Markets & shopping areas
Vitosha Boulevard
Vitosha Blvd. is Sofia’s main shopping street. The retail outlets of many western brand names are concentrated on the stretch between Patriarch Eftimii Blvd. and St. Nedelya Square (Sheraton Hotel). This is in general an expensive shopping area.
Antiques Market
Near the Alexander Nevski Cathedral in Sofia is situated an informal flea market, aimed directly to the tourists visiting the cathedral. There can be found lots of antique goods as old cameras, coins and medals, hand knitted socks, Russian lacquered dolls, jewelry boxes and more. The prices vary and depend on opinion of the trader about the buyer – so haggling is possible and in many cases – essential.
Pirotska street
Just across TZUM, Pirotska Str. is the first pedestrian shopping street in Sofia, and for that reason alone it is worth a visit. “Halite” the former food market is at the beginning of this street also has a variety of small shops on the upper level, in addition to the predominantly food oriented stalls on the ground floor.
Graf Ignatiev Str.
Graf Ignatiev Street also called Grafa (meaning The Count) is a popular central street in Sofia. The street was named after the Russian statesman and diplomat Count Nicholas Pavlovich Ignatiev.
Central Sofia Market Hall
The Central Sofia Market Hall is a covered market in the center of Sofia city, on Maria Louise Blvd. also known as Halite or Tsentralni Hali. It was opened back in 1911 and today is an one of the strategic shopping locations in the city.
Women’s market (Jenski Pazar)
Sofia’s largest and busiest market, Zhenski Pazar (Women’s market) has a wide range of seasonal fruit and vegetables, cheese, cured meats, dried fruit and nuts, homemade halva and other Turkish-inspired goodies. There are two “roads” the right-hand one is for fruits, vegetables and food and the left one is for clothes (usually cheap fake designer clothes), shoes, and other cheap Chinese stuff.