This domineering Stalinist monolith, built in 1953, was once the headquarters of the Bulgarian Communist Party. It is now used as government offices and is not open to the public. The red star that once perched on top of the building is now housed in the Museum of Socialist Art.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
Aleksander Nevski Cathedral
0.43 MILES
One of the symbols not just of Sofia but of Bulgaria itself, this massive, awe-inspiring church was built between 1882 and 1912 in memory of the 200,000…
Sveta Sofia Church
0.34 MILES
Sveta Sofia is one of the capital's oldest churches, and gave the city its name. A subterranean museum houses an ancient necropolis, with 56 tombs and the…
Boyana Church
4.14 MILES
Tiny 13th-century Boyana Church is included on Unesco’s World Heritage list and its 90 murals are among the very finest examples of Bulgarian medieval…
Archaeological Museum
0.06 MILES
Housed in a former mosque built in 1496, this museum displays a wealth of Thracian, Roman and medieval artefacts. Highlights include a mosaic floor from…
Sveti Georgi Rotunda
0.09 MILES
Built in the 4th century AD, this tiny red-brick church is Sofia's oldest preserved building. The murals inside were painted between the 10th and 14th…
Museum of Socialist Art
2.75 MILES
If you wondered where all those unwanted statues of Lenin ended up, you'll find some here, along with the red star from atop Sofia's Party House. There's…
Sofia History Museum
0.15 MILES
The history of Sofia is presented on two floors of the magnificent former Turkish Mineral Baths, just behind the mosque. Exhibitions are divided…
Ancient Serdica Complex
0.1 MILES
This remarkable, partly covered excavation site, situated just above the Serdika metro station, displays the remains of the Roman city, Serdica, that once…
Nearby Sofia attractions
1. President's Building
0.06 MILES
The Bulgarian president’s office isn't open to the public, but the changing of the guard ceremony (on the hour) is a spectacle not to be missed; for the…
2. Archaeological Museum
0.06 MILES
Housed in a former mosque built in 1496, this museum displays a wealth of Thracian, Roman and medieval artefacts. Highlights include a mosaic floor from…
3. Sveti Georgi Rotunda
0.09 MILES
Built in the 4th century AD, this tiny red-brick church is Sofia's oldest preserved building. The murals inside were painted between the 10th and 14th…
4. Ancient Serdica Complex
0.1 MILES
This remarkable, partly covered excavation site, situated just above the Serdika metro station, displays the remains of the Roman city, Serdica, that once…
5. Sveta Petka Samardzhiiska Church
0.14 MILES
This tiny church, located in the centre of the Serdika metro complex, was built during the early years of Ottoman rule (late 14th century), which explains…
6. Ethnographical Museum
0.14 MILES
Displays on regional costumes, crafts and folklore are spread over two floors of the former royal palace, and many of the rooms are worth a pause…
7. Royal Palace
0.14 MILES
Originally built as the headquarters of the Ottoman police force, this is where Bulgaria’s national hero Vasil Levski was tried and tortured before his…
8. Sofia History Museum
0.15 MILES
The history of Sofia is presented on two floors of the magnificent former Turkish Mineral Baths, just behind the mosque. Exhibitions are divided…