Travel to St Alexander Nevski Cathedral church (Hram-pametnik Aleksander Nevski) is fabulous experience.
It is located in Sofia the capital of Bulgaria. It is built in Neo-Byzantine style it is a cathedral church of the Patriarch of Bulgaria and it is one of the largest cathedrals in the world. It is one of the symbols of Sofia and major tourist attractions. It has the area of 3170 meters and capacity of 5,000 people inside. It has a gold plated dome which is 45 meters high with a bell tower of 50.52 meters. It has 12 bells with total weight of 23 tons and there are two bells which have the highest weigh of 12 and 10 tons. The interiors of this church are decorated with Italian marble with different colors. The holy church has prayers written in it which is called as Lord’s Prayers with thin gold letters. Brazilian, Onyx, Alabaster are the other materials which are used in it. It is a cross domes basilica which shows the central dome.
The construction of this cathedral church was started in the year 1882 it was built in the honor of Russian soldiers who gave their lives in Russo-Turkish War of 1877 to 1878 and after this war Bulgaria got free from Ottoman rule. The foundation stone was laid and built between 1904 and 1912. It was designed by Alexander Pomerantsey followed by Alexander Smirnov and Alexander Yakovlev and taken as a starting project by these people in the year 1884-1885 but it got changed by Pomerantsev. The construction design and decoration was finished in the year 1898 with the help of team from Bulgaria, Russia, and Austro-Hungarian. There are many other European artists, architects and workers who helped in the compellation of this Cathedral church. All the lighting fixtures and marble parts are created in Munich while the gates are manufactured in Berlin in Karl Bamberg’s factory in Vienna and got shipped from Venice.
There are several incidents took place to give name to this holy church. Sts Cyril and Methodius Cathedral was the name given to this church in the year from 1916 to 1920. St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral name was given to it on 12th September, 1924. There is a National Art Gallery inside the Cathedral Crypt of the museum of Bulgarian icon. This museum has the largest collection of Orthodox icons in Europe. The church is surrounded with many more sights of visit like St. Sofia Church, The Monument to the Unknown Soldier, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, The National Gallery of Foreign Art, The Bulgarian Parliament, a park in the honor of Ivan Vazov, a flea market.
Sofia is capital of Bulgaria and one the largest city in Bulgaria with the demography of 1.4 million people making it 12th largest city of Europe. It is located in the west side of Bulgaria at the down foots of Mount Vitosha. It is one of the economic, cultural, and administrative and a major educational centre of Bulgaria. It is one of the oldest cities of Europe which has a history of 7000 years. The unique feature of this state is that it has got different names in different period of time and its odds and ends can bee still seen in the modern city.
How to Reach
There are many flights available on daily basis, the domestic flights fly between Bulgaria, Sofia and Black Sea coast. Bulgaria Air has a daily flight service from Varna and it also flies between Sofia and Burgas. There are two or three daily flights available between July and September. If you prefer to go by train than the Central Train Station is one of the best options to travel which is very convenient which also has the glance of old architecture. There are many facilities for the tourists like post office, hotels and cafes. Traveling around Sofia through road way is also very comfortable many travel agencies provide regular bus services for the tourists at a reasonable rates, which even go through long routes up to Istanbul, Paris, Rome, and some cities of Germany.
Spring season is the best time to visit Sofia and to get enjoyment of this picturesque city. The climate at this time is good to visit the sites and other cultural places of the city. This is basically the peak season of the city. The summer from mid June to early September is the time to get pleasure of festivals in the city. Summer is a good season to get the enjoyment of the Black sea Coast. If you tour Bulgaria then September is one of the best months. Sofia is known as the green city and it can be seen in the autumn with large amount of fruits, vegetables, and greenery everywhere around the city. Rainfall is high in the mountains and in winter season throughout Bulgaria where you will also observe heavy snowfalls.
Where to stay
There are many hotels available in Sofia suitable for all budgets. Sofia is the capital and a big city where you will get good hotels and accommodations. Business hotels, family hotels, and luxury hotels are also available on reasonable rates. However there are no restrictions on stay and hotels in Sofia. There are many package tours available for tourists which also provide the facility of accommodation for the tourists in Sofia. Resorts are also available on the Black Sea coast. There are many foreign companies which offer best packages and tours to tourists. The currency is Bulgarian Lev which is Pegged with Euro, 1 Euro is equal to 1.955 BGN, which you will easily get through exchange offices and banks while some of these offices are also open on weekends.
There are many attractions in Bulgaria depending on the age of person from a senior person to children every one can have an enjoyable tour Sofia there is Rural tourism, Sports, Golf, Haunting, Sea creation, Cultural and some Business destinations which include:-
- National Assembly of Bulgaria
- Sofia University
- Bulgarian Academy of Science
- National Palace of Culture
- Central Military club
- National Museum of History