bul. "Todor Alexandrov" 14, 1303 Pette Kyosheta, Sofia, Bulgaria

A little far from the center.  The transport is not so close to it.  High class hotel.  The rooms are clean.  There is a coffee machine with capsules, an electric kettle, slippers.  Mini bar with drinks and snacks for a fee.  For us, the water in the shower was not hot continuously.  The water temperature was not regulated.  Alternately, hot and cold water.  That's the only thing we didn't like.  Our solution: hot water flows in the sink while you shower.  Very kind staff.  Breakfast, buffet, rich, included in the price.

We have already visited this hotel twice so far, once as a couple and recently with friends. It is an amazing "art" hotel, far more different from all the others, with hundreds of wonderful pictures all around us, spacious and well-designed bedrooms, great facilities and absolutely satisfying breakfast. The staff was very polite and helpful and the location was ideal, only a few meters from the nearest metro station! I will definitely choose it for my next visit to Sofia and surely recommend it to all of you!!! 👍

Have you ever been to a 5-star hotel that doesn't quite feel 5-star? This is one of those Hotels. Hotel Anel is getting just a touch tired.

Here's the good, the not so good and the less than good for Hotel Anel.

- The Good -

For my wife and I this was a great location. By that I mean that it was a convenient (she loves to walk), but not pretty. Most of the attractions are in the South East quadrant of Sofia.  The Hotel is positioned just into the North West quadrant. The top-floor restaurant looked well-appointed with a dining terrace. The menu looked good, but we didn't eat there. The terrace is over a busy main road and the view towards any point of interest was compromised.

You're just a few blocks from the Roman ruins (don't expect Rome or Athens by the way), a decent restaurant (Largo) and so on.

The air-con was great, the room almost quiet and the WiFi worked.

Michael was a gem on day 3 of our trip. At reception, he was only 2 weeks into the job, but very personable and extremely helpful.

- The Not So Good -

It's tired. What do I mean by tired? Some of the fittings were coming loose in the bedroom, the bath base wasn't solid under foot, the mattress has probably seen better days and so on. What was in the room? On day one there were a couple of small bottles of complimentary water. Once drunk during day one, they were never replaced. There were approximately 10 bags of sugar, but just one herbal and one indeterminable tea bag. They were to share between two people. No milk! Two glass cups and saucers. Classy! Saucers were different sizes and neither cup would sit in one of the saucers, so it wobbled. Mismatch! A TV. Super, but approximately 32 inch which is tiny for the room. A safe with a dying battery. A warm fridge. These are the things that 5-star gets right.

- The Less Than Good -

Breakfast was an oops! The weakest orange juice I have ever tasted from a juice machine. The fried and scrambled eggs had clearly been to war with the chef. No jam pots ... the smear of jam that remained on a silver plate would need to be licked clean because there was too little to spoon it out. The seating plan is ridiculous and ensures that you'll be bumped by everyone who works their way through the maze of tables and chairs. It's breakfast on a budget, not 5-star.

- Overall -

I feel like I'm being harsh, but it's accurate. All said and done, if you like walking and you don't like fried eggs, this could be a perfectly decent choice for your next trip to Sofia.

If you want decent dining then you head East to Sveta Nedelya Church. That sits at the tip of Vitosha Blvd. That has outdoor eateries all the way down to a park housing the National Palace of Culture. Lovers Bridge is just beyond that. Check out Spaghetti Kitchen and Bar (back near the church) if it's a warm day. They have a line of tables that flank the entrance and catch the last of the sun. Book fast, because they are quickly reserved. We enjoyed watching the world go by whilst we sank a few too many drinks. By hey, isn't that what short breaks are all about?

Hotel "Anel"

bul. "Tsar Osvoboditel" 3, 1000 Sofia Center, Sofia, Bulgaria

I'm not much of a religious person and I used not to be a very spiritual one until recently but this place was special. Perhaps because you have to think about what you wanna wish and that makes you connect better with yourself, perhaps it's something else entirely but I felt a deep connection to this place a a good vibe, kinda like a benevolent, comforting and safe space or something. Like when you hug someone you love. It might just be me though.
It is beautiful nonetheless, it's lovely outside and inside doesn't disappoint either, although it's smaller.
The crypts are definitely the highlight and, if there is one place where you should light a candle at, this would be the one.

Very pretty little church near Saint Nevski church. Reflects on friendship and connection between Bulgarian and Russian people. Very nice architecture. Small but very well organized and made. The place around it is amazingly beautiful.

Definitely a nice church but a bit small. Very impressive interior but they close at 6 pm, we went there during closing time and they close all the light so we leave. The psalms also were prerecorded from what I’ve noticed. It’s also located in the city centre so there is no problem visiting

Church of St. Nicholas the Miracle-Maker

If one visits Sofia for more than 2 days, I would recommend to visit the monastery. We went by renting a car, which is really cheap and worthwhile. Just for the trip up there, the trip is worthwhile. The monastery itself is stunning. The church is jaw dropping. I get "anxious" in a place so filled with "stuff", but it's still interesting to see. We went to the restaurant right outside of the monastery, and had a drink. Definitely worth recommending. The views are amazing and the staff very friendly.

Very beautiful and spiritual place. The ride to the Monastery is calm and enjoyable. The place itself is quite inspiring. There's some trails, restaurants, souvenir shops. Parking is paid  - 5BGN, but it's a question of lick whether you'll find a spot there. It is definitely worth the visit. Recommend.

Such an amazing place to visit, peaceful and beautiful. The journey till there takes around 2 hours from Sofia but completely worth it.
Super interesting place, interesting history...definitely an obligatory stop if you visit Sofia.

Rila Monastery

pl. "Sveti Aleksandar Nevski", 1000 Sofia Center, Sofia, Bulgaria

Beautiful cathedral that is the absolute highlight of visiting Sofia. Mesmerising and magnificent on the inside and outside. It closes at 7 pm but they don't let anyone in a bit before that so if you are visiting it I would recommend the morning!! The walk from city centre is only 20 minutes and is absolutely worth doing it as there are beautiful buildings and parks to see on the way there!!

St. Alexander Nevsky is a beautiful cathedral and a must see while in Sofia! It serves as the cathedral church of the Patriarch of Bulgaria and is one of the 50 largest Christian church buildings, by volume, in the world.

St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Sofia occupies an area of 3,170 square metres (34,100 sq ft) and can hold 5,000 people inside. It is among the 10 largest eastern Orthodox church buildings and is the largest cathedral in the Balkans. It is believed that up until the year 2000 it was the largest finished Orthodox cathedral.

Absolutely stunning 😍

The architecture of this church is just beyond beautiful.  The exterior patina against the limestone is gorgeous when lit by the setting sun and the evening lights.  The interior is filled with murals on the walls and ceilings along with all the usual decor of a catholic church.  It is absolutely beautiful inside and out but if you want to take photos on the inside you must make a donation and you cannot use a flash.

St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral

Ho voluto visitare questa capitale dell'est in quanto secondo me le zone dell'est sono molto sottovalutate, tant'è che ne ho visitate diversi durante gli ultimi anni. Ha una storia millenaria, con vari reperti di origine romana e medievale, oltre ad avere...

Sofia, una capitale sottovalutata

Hotel "Ring"

pl. "St. Alexander Nevsky", 1000 Sofia Center, Sofia, Bulgaria

I wanted to visit this eastern capital because in my opinion the eastern areas are very underrated, so much so that I have visited several in the last few years. It has a millenary history, with various finds of Roman and medieval origin, as well as having...

Sofia, an underrated capital

I land in Sofia in the middle of winter from Catania, with a Wizz Air flight. I visit the city in 3 days, ideal for getting around it fully. The center is very intimate, in fact I think I can also visit the Rila monastery, outside the city, in one day. It deserves...

Sofia 

fabriziocultrera@hotmail.com

Sofia and its history

Atterro a Sofia in pieno inverno da Catania, con un volo Wizz Air. Visito la città in 3 giorni, ideali per girarla pienamente. Il centro è molto raccolto infatti penso di visitare anche il monastero di Rila, fuori città, in una giornata. Merita...