The Best and Worst of Bulgaria

The Best

Hotel

Whilst in Sofia I stayed at Rosslyn Central Park Hotel and it was a great experience. The room was clean and well maintained, the amenities were modern and the bed very comfortable. They even put together a birthday surprise for my partner, I would recommend this hotel to anyone looking for a comfortable stay in Sofia. [AD - I was kindly gifted a free room upgrade on arrival but this review is not a paid partnership and is my own opinion.]

Rila Monastery

Rila Monastery is a stunning building that I had actually never heard of before planning a trip to Sofia, and in all honesty, I can say it is one of my top five favourite buildings! The monastery is located in the Rila Mountains and offers breathtaking views of the surrounding landscape. It features a variety of buildings that are decorated with intricate frescoes, icons, and carvings.

Most excursions to Rila also include a stop at Boyana Church which although not as impressive as Rila is still worth the visit, unfortunately, you are not allowed to take photos inside but the walls are covered from floor to ceiling in paintings.

The Worst

Sofia Zoo

The entrance fee should have been a give away really, costing 4 Lev which is the equivalent of less than £2 GPB I shouldn't have really been expecting much.

Now, keep in mind I did visit in winter but the entrance was not welcoming at all, more like a bus station or public toilets entrance and then once inside everything was barren. Concrete and prison-like bars on the enclosures made the place feel uncomfortable and most of the animals looked miserable.

If you do want to visit there are bus stations just outside the zoo but bear in mind

the drivers do not speak much English and THEY WILL NOT WAIT. We got on the bus to ask for directions and they shut the doors on us and started driving so be sure of where you're going before getting on. It is a walkable distance or taxis are much cheaper than in the UK so there are other options if you don't fancy getting on the busses.