| Sofia 09:59 - Oct 9 with 3901 views | Watford_Ranger |
Anyone been? I’ve got a few hours there to myself on Friday before the usual weekend in Europe stag shenanigans from Friday night to Sunday.
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| Sofia on 10:47 - Oct 9 with 3810 views | Konk |
Went there for 48 hours with Fulham. Not one of the great cities of Europe, I’m afraid. Struggling to recall anything to recommend other than the people being very friendly/helpful, very cheap beer, and a few decent German-brewery-owned pubs knocking out schnitzel and cheap Weiss bier. That was in 2010, so things may have changed, but my memory is of a city with some nice-enough streets/buildings in a Mittel-Europa style, but not a lot else to explore. Oh, Alexander Nevsky cathedral, is pretty impressive. Worth a wander. Have a good trip. Fulham fans drinking in an ‘Irish’ pub were paying about 4 times the price for beer as in non-‘Irish’ pubs btw. |  |
| Fulham FC: It's the taking part that counts |
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| Sofia on 12:05 - Oct 9 with 3716 views | Juzzie |
I went on a no-frills snowboarding trip to Bulgaria in '98 and whilst I was nursing the mother of hangovers at the ski resort my mates went on a day trip to Sofia.
They said it was a waste of time.
That was 25 years ago though. |  | | |
| Sofia on 12:12 - Oct 9 with 3701 views | ChrisNW6 |
| Sofia on 12:05 - Oct 9 by Juzzie |
I went on a no-frills snowboarding trip to Bulgaria in '98 and whilst I was nursing the mother of hangovers at the ski resort my mates went on a day trip to Sofia.
They said it was a waste of time.
That was 25 years ago though. |
This
I also visited Sofia as part of a day trip when skiing in the early 80s. I seem to remember department stores dedicated to white lace table cloths. I am sure much has changed since the fall of the iron curtain 😂 | | | |
| Sofia on 12:49 - Oct 9 with 3649 views | Watford_Ranger |
Thanks all can’t wait now. | | | |
| Sofia on 12:56 - Oct 9 with 3629 views | RamseyR |
Can echo a lot of what has been said. Been through 8 times en route for a cheap ski week as recently as 2021. The new terminal is nice, but I prefer the old soviet block one as it's tiny and interesting with the old tiled soviet mosaics etc. It's quite a modern city in places, but quite bland. Cheap beer and accommodation though. Stay clear of the Romany camps by the airport...they are rough as fcuk. It's also the highest capital city in Europe so can be a little chilly. |  | | |
| Sofia on 13:03 - Oct 9 with 3623 views | r66 |
Hi
I went several times on business about 5-8 years and it changed quite dramatically in the time I was visiting. A lot of investment has gone in...presumably from the EU and so it has has moved on a lot since the 80s and 90s. Didn't have much time for sight-seeing but the Cathedral really dominates and is worth a visit. Strolling round the central area and its gardens is now fairly attractive. Many more pavement bars and cafes now too | | | |
| Sofia on 13:55 - Oct 9 with 3525 views | terryb |
Sorry Watford, I've not been & have no idea what is in the city, but I do know what would be the first & last place I visited!
The Vivacom Arena Georgi Asparuhov Stadium, the home of Levski Sofia to pay homage. I only need the slighest excuse to extol my admiration for this great player. On a par with Johan Cruyff in my humble view! | | | |
| Sofia on 15:39 - Oct 9 with 3394 views | Boston |
I liked Sofia, she was up for anything after a couple of drinks. | |
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| Sofia on 16:28 - Oct 9 with 3334 views | HantsR |
I made a number of work trips there in the 1990s and got to know some really nice folk. It was still emerging from Warsaw pact and preparing for EU membership. It was otherwise a mixed experience but I went to see Levski Sofia and also, the opera and ballet - not normally my thing but amazingly cheap and could get good wine and champagne for very little. Worth going to the cathedral on Sunday morning, just stand and watch/listen, feel free to come and go as you please - sometimes some beautiful singing, chants etc. If you have time and energy, climb Vitosha, the mountain that overlooks Sofia. Lastly, not too far away is the ski resort of Borovets, I only visited there to see where the hotel caught fire and my neighbour had to leap from the 1st floor to escape! I guess many if not most things will have changed, but would be interested to learn of your experience. |  | | |
| Sofia on 17:09 - Oct 9 with 3288 views | queensparker |
Like a lot of you I went there for work every now and then, I would have been there around the 2004-8 period.
Of all the other Eastern European towns I was knocking about in back then Sofia was probably my least favourite. Nothing against the people but it felt the most Soviet of the post Soviet towns and still fairly grim with not a lot going for it. Had some good games of chess in the park.
Odessa was the one place even grimmer than Sofia but I dread to think what it looks like now |  | | |
| Sofia on 01:41 - Oct 10 with 3091 views | NewBee |
@RamseyR:
"It's also the highest capital city in Europe so can be a little chilly."
Don't mean to be pedantic - well just a little bit - but while Sofia lies at an altitude of 553 metres asl, Andorra Le Vella takes the title at 1,023 metres asl.
While if you want to discount Andorra as a microstate (fair enough), Madrid still exceeds Sofia, at 646 metres asl.
(I believe Spain is actually the second most mountainous country in Europe after Switzerland) | | | |
| Sofia on 01:47 - Oct 10 with 3089 views | BazzaInTheLoft |
Not helpful for you at all, but visit Spartak Plovdiv for QPR reasons if you can! |  | | |
| Sofia on 07:54 - Oct 10 with 3010 views | Watford_Ranger |
| Sofia on 01:47 - Oct 10 by BazzaInTheLoft |
Not helpful for you at all, but visit Spartak Plovdiv for QPR reasons if you can! |
I never knew of that connection. They’ve won 10 of 11 this season and already well clear at the top of the league. Might just move there. [Post edited 10 Oct 2023 8:02]
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| Sofia on 09:33 - Oct 10 with 2923 views | BrianMcCarthy |
| Sofia on 01:47 - Oct 10 by BazzaInTheLoft |
Not helpful for you at all, but visit Spartak Plovdiv for QPR reasons if you can! |
Never knew this either, Bazz.
What are their fans like? If they're sound, I'll keeo an eye out for the results. |  |
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| Sofia on 09:46 - Oct 10 with 2915 views | RamseyR |
| Sofia on 01:41 - Oct 10 by NewBee |
@RamseyR:
"It's also the highest capital city in Europe so can be a little chilly."
Don't mean to be pedantic - well just a little bit - but while Sofia lies at an altitude of 553 metres asl, Andorra Le Vella takes the title at 1,023 metres asl.
While if you want to discount Andorra as a microstate (fair enough), Madrid still exceeds Sofia, at 646 metres asl.
(I believe Spain is actually the second most mountainous country in Europe after Switzerland) |
Happy to be corrected | | | |
| Sofia on 08:12 - Oct 15 with 2684 views | Watford_Ranger |
Surprisingly nice place. Weather has been good, food and drink is good and cheap if you do a little research. I’ve done nothing of any cultural value really apart from going to Bulgaria0-2Lithuania last night. The locals weren’t happy at all. [Post edited 15 Oct 2023 8:37]
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| Sofia on 09:27 - Oct 15 with 2607 views | BazzaInTheLoft |
| Sofia on 09:33 - Oct 10 by BrianMcCarthy |
Never knew this either, Bazz.
What are their fans like? If they're sound, I'll keeo an eye out for the results. |
I've no idea. I used to work with a cleaner who was a CSKA hooligan who told me all Bulgarian football clubs are run by drug cartels and nationalist groups.
He later went on to get deported because he beat the shit out of a female Eritrian cleaner over a mop and bucket at Watford Underground station, so I assumed he knows the subject well. [Post edited 15 Oct 2023 9:29]
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| Sofia on 09:34 - Oct 15 with 2588 views | Lblock |
I used to spend ages on mine - loved it.
Proper big leather beast
After my back surgery I can’t use it now though and have to sit in a hard backed chair |  |
| Cherish and enjoy life.... this ain't no dress rehearsal |
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| Sofia on 09:47 - Oct 15 with 2570 views | cyprusmel |
Plovdiv is a beautiful place to visit, I didn't like Sofia very much. | | | |
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