Bulgaria property news and articles

Sofia is located in the Sofia valley, at the foot of Vitosha Mountain (2280 m). The town occurred in the 8th c. B.C. around a mineral spring, which is now in the centre of the city.

“Ever Growing, Never Aging” is its motto and since 1879 Sofia has been the capital of Bulgaria. Over 250 archaeological, historical and cultural monuments that the Thracians, Romans, Byzantines, Slavs, Proto-Bulgarians and Turks created, are part of the cityscape, such as the St Sofia Church, St George Rotunda, Alexander Nevski Cathedral, the National Theater Ivan Vazov, St Nikolai Russian Church, Sofia University, the Parliament building.

The main shopping areas in Sofia are on Vitosha Boulevard (now pedestrians and closed for vehicles), Graf Ignatiev Str., Rakovski Str. and Pirotska Str.

TzUM (Central Departments sotre) operates as a Western-style shopping mall, with privately rented boutiques and cafes on three levels. The Tsentralni Hali (Central Food Halls), on Maria Luisa Boulevard have been refurbished to form a spotlessly clean and well-organized bazaar and are open daily 07:00-24:00.

Souvenirs, such as reproduction icons, Russian dolls, jewelery, ceramics, wooden items, embroidered tablecloths and lace are for sale at stalls in front of Alexander Nevski church. Also worth investigating for souvenirs are the shops in the subway between TzUM and the Sheraton Hotel. There is a large book market at Slaveykov Square, near the National Theater and Rakovski Str.

Luxury goods to take home include Bulgarian wines, notably the full-bodied red, Melnik, and ‘rakiya’ favorites being ‘grozdova’ made from grapes and ‘slivova’ from plum. These are available in shops throughout the city.

Most shops are open 09:00-19:00 on weekdays and until 13:00 on Saturday. Some shops are also open on Saturday afternoon and even Sunday. VAT in Bulgaria is 20%.

For more information about sofia click here

Submitted by: Velin Penev