The Bulgarian flag is easy to recognise and remember. White for purity, green for the countryside, red for the history of blood shed to win independence.
Sofia was more of a map-reading challenge, but we walked along the main road and kept asking.
Bulgaria's capital Sofia is relaxing. In the hot summer at weekends the locals leave for a long weekend at the seaside the sea breezes or the cooler mountains. Trams and trolley buses zoom quietly along what look like speacious uncrowded pedestrian streets. Watch out for the trolley buses which sneak up on you silently and keep looking both ways.
On our Free Tour of Sofia, a walking tour, we took the underpass via the entrance to one of the major central stations and saw the Roman remains below the city.
I had yearned to see the Metro, and achieved my aim unexpectedly.
Returning to the Sofia airport we wanted to hire a car but they did not recognize a Singapore driving license. We had to meet our walking tour group. So we took a local bus to the walking area of Borovets mountain - Borovets means pines, not from the central bus station but the station in the south.
Confession time. We asked the car hire company where to get the bus to Borovets. They said the central bus station. That sounded logical. We should have checked to be sure. But we didn't.
So we took the metro from the airport to the central bus station. The signs are in Bulgarian.
Airport is the end of the line and easy.
However the train has announcements in English. Sofia has only two train lines in 2019 (a third planned), so you can't go far wrong.
However, we went far wrong. When we reached the central bus station, we learned that the bus to Borovets goes from the South Bus station!
So we got a taxi back towards the airport we had left and onwards to the south bus station. That spent time and money.
The South bus station is tiny. A building with a bus stop in front.
Sofia's Metro
However, I had wanted to see the Metro which I had heard was brand new.
Sophia's Metro, Bulgaria.
How did it compare with the metro in Singapore? Singapore also has at least one brand new line.
Singapore Flag
Singapore's Holland Village
Singapore's Holland Village MRT shows a windmill.
Holland Village station plastform with picture of Dutch windmill. Singapore. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.
The Sofia metro has very pleasant pink marble slabs everywhere, underfoot, up the walls, across the ceiling. Soothing curved ceilings. But no excitement, no history, no pictures to help you to identify your destination station.
UK flag
No features such as giant murals distinguished one Sofia station from another, unlike London underground which is gradually being redecorated and rebuilt.The London underground now has pictures of Sherlock Holmes on the Baker Street station platforms. Also historic pictures of famous figures from history and a map adorn the Charing Cross station platforms.
Charing Cross Station. Photograph by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.
You don't need to see the Sofia Metro. The walking tour of Sofia is just fine, all the fun you need. But you can take the metro from the airport to the walking tour starting point.
Useful websites for travellers
Flights
Cheap Flights to Bularia and around Europe and the UK
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skyscanner.com
Maps
sofia.inyourpocket.com
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sofia_Metro
https://freesofiatour.com/blog/guide-to-the-sofia-metro/
About the Author, Angela Lansbury
Travel writer and photographer, author and speaker. Please share links to your favourite posts.
Very informative blog. I was searching for something like this. Your blog helped me a lot. Thank you so much for sharing.
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