Shopping in Sofia
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A
Ladies’ Market
The ‘Zhenski Pazar’ stretches several blocks along a street between ul Ekzarh Yosif and bul Slivnitsa. It’s Sofia’s biggest fresh-produce market, with all kinds of fruit and vegetables on sale. Other stalls sell clothes, shoes, car parts, kitchen utensils and pretty much anything else you can think of. You can buy traditional Troyanska kapka pottery much more cheaply here than in souvenir shops. It’s great fun to wander around, but it does get very crowded, so watch your belongings.
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pl Aleksander Nevski
Artists sell paintings, mainly of traditional rural scenes, near the Mineral Baths and around pl Aleksander Nevski, where you'll also find stalls selling reproduction religious icons, jewellery, souvenirs and embroidery. But be wary of the ancient coins, Soviet and Nazi paraphernalia and other 'antiques': there are some genuine items here, but most of it's fake, and prices are very much aimed at tourists.
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B
Central Hali Shopping Centre
This elegant, covered market hall, built in 1911, has three floors of shops and cafés. Stalls on the ground floor sell varied produce, including fruit, vegetables, pastries, wine and cheese. Upstairs there’s a cheap food court and more shops. The centre also holds a pharmacy, post office, bank and ATMs. Despite the posted opening times, the place is invariably closed before 10pm.
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C
Traditzia
Everything in this wonderful little store is made by ‘socially excluded artisans’ from the Roma and Turkish ethnic minorities and by people with disabilities whom this project aims to help become self-sufficient. On sale is a selection of traditional and contemporary Bulgarian handicrafts such as ceramics, glassware, carpets and textiles.
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D
Centre of Folk Arts & Crafts
Inside the former Royal Palace, this shop offers a huge selection of folk art, including colourful hand-woven rugs from Chiprovtsi, Troyan pottery, woodcarvings, silver jewellery and rose-oil products, as well as books and CDs of Bulgarian music. However, prices tend to be on the high side. There’s another branch on ul Parizh.
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E
Tsum Retail Centre
The former all-in-one state department store is now an upmarket shopping mall, with five floors of pricier shops such as Laura Ashley and Tommy Hilfiger. However, it feels staid compared with the city’s more modern malls and often seems to have more staff than customers.
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F
Open-Air Bookmarket
Dozens of bookstalls crowd this square daily, selling mostly Bulgarian novels and technical manuals, but plenty of books on Bulgarian history, culture and cuisine are available in foreign languages, as well as some second-hand English novels.
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G
Mall of Sofia
The city’s newest, biggest and busiest shopping centre, filled with international brand-name stores and coffee bars. There’s a big supermarket in the basement, and a cinema, IMAX screen and food court on the top floor.
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H
City Center Sofia
Modern shopping mall with three floors of shops, including Bulgaria’s only Marks & Spencer. It also holds a supermarket, cinema, restaurants and a newsstand selling international papers and magazines.
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Alpin Sport
Slightly out of the way, near the Akademik Stadium in the eastern Slatina neighbourhood, this shop nevertheless has an excellent stock of skiing, camping and climbing equipment.
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I
Knigomaniya
Has a good stock of English-language fiction and nonfiction, plus maps, guidebooks and tourist-oriented books on Bulgaria. It also sells magazines and Bulgarian pop-music CDs.
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Denyl
One of several branches of the nationwide men’s clothing chain in Sofia, offering a range of fairly conservative suits and shirts for the office plus some casual wear.
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Art Gallery Paris
This welcoming little art gallery showcases, and sells, the works of contemporary Bulgarian artists, with an ever-changing stock of prints, paintings and sculptures on offer.
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Alexandra Video
This bright chain store has a mixed collection of jazz, folk and pop CDs, with more space given to DVDs of Hollywood films, comics and some English-language books.
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Mirela Bratova
Stylish women’s fashions designed by Sofia couturier Mirela Bratova are on display at this little shop, including a selection of knitted dresses.
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Stenata
The best place in town to buy hiking, climbing and camping equipment, including backpacks, tents and sleeping bags, but it doesn’t hire gear.
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Kanela
Small boutique selling a small and changeable selection of women’s clothes by young local designers, as well as a range of jewellery.
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Booktrading
Stocks a fair selection of English-language novels as well as books on Bulgarian history, cuisine and topics of general interest.
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Bulgarski Komposzitor
Opposite the Ivan Vazov Theatre, this small shop has a good choice of classical and folk music CDs, as well as sheet music.
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Helikon
Welcoming modern bookshop selling a good range of English-language fiction plus books on Bulgaria in various languages.
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