The Byzantine Glory
Place: Sofia, Bulgaria
After having another sumptuous breakfast at Hiker's Hostel, I packed my stuff and headed to my final destination in Eastern Europe.
It was only 3 hours' bus from Veliko Tarnovo to the capital of Bulgaria: Sofia.
Using Skype, the staff at Hiker's Hostel had already help me book a bed at Hostel Mostel (http://hostelmostel.com/index.html) in Sofia. Just following the instruction from the hostel's booklet, I took a tram from bus station to Sofia city center.
Though it is a capital city and has more than 1 million residents, Sofia felt smaller than I expected. Maybe because it was Sunday, there was not that much traffic on the main streets, Boulevard Mariya Luiza and Boulevard Vitosha. Hostel Mostel lies just 2 to 3 blocks from Boulevard Vitosha and an easy walk to most of the interesting sites in the Center. When I checked in, I was told that not only breakfast and internet access are included, at 7 pm everyday, they also serve a free beer and a portion of pasta (!). Yes, it is also 10 Euro per night, like Hiker's Hostel and most other hostels in Bulgaria.
Since I would fly to Athens to catch my intercontinental flight next morning, I only had an afternoon to see Sofia. While Hostel Mostel does organize trips to Rila Monastery, the greatest Orthodox monastery in Bulgaria, I did not have enough time to do that. The trip usually takes a whole day and leaves in the mid-morning. Again, maybe next time...
Fortunately, it is not difficult to finish all the sights in town in a few hours. Sofia is a quite walkable city and many sights are no more than 10 minutes' walk from each others.
I walked south along Boulevard Vitosha, to see the National Palace of Culture. It was built to celebrate Bulgaria's 1300 birthday in 1981. Now it houses several restaurants, cinemas, and concert halls. Its origin and function are quite similar to the Palace of Culture in Warsaw. However, this "palace" looks very bland and not even half as interesting as its counterpart in Warsaw. However, the park surrounding the Palace is nice and joyful. In addition, ice cream from the parlor just outside of the Palace is tasty (0.5 Euro).
Because Bulgaria has traditionally been an Orthodox Christian country (which is in line with the Byzantine heritage centered in Constantinpole, today's Istanbul), there are a lot of beautiful orthodox churches all over town. Aside from Orthodox Christians, with 12% of its population Turkish, there is also a sizable Muslim population. One 500-year old mosque, Banya Boshi Mosque, lies just north of the center and across the street from fancy TSUM Department store. Not far away, behind the central Market Hall, is Sofia's grand Synagogue. Though allied with Nazi Germany in the World war II (Bulgaria has been historically always allied themselves with the wrong sides, really), Bulgaria actually was one of few countries protecting their Jewish population (at least within their border) being slaughtered in Holocaust. Though many Bulgarian Jews emigrated to Israel after the communist regime took over, some of their cultural heritage survived. It is interesting to visit a place with complicated heritage like this. And unlike Sarajevo, another multi-cultured city, ethnic and religious differences never seem to evolve into a unrepressable mutual hatred here.
Of course, most of Bulgaria's grand past is associated with its Byzantine connection, mainly the multi-domed Orthodox churches. Among all the churches, the most famous one is definitely Alexander Nevsky Cathedral. It was erected from 1904 to 1912 in memory of 200,000 Russians who fought alongside Bulgarians for its independence in 1878. It is possibly the most popular tourist site in Sofia. At its middle, a huge gold dome that is surrounded by several lower emerald-colored domes. Inside, more than 400 frescoes were contributed by artists from Bulgaria and Russia. When I was inside, a choir started to sing their Sunday gospel.
Unfortunately, after I finished the Icon Museum in the crypt of Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, all other museums or churches had all closed. I walked to both Banya Boshi Mosque and the Synagogue (there is a Jewish museum in the synagogue) but could only see them from outside. Before I headed back to Hostel Mostel for its nightly beer/pasta feast, I walked into the Central Market Hall, just next to the Synagogue. It was clean and spacious. Both cooked food and raw ingredients are sold there. It looks like a smaller and less touristy version of the Grand Market Hall in Budapest, the first Eastern European city I visited this year back in May. However, unlike the one in Budapest, there were hardly any foreign tourists in this market hall.
Unlike Budapest, Sofia, or even the whole Bulgaria is still waiting to be discovered. There are still not as many foreign travelers as in other new E.U. members like Latvia, Estonia, and Poland. Compared to its mega-popular, super-touristy neighbors Greece and Turkey, Bulgaria still has that kind of feel like a bride forgotten right outside of a wedding chapel. But maybe no more. Just like Romania, Bulgaria is scheduled to enter E.U. in January, 2007. While some budget airlines, like Eastern Europe based SkyEurope and WizzAir start to fly to Sofia this year, tourists to Bulgaria started to change from trickle to bigger drops. This year, New York Times Travel Section named Bulgaria as one of "the destinations of 2006". The wait may be over and their time is almost here.
In Your Pocket Guide: Sofia
A NYT Article: Sofia, Bulgaria: An Ancient City That Wears Its History Well
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