RunCity

Sofia on foot: a self-guided walking route

This route takes you past 11 of Sofia's best-known sights, including Lions' Bridge, Sofia Synagogue, Banya Bashi Mosque and more. It is about 7 km on foot, roughly 2.5 hours at an easy pace with short stops. Follow the list on your own, or play it as a free GPS checkpoint game with RunCity and race the clock on the Sofia leaderboard.

  • 11Stops
  • about 7 kmDistance
  • 2.5 hoursWalking
  • about 64 minRunning
Play Sofia in RunCity

Free during launch. Runs in your phone's browser; the app is in English, German and Hungarian.

Sofia
Photo: Deensel · CC BY 2.0

Sofia's centre has churches, a mosque and a synagogue within a few minutes of each other, and this route covers them in about 7 km. It starts at the Lions' Bridge and reaches the Moorish-style Sofia Synagogue, the Banya Bashi Mosque beside the mineral baths, where locals fill bottles from the warm public springs, and the domed Sveta Nedelya Church.

The Ivan Vazov National Theatre, the Russian Church with its golden onion domes and the red-brick St Sofia Church, which gave the city its name, lead to the gold domes of the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral. Past Sofia University the route reaches the bonus stop, the shaded alleys of Borisova Gradina park, and ends at the National Palace of Culture, with Mount Vitosha rising behind it on clear days. The yellow cobblestones of the central boulevards are slippery in the rain.

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Download the route as GPX (for Komoot, Strava or a watch)

The stops

A suggested order. In the game you can visit them in any order.

  1. Lions' Bridge

    Lions' Bridge

    The bridge guarded by four bronze lions.

    Photo: Mister No · CC BY 3.0

  2. Sofia Synagogue

    Sofia Synagogue

    The Moorish-style synagogue with its golden-domed roof.

    Photo: Plamen Agov (Пламен Агов) · CC BY-SA 3.0

  3. Banya Bashi Mosque

    Banya Bashi Mosque Photo

    The mosque's dome and minaret beside the mineral baths.

    Photo: MrPanyGoff · CC BY-SA 3.0

  4. Sveta Nedelya Church

    Sveta Nedelya Church Photo

    The domed church on Sveta Nedelya Square.

    Photo: Stolichanin · CC BY-SA 4.0

  5. Ivan Vazov National Theatre

    Ivan Vazov National Theatre Photo

    The neoclassical theatre front above its fountain gardens.

    Photo: Plamen Agov (user:MrPanyGoff) · CC BY-SA 3.0

  6. Russian Church

    Russian Church

    The green-spired church with golden onion domes.

    Photo: SiefkinDR · Public domain

  7. St. Sofia Church

    St. Sofia Church

    The plain red-brick church that gave the city its name.

    Photo: Klearchos Kapoutsis from Paleo Faliro, Greece · CC BY 2.0

  8. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral

    Alexander Nevsky Cathedral Photo

    The gold domes seen from the square in front.

    Photo: Jose Ligero Loarte · CC BY-SA 4.0

  9. Sofia University

    Sofia University Photo

    The columned university front on Tsar Osvoboditel Boulevard.

    Photo: Nikolai Karaneschev · CC BY 3.0

  10. Borisova Gradina

    Borisova Gradina Bonus

    The shaded alleys of Sofia's biggest city park.

    Photo: Vassia Atanassova - Spiritia · Public domain

  11. National Palace of Culture

    National Palace of Culture Photo

    The huge palace front with Vitosha behind it.

    Photo: Deensel · CC BY 2.0

Play Sofia in RunCity

Leaderboard

    Questions

    Can you see Sofia on foot in one day?

    Yes. The 11 stops on this route add up to about 7 km, roughly 2.5 hours at an easy pace with short stops.

    Is this self-guided walking tour free?

    Yes. The route and map on this page are free, and the RunCity game for Sofia is free during launch.

    How does the RunCity game work in Sofia?

    Open Sofia in RunCity, walk to a stop and tap Validate: your phone's GPS confirms you are there. Some stops also ask for a photo. Timed runs go on the Sofia leaderboard.

    Where does the route start?

    This page suggests starting at Lions' Bridge and finishing at National Palace of Culture. In the game you can take the stops in any order.

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