🇧🇬 Sofia, Bulgaria: A Gentle Giant of the Balkans ✨

Name: Boyana Church
Rating: 4.5

📍 "A capital that whispers history instead of shouting it." 🛂 ENTRY BASICS Visa: Schengen rules apply Currency: BGN (€1 ≈ 2 BGN) – cash is king! Transport: 🚌 Central Bus Station (links to Skopje/Bucharest) 🚇 Metro: 1.60 BGN/ride (tap credit card) 🌹 FIRST IMPRESSIONS "Wide boulevards, empty sidewalks – like a grand opera stage waiting for actors." Vitosha Blvd: The city’s only lively artery 🛍️ Secret joy: Tiny rose-scented parks where time stands still 🌿 🏛️ ONE-DAY ITINERARY (All walkable!) 1️⃣ Serdika Metro Ruins 🏺 – Roman artifacts under your feet 2️⃣ Alexander Nevsky Cathedral ⛪ – Golden domes = insta-magnet 3️⃣ St. Sophia Church – *The city’s 1,700-year-old namesake* 4️⃣ Women’s Market 🍆 – Half-abandoned but photogenic Pro tip: Grab the orange juice from street stalls – life-changing fresh! 🍊 🚌 DAY TRIP ESCAPES Rila Monastery + 7 Lakes 🏔️ (book via "Traventuria") Plovdiv – Roman theater > Instagram 📸 Veliko Tarnovo – On way to Bucharest Verdict: "Sofia doesn’t dazzle – it gently holds your hand through Balkan history." #SofiaWhispers #BulgarianRoses #BalkanSlowTravel #UnderratedEurope #NoCrowdsJustCharacter