Very late at night, after more than a 5 hour bus ride from Skopje, I arrived in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria. As I walked towards my hostel, the streets were deserted apart from the young couple who’s night of partying appeared to be coming to an end and the man at the doner stand who was preparing their food. The couple looked at me as I passed by and the dude hollered “Bulgaria!” at me in a playful stupor. He must’ve known that I was a tourist (my Asian face may have given it away). I immediately got the sense that Bulgarians were very proud of their country and for good reason.

Once the sun had dawned, I got my first glimpse of Sofia during daylight. Having come from Macedonia and Albania, Bulgaria felt different. There was a vibrancy to Sofia that I had not felt in Tirana or Skopje. Maybe it was the modern infrastructure, grand soviet-era buildings, the charming parks full of people enjoying the warm June day, or the overall polished streetscapes. The fact that Bulgaria is part of the EU is one factor that cannot be ignored. Compared to it’s other Balkan neighbours, Bulgaria is a richer country in economic terms and that usually translates to a higher quality of life, which was clearly evident in almost every aspect.

There was a sense of upbeat optimism in the air. The pace of life seemed relaxed. People seemed content. The city seemed very livable. It felt like Bulgaria was in the midst of a goldilocks period.

Like most other places throughout Europe, Bulgaria was once a province of the Roman Empire. Ancient Roman ruins all throughout Sofia have been preserved and the city has been built around them.

This church is apparently the oldest building in Bulgaria. It stands between ancient Roman ruins and the Bulgarian Presidential Palace.

All throughout history, Bulgaria was invaded and conquered by it’s neighbours including the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires. After WWII, it fell to the Soviet Union until it became a democratic republic in the 90s. Speaking of WWII, Bulgaria was the only country under Nazi rule that managed to avoid its Jews being sent to concentration camps. Due to its geography, Bulgarians grew up alongside the Greeks, Turks, Gypsies, Macedonians, Russians, among other ethnicities. Because of this, Bulgarians didn’t see any inherent flaws in the Jews. The Bulgarian Parliament and even the Orthodox church stepped in to stop the deportation of Bulgarian Jews to concentration camps in Poland. It helped that Bulgaria was an ally of Nazi Germany so they had some autonomy unlike Poland or Yugoslavia that were run under hostile Nazi occupation.

Evidence of Bulgaria’s communist past under Soviet rule can be seen throughout the city from the brutalist architecture to it’s monuments.

And then there’s the crown jewel of Sofia, St. Alexander Nevski Cathedral. Named after a Russian Prince, it was completed in 1912 in honour of the soldiers who died during the Russo-Turkish War of 1877 that freed Bulgaria from Ottoman rule. If a cathedral could be described as sexy, this one definitely is, even at every angle.

I took a photo of the interior ceiling, but it came out blurry. It was impressive on the inside just as much as the outside. You can take my word for it.

Sofia felt like a melting pot of various ethnicities and religions. It is a mishmash of historic and modern, young and old, austere and lush, among other contradictions. I’m glad that I made the detour to see a friend, which brought me to Sofia in the first place. We pigged out on delicious Bulgarian food and even went bowling. The time spent almost felt like an energy boost, fuelling me for my next destination.