Visiting Sofia, Bulgaria

At the end of my first day in Sofia my lower back ached and my feet felt like they were about to fall off. I’d walked for most of the day and yet I’d seen very little. It was a Monday and so all of the museums had been closed. I couldn’t read the Cyrillic street signs and so had gotten lost trying to find the main cathedral.

If I’d only known that the museums were closed on Mondays I would’ve timed my trip to arrive on a different day. If I’d known that very little would be written in the Latin alphabet I would’ve studied a few of the Cyrillic letters to be better able to sound words out. If only someone had told me.

To make your trip to Sofia a little easier I’ve put together a few tips for you. Hope they help.

ABC’s

Before arriving in Bulgaria, try to learn some of the Cyrillic alphabet. Street signs are only in Cyrillic and without some idea of what the letters represent you won’t even be able to sound the names out. Once you have just a hint of what the words sound like you can compare them to the maps, which have the Latinized names.

123’s

Numbers on either side of a street don’t correspond to each other. If you’re looking for number 105 do not assume it is across the street from 104. It may be two or three blocks further up or down. Be patient and don’t get anxious if you feel like you’ve gone too far. You probably haven’t gone far enough.

Yes or No

Bulgarians tend to shake their heads up and down when they mean no, and from side to side when they mean yes. Exactly the opposite of how most Westerners indicate yes or no. Try to keep your head straight and just rely on the words: Da – Yes. Neh – No.

Manic Mondays

The only reason my Monday in Sofia was manic was because I was walking around like a maniac trying to find a museum to visit. After walking for four hours I finally returned to my hotel, defeated. The concierge told me that the History Museum was actually open but was on the other side of Sofia, around a 40 minute walk away. I chose my room and cable TV.