Sofia Travel Forum

I visited Sofia very briefly in 1994 (on a day trip from Borovets) and am thinking of going again for a long weekend. What is the best time of year to visit, in terms of weather, interesting things going on etc?

The best time is probably any time except winter. The snow may be pristine, white and beautiful on Mount Vitosha, but down in the city the melting slush is cold, grey and wet.

Summer can be very hot, with temperatures way above 30 degrees. It is a great time to eat and drink outside. But if you visit just before or after the peak summer season, the weather will be milder - and there will be fewer tourists.

Personally I would give Sofia a miss, the city is a real dump these these days, dirty, unkempt and not at all friendly. As the National Capital the place is a disgrace and not representative of Bulgaria at all.

If you want somewhere nice to go in Bulgaria you could do far worse than have a long weekend in, say, Varna, on the Black Sea coast. Varna has everything that Sofia has to offer culturally, historically and has a great nightlife and is also a pleasant, tidy, laid-back and friendly city with plenty to do both in the city itself and for day trips out.

The best time of course to visit is early summer or autumn to avoid the main tourist season and the summer heat.

If you have fond memories of Sofia don't spoil them by a visit at the moment.

Thanks for your replies. I'm not particularly attached to Sofia in particular -just wanted somewhere in Bulgaria that works as a short break from the UK, so will look into Varna as well.