming, the mighty BANITSA. The most traditional dish I can think of, which is made for different types of occasions like New Year's Eve, Celebrating Newborn. Trust me, banitsa has to be tried and it goes great with the traditional Bulgarian drink Boza. Now that is something that looks horrible, some will say that it tastes bad as well, but there are songs written about eating banitsa with boza and I love it. But if you don't like it, try Ayran, another traditional drink made from Bulgarian yogurt and with salt. But maybe the best combination is banitsa with yogurt. The Bulgarian yogurt is something you definitely have to try, it is not like the normal yogurt found all around the world, this one is made only in Bulgaria with bacteria that lives, you guessed it, only in Bulgaria. While we are still on deserts I have to mention Baklava and Tikvenik (pastry made with pumpkin).

Finally, I just have to mention the great Rakiya. This is the traditional alcoholic drink and can be found everywhere. But I have to warn you, if alcohol is not friendly to you, be careful, because only the smell of rakiya can hit you quite hard. The drink can be classified as brandy, but some might call it rocket fuel and they won't be wrong, because it can reach up to 80% alcohol.

What places would you recommend visiting in Sofia?

There is no doubt in my mind that the best place in Sofia is actually going to the mountains. Vitosha Mountain with it highest point Cherni Vruh (2290 km) is only a 30-minute bus ride from the city. The mountain has a lot of routes for hiking or just having a picnic. The most famous one is through the Boyana neighborhood. There is something to see even before starting the hike. The Boyana Church and orthodox church that is almost a millennia-old and is defiantly one of the biggest landmarks not only in Sofia, but Bulgaria. After you have seen the church you are only a 45-minute hike to the Boyanski Vodopad, which is a beautiful waterfall.

The waterfall can be a great destination in the winter as well, when it freezes and you can ice-climb on it. But if you are not in the mood of seeing a waterfall and dealing with all the noise it makes, from Boyana you can reach the Boyana lake only after a very smooth and easy 20-minute walk. There are benches there, so you can sit and enjoy the view. But regarding the noise, you will have to deal with the quacking of the frogs there.

But if you don't enjoy the outdoors as much as I do, the city has plenty to offer. There are a lot of churches that you can see, with the most notable being the St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, located in the very heart of the city. Right next to it you can see the Sveta Sofia church, which is the second oldest city in Sofia dating back to the 4th century and being famously bombed in the beginning of last century during a political attack. But the oldest church and considered the oldest building in Sofia is St. George Rotunda and it is located in the backyard of the presidential palace, which is open for visitors. Another beautiful building that has to be seen is the National Theather "Ivan Vazov". It is located only 5 minutes away from the later church and the park in front of it is a famous hangout spot for young people. All year round you will find people sitting there, drinking beer and quite often a group of friends with a guitar singing.

Not far from there is the main street Vitosha Boulevard. It is a pedestrian street full of shops, bars, and cafes. The street ends at one of the most famous places in Sofia - the National Palace of Culture. It is a huge communist building, which is home to many concerts, plays, fairs, and others. But the most special part of it is the park in which it is located, which is also a famous hangout spot in Sofia. It is also famous with all the skaters that skate there.

Sofia is an ancient city and you can explore its history in all its museums like the National History Museum, Regional Museum of Sofia, Museum of the Socialism, Archeological Museum and the National Museum of Military History.

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Is it good to eat out in Sofia? Can you tell us your favourite spots?

Eating out is delicious and affordable. Places like Shtastlivetsa, Divaka, Kluba an Architekta all offer great food, good atmosphere at a good price. But I would recommend to go around the streets and taste the street food. The street food is extremely cheap and tasty. One of my favorite spots is the Pizza Place in front of the National Palace of Culture. For 1euro you get a huge slice of pizza that is enough for dinner.

Is the nightlife good in Sofia? Where is good to go?

If you enjoy the most popular pop music in Bulgaria, there called chalga, then I have good news for you, there are many places to party at it. Yalta, PM, 33 and Plaza are famous chalga night clubs. But for the people, like me, that enjoy a more quiet night Sofia has a lot to offer, There are many places that will surprise you with their uniqueness. One of my favourite bars is Hanbara, which is an old barn with no electricity and only lit by candles. The atmosphere there is amazing and the drinks are good as well.

Other bars that I really like are The Apartment, Bar Petak, Raketa Rakia Bar and maybe the most unexpected one, because it is literally hidden behind a wall, which you have to unlock - 5L Speakeasy Bar

What advice would you give future students heading to Sofia?

Just enjoy it, drink rakia and have fun. It is important to know some Bulgarian so here you go some words:

• Hello - Zdravey (Zdraveĭte) / Dobur Den (dobŭr den) this is the formal one
• Bye - Chao ( you know how to say it)/ Dovizhdane this is the formal one
• Thank you - Merci (you know it) / Blagodarya
• You are welcome - Molya
• Discount - Otstupka
• Expensive - Skupo
• Cheap - Evtino
• One beer - Edna bira
• Beautiful - Krasiva

Enjoy your time in Sofia!