Sveta Sofia Church

Top choice in Sofia


Sveta Sofia is one of the capital's oldest churches, and gave the city its name. A subterranean museum houses an ancient necropolis, with 56 tombs and the remains of four other churches. Outside are the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and an eternal flame, and the grave of Ivan Vazov, Bulgaria's most revered writer.

Transportation

  • metro: Sofiyski Universitet

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Sofia attractions

1. Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

0.02 MILES

This monument is located on the southern side of Sveta Sofia Church, facing the Aleksander Nevski Church. It's marked by an eternal flame meant to…

2. Aleksander Nevski Cathedral

0.09 MILES

One of the symbols not just of Sofia but of Bulgaria itself, this massive, awe-inspiring church was built between 1882 and 1912 in memory of the 200,000…

3. Aleksander Nevski Crypt

0.1 MILES

Originally built as a final resting place for Bulgarian kings, this crypt now houses Bulgaria's biggest and best collection of icons, stretching back to…

4. Sveti Nikolai Russian Church

0.15 MILES

This beautiful church with glittering mosaic exterior and golden domes was completed in 1914 for Sofia’s Russian community, and named in honour of St…

5. National Gallery Quadrat 500

0.15 MILES

This massive visual-arts gallery combines the holdings of the National Gallery and the former Museum of Foreign Art. The result is several hundred…

6. Sofia University Botanical Garden

0.16 MILES

Sofia's small botanical garden includes a glasshouse filled with palms and cacti, a rose garden, and various trees and flowers (labelled in Bulgarian and…

7. National Museum of Natural History

0.16 MILES

You can almost sense the ghosts of generations of school parties dutifully trooping through the musty halls of Bulgaria's oldest museum, founded in 1889…

8. National Assembly

0.17 MILES

This imposing neoclassical palace houses the Bulgarian parliament and dates from the 1880s. It's normally closed to the public. Its likeness is traced on…

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