Survival Kit

Exchange 2015/2016

Surrounded by sprawling parkland, Sofia, the capital and largest city of the

Republic of Bulgaria, lies at the foot of popular ski mountain, Vitosha. With

a history that stretches over seven millennia, ruin-rich Sofia is one of

Europe's oldest cities. Today many streets, buildings, parks and even whole

neighborhoods preserve the architectural style from the turn of the century

Buildings like the Aleksander Nevski Cathedral, the Central Sofia

Synagogue and the Banya Bashi mosque are stark reminders of the

country’s multicultural past, whilst the charming UNESCO-listed Boyana

Church in the Vitosha Mountains is an absolute must-visit. Wide,

cobblestone boulevards, charming boutiques and truly electrifying nightlife

star in this city of 1.4 million.. Development is rife and roads are mercifully

being improved. It boasts fancy hotels galore and the spanking new Metro

lines and stations, trolleys, trams and buses serve the dynamic city.

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Landmarks

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1. CATHEDRAL SAINT

ALEXANDER NEVSKI

“This place is absolutely a must-see. The sheer size of the inside

is just incredible. The typical Bulgarian cathedral dark murals

all over the walls just blow your mind because of the sheer

volume and delicacy of them all. The humongous chandeliers

from the ceiling are stunning also, and the craftsmanship and

artistry involved in the whole building is just remarkable.”

2. NATIONAL THEATER

“IVAN VAZOV”

“Probably the most beautiful building in Bulgaria! And

fantastic theatre of course!”

Directions:

You take the subway from

James Boucher station to

Serdica 2 station and walk 1

km to the cathedral.

You take the subway from

James Boucher station to

Serdica 2 station and walk

700m to the theater.

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Landmarks

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3. NATIONAL HISTORICAL

MUSEUM “It's a good place to learn a little about Bulgaria and see quite a few

historical pieces. Depending on how much you want to see it could take a

few hours to see all of it. The building is very nice and offers a nice view

of Vitosha mountain.”

4. BOYANA CHURCH

“One of the best places to visit while in Sofia and in Bulgaria in general.

Frescoes are on the level of Renaissance painters, but much earlier. The

park surrounding it makes your visit pleasurable if you have time to

enjoy the beautiful nature. A real gem.”

DIRECTIONS:

You walk to bul.Cherni vruh

and take bus №64 to Boyana

residence stop. You walk

700m to the museum.

You walk to bul.Cherni vruh

and take bus №64 to

Boyansko hanche and walk

300m to the church.

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Landmarks

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5. BOYANA WATERFALL

“If you are fortunate to visit Sofia, then a hike to the Boyana

Falls is essential. It will be a good walk up the mountain to get

there but it is beautiful! If you decide to go for a hike to escape

the city, this is an excellent destination.”

6. TEMPLE SAINT NIKOLAY “Very special place.On the left side of the church is the entrance to the

basement and there is a tomb of St Serafim. A lot of people believe that

he is making true all of the our;s wishes. U go there, writing on the list of

paper what u desire and drop it in the big box next to the St Serafim!

I also do believe!”

DIRECTIONS:

You walk to bul.Cherni vruh

and take bus №64 to

Boyansko hanche from there

you take bus №107 to

Boyana church. You walk to

the waterfall (1.9km).

You take the subway from

James Boucher station to

Serdica 2 station and walk

650m to the temple.

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Landmarks

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7. VRANA PALACE “The park is nice place for relax and walking. It is more like a

private garden, rather then a real park. The vistors are allowed

to walk only on the marked pathways, not allowed to step or

sit on the grass. There you can also see the former royal palace,

which is now property of King Simeon II”

8. ZLATNITE MOSTOVE

(GOLDEN BRIGES) “The stone river ‘flows’ at an altitude of 1500 to 1350m. Large stone

blocks, covered by gold lichens, have given the name of Zlatni Mostove.

According to another version, the place had some gold deposits.”

DIRECTIONS:

You take the subway from

G.M.Dimitrov station to

Tzarigratzko shose station

and from there you take bus

№505 to Vrana palace.

You have to go by car

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Landmarks

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9. SOFIA ZOO

“Nice and relaxing zoo. Not too crowded (afternoon on a

weekday) and animals were actually outside and rather playful

(especially the monkeys). I would recommend it to everyone!”

10. KOPITOTO,

PANORAMIC VIEW

“The view that the area around the abandoned top

station of the lift offers is all worth it. You get the whole

city of Sofia spread under your feet. If that’s not enough

one can even take a peek at the nearby” city of Pernik.

During the day a picnic may not be a bad idea. It’s

quite interesting to see the view at night. However, keep

in mind that the place might seem a bit creepy in the

dark. It’s an abandoned cabin lift next to the Kopitoto TV tower,

after all. And also make sure you bring a blanket if you decide to stay

longer. “

DIRECTIONS:

You walk to bul.Cherni vruh

and take bus №98 to Sofia

zoo.

You have to go by car.

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Landmarks

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Emergency Contacts

Country Code: +359

112 – Emergency number (Ambulance, Police,

Fire, etc.)

Taxi – 18294, 029732121 (Ok Taxi),

0887622226 (1 euro Taxi), 0291119 (Yellow

Taxi) NB! Always call a taxi, don’t catch it on the

street! ;)

LEO – Ivaneta Nedkova – +359886 437 616

(=0886437616 if called from Bulgaria, valid for

all the numbers above, starting with 0)

LORE- George Kolev - +359882 511 818

Hello! – “Zdravei!”

Goodbye! – “Do vizhdane!” or “Ciao!”

Thank you! –“Blagodarya!”

Excuse me… - “Izvinete…”

Could you repeat, please. – “Mozhe li da povtorite.”

I don’t understand. – “Ne razbiram.”

Yes – “Da”

No – “Ne”

Wait! – “Pochakai”

Stop! – “Spri!”

When? – “Koga?”

Why? – “Zashto?”

What’s this? – “Kakvo e tova?”

Where is…? – “Kade se namira…?”

Airport – “Letishte”

Hospital – “Bolnica”

Pharmacy – “Apteka”

Bus station – “Avtobusna spirka”

Store – “Magazin”

Street – “Olitsa”

Toilet – “Toaletna”

To the left/To the right/Straight –

“Nalyavo/Nadyasno/Napravo”

Behind the corner – “Zad agala”

Which bus goes to…?” – Koi avtobus hodi do…?”

One-way ticket/Round trip ticket –

“Ednoposochen bilet”/”Dvoposochen bilet”

Can I have the menu, please? – “Mozhe li menu?”

I’d like (I want)… – “Iskam…”

Cheers! – “Nazdrave!”

Check, please! – “Smetkata, molya”

How much is that? – “Kolko struva tova?”

I’ll pay with cash/credit card. – “Shte platya kesh/s kreditna karta.”

My money was stolen – “Otkradnaha mi parite”

Help! – “Pomosht!”

I have a fever – “Imam temperatura”

I have a headache/tootache/pain in the stomach – “Boli me glava/zab/korem”

Numbers 1 – edno 11 – edinadeset

2 – dve 12 – dvanadeset

3 – tri 13 – trinadeset

4 – chetiri 14 – chetirinadeset

5 – pet 15 – petnadeset

6 – shest 16 – shestnadeset

7 – sedem 17 – sedemnadeset

8 – osem 18 – osemanadeset

9 – devet 19 – devetnadeset

10 – deset 20 – dvadeset

Days: Monday – Ponedelnik; Tuesday – Vtornik; Wednesday – Sryada; Thursday – Chetvartak;

Friday – Petak; Saturday – Sabota; Sunday – Nedelya