Vitosha Boulevard, popularly known by locals as “Vitoshka”, is Sofia’s premier shopping and commercial street famed for its wide selection of upmarket shops, bars and restaurants. Named after the Vitosha mountain overlooking the city of Sofia, Vitosha Boulevard is the perfect place to go whether it’s browsing through the world’s finest shops or simply soaking up the atmosphere with a stroll. The central location of the street also places visitors near many of Sofia’s cultural delights, many of which can be found along or just off the Boulevard.
Those interested in fashion and all things designer will be in heaven along Vitosha Boulevard as most of the world’s most prestigious brands have stores here. After a day exploring all of the shops, the street is also renowned for its many world-class restaurants and bars which ensure the street stays alive through the night. Vitosha Boulevard is not just all about shopping, dining and drinking.However, some of Sofia’s most important historical and cultural attractions are found along the street including The Palace of the Courts and The National Palace of Culture.
Vitosha Boulevard enjoys an ideal central location within Sofia and is easily reachable owing to the city’s efficient and widespread public transportation network. Sofia benefits from subway lines, bus routes, trams and trolleys which make getting around quick and easy. For those flying into the area, Sofia Airport is Bulgaria’s busiest airport located only 10 kilometres outside of the city. Getting from the airport into Sofia is straightforward as it is on the Metro and there are also buses and taxis available.
The street acquired its named soon after the Liberation of Bulgaria from Ottoman rule in the late 19th century, although at this point it consisted of many one-storey houses and little else. However, between the 1920s and 1930s Vitosha Boulevard gradually acquired a reputation as Sofia’s finest commercial street and continued to develop itself into one of the world’s most prestigious shopping boulevards.