The legacy of Bulgaria

The area of modern day Bulgaria has been a cultural crossroad since ancient times, while Sofia is the second-oldest capital in Europe after Athens. Constantine the Great even considered making it the capital of the Byzantine Empire instead of Constantinople.

The 4th century St. George is the oldest church in Europe.

Even though the city was destroyed in 447 AD by the Huns and remained devastated for over a century, it managed to get back on its feet and got rebuilt by the Byzantine emperor. The Sofia of today is sprawling with interesting artifacts and the architecture is a fascinating mix of Roman ruins, Orthodox churches and Soviet buildings.

Remains of the Roman city Serdica can be seen on several locations.

As I walk around in the old city, I marvel at centuries unfolded before my eyes and try to savor as much as possible of the atmosphere.

This ancient amphitheater is today the basement of a hotel.