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Sofia guide

Faiths of old Serdica: a two-hour walk from the synagogue to the amphitheatre

A short walk from Sofia Synagogue through a Catholic cathedral and a church dug into the ground to the Roman amphitheatre of Serdica. Suits first-time visitors who want the city's layers of faith in one easy loop.

Sofia was a Roman city called Serdica long before it was a capital, and the people who prayed here have changed many times since. In a few streets west of the Largo you can meet Jews, Catholics, Orthodox Christians and the arena crowds of Rome.

This short walk takes in five stops in about two hours. Three are places of worship you can step into, one is a government building you only look at, and the last is the Roman amphitheatre, where the walk ends among the oldest stones of all.

Sofia Synagogue

Start at Sofia Synagogue, opened in 1909 and designed by the Austrian architect Friedrich Grünanger. Its Moorish and Byzantine details are easy to spot from the street. Inside, an octagonal dome rises over the main hall, and a chandelier weighing 1.7 tonnes hangs beneath it. The building also holds the Jewish Museum of History.

Sofia Synagogue
Sofia SynagoguePlace of worshipLook at the facade first, then go in if it is open and look up at the dome and the big chandelier. The Jewish Museum of History is in the same building. Visit respectfully; it is still a place of worship.Photo: Plamen Agov (Пламен Агов), CC BY-SA 3.0

St Joseph

A short stroll south brings you to St Joseph, the city's Catholic co-cathedral. The first church here was built from 1875 and was destroyed in the bombing of March 1944. The community then made do with a small hall for decades, and the new church was consecrated in May 2006. It stands on the old site, with a tall bell tower.

St Joseph
St JosephPlace of worshipStep inside for a quiet look at a church that was lost in 1944 and rebuilt on the same spot. Linger by the entrance if a service is under way, then continue east.Photo: Isip2 westboro, Public domain

Church of St Petka of the Saddlers

Head east towards the big department store and go down into the underpass beside it. The small Church of St Petka of the Saddlers is sunk into the ground here, below today's street level. It is named for the saddlers who once worshipped here, and its walls carry murals from several centuries, the oldest from the 14th.

Church of St Petka of the Saddlers
Church of St Petka of the SaddlersPlace of worshipGo down to the underpass and step inside to look at the murals. It is a working church, so keep your voice low. Then climb back to street level and walk on to the Largo.Photo: Manastirile, CC BY-SA 3.0

The Presidency

On the Largo, the pale Presidency is the building on the south side of the square. It went up in the 1950s as the seat of the Council of State, and today it is the office of the President of Bulgaria. Ceremonial guards stand at the entrance.

Guards of honour in front of the Presidency building in central Sofia
The PresidencyLandmarkOnly look from the square; it is a working government building. Glance down through the glass at the Roman streets of Serdica uncovered in the middle of the Largo.Photo: Dennis G. Jarvis, CC BY-SA 2.0

Amphitheatre of Serdica

Finish at the Amphitheatre of Serdica, a short way east on the south side of the boulevard. It was built in the 3rd and 4th centuries and could seat more than 20,000 people. It was found by accident in 2004 while a hotel was being built, and part of it now sits inside that hotel.

Amphitheatre of Serdica
Amphitheatre of SerdicaLandmarkWalk in through the hotel entrance and look at the Roman brick and stone close up. It is open to visitors in daytime, except on Mondays.Photo: Epaunov72, CC BY-SA 4.0

Roman arena, medieval chapel, rebuilt cathedral and synagogue sit within a few minutes of each other here. That crowding is the point: Serdica never stopped being rebuilt, and each faith left its mark on the same few streets.

Five stops from Sofia Synagogue to the Amphitheatre of Serdica.