After two days of being in Sofia, we looked on the map again to see what we could still visit. Just at the end of the Vitosha Boulevard, we noticed a gigantic space that appeared to be a park, with only one large building placed in the centre. This building is known as the National Palace of Culture in Sofia.
The perfect colour composition
When I saw it during the day, I was impressed at the monumental size of the building. It was a sunny Sunday and children were passing by on rollerblades. There were also many people walking around enjoying their afternoon. When the sun set, the building turned and enlightened in a rose colour, whilst the fountains in front turned turquoise. What perfect colour compositions for a photographer!
The National Palace of Culture in Sofia is the biggest multifunctional conference and exhibition centre in Eastern Europe. In 2015, it was proclaimed to be the best congress centre in the world for that year, by the International Organization of Congress Centres. The idea to build such a large structure, which would be home to all kinds of cultural events, came from the daughter of communist leader Todor Zhivkov. Her name – Lyudmila Zhivkova. The National Palace was opened in 1981 and did not change its function even after the change of the political model. I’ve also visited the Sofia National Assembly and Parliament of Bulgaria, what makes this place especially interesting is how it connects above and below ground. An archaeological complex inside the metro station from where you can look up through the glass ceiling and see the Parliament of Bulgaria from below.
If you find this article interesting, check out as well my travel guide for Sofia, Bulgaria and another blog posts about Mountain Panorama or Alexander Nevsky Cathedral.
