Things to see in Sofia

Probably Sofia's most photographed monument, Alexander Nevski is a magnificent neo-Byzantine cathedral-sized church, topped by copper and golden domes. Built between 1882 and 1912, the church takes its name from Alexander Nevski, credited with saving Russia from Swedish troops in 1240 and the patron saint of the family of the tsar at that time, Alexander II (also known as Tsar Osvoboditel, the ‘Tsar Liberator') who led the army that drove out the Turks. The inside is even more impressive; a darkened interior with vast domes covered with delicate murals. The central altar is dedicated to St Alexander Nevski, the southern altar to St Boris (who brought Christianity to Bulgaria) and the northern altar to Saints Cyril and Methodius (who created the Cyrillic alphabet). The Icon Museum, located in the crypt, has over 300 icons and mural frescoes tracing the development of Bulgarian icon-painting from the late ninth century up to the end of the 19th century.

Once there were 70 mosques in Sofia but today this is the only one still functioning. It was designed in 1576 by the greatest of all Ottoman architects, Mimar Sinan, who also built the Sultan Selim Mosque in Edirne and Istanbul's Blue Mosque. The mosque's finest feature is the domed ceiling, which was restored to its original design after the fall of Communism. Subdued loudspeakers on the elegant minaret call the city's Muslim minority to prayer five times a day - on Friday there can be as many as 400 worshippers in attendance. The mosque is not officially open as a tourist attraction but visitors are welcome outside prayer times, including women, if modestly dressed. The inside is decorated with fine blue tiles and calligraphy, citing texts from the Koran, as the portrayal of human figures is banned in Islamic art. The mosque is also known as Banya Bashi, which means ‘many baths', and outside are the small remains of the original hammam (Turkish baths), unearthed in 2003-2004.

Located inside the former Tsar's palace, Sofia's National Art Gallery houses Bulgaria's largest art collection - around 60,000 works. Its creaky wooden floors, original marble fireplaces and high ceilings make this a comfortable and cool place to wander, the surroundings as interesting as the art itself. When Sofia was conquered by the Turks in 1382, this building became a konak - headquarters of the local Ottoman administrators which at one time were used to interrogate Bulgarian rebels. These days it charts the development of Bulgarian art from 1878 to the mid-20th century, beginning with the revivalist period and portraiture with painters like Zograf, Dospevski and Pavlovic. Moving into the early 20th century, examples of the popular 1930s movement includes scenes by Nikola Tanev, a Gaugin-esque Stoyan Sotinov and wonderful paintings of old Plovdiv by Tzanko Lavrenov.

Standing in the courtyard of the Sheraton Balkan Hotel, the tiny sunken redbrick Rotunda of St George is the oldest preserved building in Sofia, built in the fourth century as a Roman temple. Careful restoration work has revealed three layers of exquisite medieval frescoes, which had been hidden by plaster during the 500 years of Ottoman rule. The impressive cupola bears a 14th-century portrait of Christ the Pantocrator, surrounded by four angels and symbols of the Evangelists. Beneath, 12th-century fresco work depicts 22 prophets holding scrolls, with texts alternately in Bulgarian and Greek. To the east lie excavated foundations of an octagonal-shaped Roman public building and paved street.

Sofia's Tsentralni Hali offers a clean, well-organised and modern (albeit a little soulless) version of the bazaar shopping experience, but retains its early 20th-century ironwork. Archaeological excavations reveal that the area was a marketplace from Roman times and some of the finds are on display in the basement. Stalls on ground level sell fruit and vegetables, local cheeses, olives, meats, wine and spirits, plus an array of breads and pastries. There are also a few coffee and drinks bars, as well as a modern crèche. The upper level is given over to fast-food kiosks with a large seating area, which closes around 2000.

Built by Russian workmen in 1912 and dedicated to St Nicholas, ‘the miracle maker', Sveta Nikolai is possibly the prettiest church in Sofia. The roof is covered with green majolica tiles and crowned with five gold-plated onion domes. The exterior was renovated by the Moscow Patriarchate, which provided the gold. More popular than the church itself is the crypt, where you'll find the tomb of the former Bishop Serafin who died in 1950. Locals come here in droves to post hand-written messages into a box, standing to the right of the tomb. Although Serafin was never canonised, he is revered as a saint and believed to make prayers and wishes come true.