Now that Bulgaria is a fully fledged member of the European Union, greater numbers of international businesses have established operations in the nation’s capital city Sofia and as a result the levels of inward migration from international professional expatriates has stepped up a gear.
There are now many expats living in Sofia who herald from the UK, Ireland, America and Germany for example, and if you’re considering going to join them you’re going to want to know all about the things to do for expatriates living in Sofia outside of working hours…after all, one of the main reasons to expatriate is to experience more of a nation in terms of its history, culture, cuisine and nightlife - and because there is more to life than all work and no play, this article focuses on the fun side of living life in Sofia.
Sofia is an historically and culturally rich city – so let’s start there! Sofia is home to the National Palace of Culture which is also the largest business, congress and exhibition centre in the entire nation and it’s a great place to begin your exploration of the cultural delights on offer in Sofia.
If you just take a look at the National Palace of Culture schedule of events in any one quarter you’ll see ballet, classical music and opera performances alongside art exhibitions, fairs, bazaars, conventions and festivals and so if you’re interested in art, music, theatre or in exploring the range of cultural activities available in Sofia you’re best off visiting the National Palace of Culture as your starting point.
If you prefer going to the movies rather than live performances of theatre, dance or music then you’ll be pleased to learn that Sofia has about 20 cinemas, many of which show the latest films in their original language with or without Bulgarian subtitles. The Sofia Echo is the best place to find the current listings on a cinema per cinema basis and it also lists the telephone numbers of the movie theatre in question so that you can call ahead and check that your preferred film is being shown in English.
Sofia is becoming a tour date destination for many global names in the world of music who are on world or European tours - at the time of writing ‘things to do for expatriates living in Sofia,’ Vanessa Mae is due to appear at Sofia’s Winter Palace and Iron Maiden and INXS (with new lead singer J.D. Fortune) have just played the city for example. Posters appear all over the city heralding the arrival of big name performers and you can buy tickets from the particular venue or from many music outlets in the city.
If you prefer to shop until you drop in your spare time you’ll be pleased to know that Bulgaria has really changed since its drab days under communist rule and Sofia is leading the way in terms of starting a shopping revolution! Many shopping areas have been transformed with roads and walkways being pedestrianised and today stores in Sofia in Bulgaria are selling everything from designer goods and luxury items to souvenirs, fake designer gear and arts and crafts.
If you’re living in Bulgaria and working full time in Sofia, chances are the main time you’ll have for leisure and exploration of the city is at night…and Sofia really comes alive at night. The cuisine on offer in the city’s restaurants is first class and there is a great wealth of choice depending on your taste, there are countless bars, clubs and cafes available across the city and if you’re just beginning to explore look around the streets around Vitosha Boulevard for a large concentration of places to go…again, the Sofia Echo is the ultimate listing and venue related source of information!
As you can no doubt tell from this brief introduction to the range of activities available in Sofia, it’s an exciting city that is developing positively day by day as greater numbers of international citizens and Bulgarians make their home in Sofia. However, even after researching your options on the internet, if you’re not sure about whether Bulgaria is the right country for you – why not consider taking a short break in Sofia and getting a feel for the way of life, standard of living and cost of living before making your commitment to take up a job and move to live full time in Bulgaria?
