City Garden

The City Garden is Sofia, Bulgaria’s oldest and most important public garden, dating back to 1872. It is situated in the city’s historical center, between Tsar Osvoboditel Boulevard to the north, Knyaz Alexander Battenberg Street to the west, and Joseph Vladimirovich Gourko Street to the south.

Originally designed in the latter years of Ottoman control in Bulgaria, it was drastically altered shortly after the country’s liberation in 1878 and the selection of Sofia as the capital the following year on the suggestion of the temporary governor Pyotr Alabin by city architect Antonn Kolá. The alley network was restructured, and new plants, as well as a low wooden fence, a coffeehouse, and a musician’s kiosk, were installed. The park was originally called the Alexander II Garden in honor of Russian king Alexander II, who launched the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-78, which resulted in Bulgaria’s liberation.

Until the end of the nineteenth century, the City Garden was constantly reconstructed and expanded. Karl Betz, Daniel Neff, and Iliya Todorov were among the notable gardeners who worked on it, shaping the garden’s aesthetic that it would hold until the Second World War.

The erection of the now-demolished Georgi Dimitrov Mausoleum immediately after the commencement of Communist government in Bulgaria after the war was followed by a series of important reorganizations, including those by Sugarev and R. Robev in 1951 and 1959, and A. Agura in 1976 and 1978. As a result, the garden is now oriented toward the Ivan Vazov National Theatre rather than the ancient royal residence. The new composition often clashed with the original design, and the City Garden lost territory and major architectural aspects over the era.

Today, the park is home to the National Theatre “Ivan Vazov” and the National Arts Gallery, and it is also a site that the younger people of Sofia associate with “happiness.” The City Garden is a cultural and entertaining destination. On the lawn, you may observe old folks playing chess and some young people practising yoga. In reality, there are chess tables in the park that are open all year. In the summer, the park contains a large fountain directly in front of the National Theatre, which makes sitting there quite comfortable. In fact, on bright days, it’s difficult to locate a seat to sit on. That’s not an issue since there are various coffee shops and bars located throughout the park.

The Sofia City Garden also hosts numerous yearly fairs, including one of the national book fairs, a Christmas themed fair where you can purchase mulled wine, ginger bread, and other Christmas season delights, and others. The City Garden is also a popular venue for a variety of events, ranging from rap fights to a symphony orchestra commemorating the 138th anniversary of Sofia being the capital.