Football (soccer) is the most popular sport in Bulgaria. Learn about Bulgaria’s most successful World Championship campaign and hear a funny story about the biggest defeat in Bulgarian football history from the video below! See Bulgaria’s most famous Olympic sport world record!
Check our tips for doing sports in Sofia in the article below!
If you want to do some sports while in Sofia here are our suggestions:
Go for jogging
Mass tourism in Sofia is concentrated in the city center, where most of the top landmarks are located. Many of the city’s foreign visitors miss the opportunity to explore the city’s beautiful parks, and smaller gardens. One of the best ways to experience the green areas of the city is to wake up early in the morning, before the rush hour, and do some jogging! The most beautiful public parks in town surround the city centre, and are easily accessible. You may choose any of them, depending on your accommodation’s location. Among the best places for jogging are The Boris’s Garden, which is the biggest park in Sofia; The South Park, and The Park behind Park Center Sofia shopping mall. If you are a passionate runner – The Sofia marathon takes place every October!
Ride a bike.
The parks of Sofia also offer excellent conditions for riding a bicycle, so if the weather is good, do not miss that opportunity! You will discover many new, interesting spots for sure!
If you don’t have a bike, the most centrally located place in Sofia, where you can rent one is the Sofia Bike shop in 19 Shesti Septemvri str. It is also close to the National Theater, from where the Free Sofia Bike tour starts at 11 AM and 5 PM! This tour is a perfect opportunity to explore the best of Sofia’s parks in the company of a local volunteer tour guide. Read more on Sofia Green Tour – Alternative Way to Explore Sofia – an article from our blog. Note that the bike lanes infrastructure in Sofia is still not developed enough. Riding in the streets, together with the traffic is not recommended.
Hiking in the Vitosha mountain
Sofia is located in the feet of the Vitosha Mountain which is the perfect destination for a 1-day hike. It offers picturesque landscapes, diverse nature, and a beautiful view of Sofia. Vitosha is the fourth highest mountain in Bulgaria and the oldest declared natural Park on the Balkans! Check our hiking tours to the mountains highest peak Cherni Vrah: VITOSHA & CHERNI VRAH – PRIVATE TOUR – This is the best way to explore Vitosha’s trails with an experienced English-speaking mountain guide!
Playing Tennis in Sofia
If you play tennis, we have good news for you! There are tennis courts all around the city, and they are relatively cheap to rent. The average prices per hour vary between 5 and 17 euros/hour/tennis court. You can also hire equipment on the spot. Most tennis courts are busy in the evenings, and during the weekends, so we advise you to check for availability and book in advance. Here is a Map of the tennis courts in Sofia.
Swimming pools in Sofia
Unlike Varna, and Burgas, Sofia is not located on the Black sea coast, but it offers relatively good conditions for swimming. Some of the hotels in town have their own swimming pools, where you can enjoy a relaxing time, but If you want to swim in an Olympic swimming pool, the choice is a bit limited. There are 3 swimming pools, located in the city center.:
- Spartak Olympic swimming Pool, located in №4 Arsenalski Boulevard
- Madara Olympic swimming Pool, located in №21 Praga Boulevard
- Ministry of Sports’ swimming pool – The pool there is 25 meters long. This is the most centrally located swimming pool in Town, located in №75 Vasil Levski Boulevard
The Admission fees vary between 4 and 8 euros per person, and we advise you to check the working hours, especially if you are planning to swim during the weekend.
Book a tour with Traventuria and learn more about other landmarks in town! Check our tours of Sofia: HERE. Watch more videos from our vlog: HERE.
