Bulgaria packs a lot of history into a short trip: a gold-domed cathedral and Roman ruins under the streets of Sofia, a mountain monastery in the Rila range, Plovdiv's hillside Revival houses and Roman theatre, and the medieval fortress of Tsarevets above the Yantra River at Veliko Tarnovo. Sofia and Plovdiv are linked by train and bus, and Veliko Tarnovo is about 3 hours from Sofia by bus.
This list starts with our ranked picks for a first trip, best first, each with a practical tip on timing, booking or etiquette. Below them you will find every sight we cover in Sofia, Plovdiv and Veliko Tarnovo, city by city, with opening notes and checked entry fees where we have them. Common questions come last.
The 16 best things to do in Bulgaria
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- 1Sofia
Visit Rila Monastery in the Rila Mountains
Rila Monastery lies at 1,147 m between the Rilska and Drushlyavitsa rivers, about 120 km from Sofia. It was founded in the first half of the 10th century around the dwelling of St John of Rila, the first Bulgarian hermit, and has long been a spiritual and cultural center for the country. The buildings you see date mostly from the 19th century. The five-domed main church, built in 1834 to 1837, is covered in murals and wood-carved iconostases, and Zahari Zograf is the only painter who signed his work. Hrelyo's Tower from 1335 is the oldest building, and the museum shows a wooden cross carved with over 600 miniature figures. Plan a full day from Sofia.
Tip: Skip shorts, short skirts and sleeveless tops, and keep the camera away inside the church and the museum, where photos and video are not allowed.
Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: UNESCO World Heritage Centre; Visit Bulgaria (Ministry of Tourism, official); Holy Monastery of Rila (rilskimanastir.org); Rila Monastery (official)Combined museum ticket: €12 (about $13) · Grounds and church open daily; museums ticketedLast verified
- 2Sofia
Step inside Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Sofia
The golden domes of Alexander Nevsky Cathedral are Sofia's best-known landmark. The cathedral honors Tsar Alexander II of Russia, whose army freed Bulgaria from Ottoman rule in 1878, and takes its name from his patron saint. The foundation stone was laid on 19 February 1882, building began in 1904, the cathedral was finished in 1912 and it was consecrated in 1924. Its walls are white Vratsa stone and its bell tower, 53 m high, holds 12 bells. Inside, the marble iconostasis, the thrones and 82 icons by Bulgarian, Russian and Czech artists fill the space, and a crypt below holds a collection of icons. It sits on its own square in the center of the city.
Tip: The cathedral holds daily worship, so keep voices low, and do not skip the icon collection in the crypt below.
Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Visit Bulgaria (Ministry of Tourism, official); Visit Sofia (Sofia Tourism Administration, official)Open daily until 5:30 PM - 3Veliko Tarnovo
Climb Tsarevets Fortress above the Yantra River
Tsarevets is the hill fortress of medieval Tarnovo, which was declared the capital of the Second Bulgarian Empire in 1185. The hill was first settled in the 3rd millennium BC, and the defensive wall that still stands, about 1,100 m long, began in the 12th century. You enter by the restored western gate, pass Baldwin's Tower and climb to the Patriarchate at the top, rebuilt in 1981. Below it, the foundations of the Royal Palace, 470 houses and 23 temples have been uncovered. At the northern end, Execution Rock overhangs the river. Visitors can climb the bell tower for a view of the town, and a sound and light show uses colored lights, music and church bells to depict key moments of Bulgarian history.
Tip: The site is open year-round, but winter hours are shorter and entry stops 1 hour before closing, so arrive early in the day.
Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Visit Bulgaria (Ministry of Tourism, official); Veliko Tarnovo tourist information (official)Standard: €7.67 (about $9) · Pay at the doorLast verified
- 4Plovdiv
Wander the Revival houses of Old Plovdiv
Old Plovdiv covers about 35 hectares on three hills, Nebet, Taksim and Dzhambaz, and holds more than 200 protected monuments from many periods, from a Thracian fortress on Nebet Hill to Roman ruins and Ottoman buildings. Its best-known streets are lined with Revival houses, built by wealthy 19th-century merchants who decorated them with painted facades, wall paintings and carved wooden ceilings. The style is known as Plovdiv Baroque. More than 20 of the houses are now museums and galleries, among them the houses of Hindliyan, Balabanov, Georgiadi and Kuyumdzhioglu. The lanes themselves are the point, so leave time to wander.
Tip: Many of the house museums close one day a week, often Monday, so check each opening day before you choose which to enter.
Sources: Visit Plovdiv (Plovdiv Municipality, official); Visit Bulgaria (Ministry of Tourism, official); Visit Plovdiv (Plovdiv Municipality, official); Visit Plovdiv (Plovdiv Municipality, official); Visit Plovdiv (Plovdiv Municipality, official)Streets free; museum houses ticketed - 5Plovdiv
Sit in the Roman theatre of Plovdiv
The Ancient Theatre of Philippopolis was built at the start of the 2nd century AD under Emperor Trajan, in the saddle between Dzhambaz and Taksim hills. It is counted among the best-preserved ancient theatres in the world. Archaeologists excavated it from 1968 to 1979, and today you can see two ranges of marble seats, 14 rows each, divided by staircases and a wide walkway, plus the two-storey stage building. Originally it held 5,000 to 7,000 people. After careful restoration it works again as a venue for performances and seats about 500.
Tip: Guided tours in English and other languages run only by prior request at Balabanov's House, so ask there ahead of time.
Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Visit Bulgaria (Ministry of Tourism, official); Visit Bulgaria (Ministry of Tourism, official)Single object: €3.58 (about $4) · Pay at the doorLast verified
- 6SofiaBook ahead
See the 1259 frescoes at Boyana Church
Boyana Church stands at the foot of Vitosha mountain, in the Boyana district of Sofia, and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979. The small building was extended in the 13th century with a two-storey church funded by Sebastocrator Kaloyan and his wife Desislava, and its walls were repainted in 1259. More than 240 figures fill the frescoes, and each has its own personality. You can find portraits of Kaloyan and Desislava and of Tsar Constantine Tikh Asen and Tsaritsa Irene, some of the oldest portraits of historical figures to survive, plus the oldest known portrait of St Ivan of Rila. City buses serve the church from central Sofia.
Tip: Photography is forbidden inside, so leave the camera in your bag and look closely at the faces, where each figure was painted as an individual.
Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Visit Bulgaria (Ministry of Tourism, official); UNESCO World Heritage CentreIndividual visit: €10 (about $11) · Visits in short timed slotsLast verified
- 7Sofia
Find Sofia's Roman Rotunda of St George
The Rotunda of St George is the oldest building in Sofia, built in the early 4th century AD when the city was Roman Serdica, under Emperor Constantine the Great. It is a cylinder topped by a dome, about 9.5 m wide and 14 m high, on a square base. It began with a public role and became a baptistery, then a church in the time of Emperor Justinian, when its first wall paintings were added. In the 16th century it served as a mosque, and later as a mausoleum before restoration began in 1915. It now stands in a courtyard of government buildings, a few meters from Serdica's fortress remains, and is a church again with daily worship.
Tip: It is a working church that sets aside midday and afternoon hours for tourist visits, so plan around them and keep quiet during services.
Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Visit Bulgaria (Ministry of Tourism, official); Visit Sofia (Sofia Tourism Administration, official)Check the opening hours - 8Veliko Tarnovo
Step into the painted churches of Arbanasi
Arbanasi sits on a high plateau 4 km from Veliko Tarnovo and grew rich as a trading center in the 17th century. Its merchants built houses that look like small fortresses from outside, with barred windows and sturdy doors, but are richly decorated within. Konstantsalieva's House, dating from the 17th century, is now a museum, and the Church of the Nativity is one of the oldest and most richly painted, with murals in the narthex from 1597. Look for the Wheel of Life in its gallery, the earliest version of the scene on Bulgarian church walls. The Church of the Archangels Michael and Gabriel is plain outside and famous inside for its saints painted against a starry sky.
Tip: From November to March the churches open by request only, so arrange your visit by phone at least 30 minutes ahead.
Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Visit Bulgaria (Ministry of Tourism, official); Veliko Tarnovo tourist information (official); Veliko Tarnovo tourist information (official)Standard: €7.67 (about $9) · Pay at the doorLast verified
- 9Plovdiv
Visit Bachkovo Monastery in the hills
Bachkovo Monastery lies 10 km south of Asenovgrad. It was founded in 1083 by the Georgian Gregoriy Bakuriani and stayed Georgian for a long time. The buildings you visit today were mostly rebuilt from the late 16th century: the refectory, rebuilt in 1601, has a long marble table with its year carved on it, and the Assumption of the Virgin Cathedral dates from 1604. Look for the church of St Nikola, painted inside by the famous icon painter Zahariy Zograf in 1838 to 1840, and for the Holy Mother of God icon of 1311 with a silver cover, believed to have miraculous powers. A small museum shows older objects from the monastery.
Tip: Leave time to sit in the courtyard, a favorite gathering place for pilgrims and visitors, and step into the refectory to see the marble table.
Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Visit Bulgaria (Ministry of Tourism, official)Open daily; grounds free to enter - 10Sofia
Explore Roman Serdica beneath Sofia
Under the center of Sofia lies Serdica, the Roman city that Emperor Constantine the Great is said to have called "my Rome." The Serdica Ancient Cultural and Communicative Complex covers 16,000 square meters in two zones: the Largo zone under Nezavisimost Square, used for events, and an archaeological exhibition on Maria Luisa Boulevard. Other pieces are scattered nearby. The eastern gate, uncovered between 1997 and 1999, sits in the underpass between the Presidency and the Council of Ministers, and the city's north wall is displayed in the underground floor of the Central Market Hall. The walls are believed to have reached 12 m. You can also see the remains of an amphitheater inside a hotel.
Tip: Pair it with the Central Sofia Market Hall, whose underground floor displays the remains of the city's north wall.
Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Visit Sofia (Sofia Tourism Administration, official); Visit Bulgaria (Ministry of Tourism, official); Visit Sofia (Sofia Tourism Administration, official); Visit Sofia (Sofia Tourism Administration, official)Largo area free every day, 7 AM to 10 PM - 11Plovdiv
Walk down to Plovdiv's Roman Stadium
Beneath the pedestrian center of Plovdiv, below Knyaz Alexander I Street, lies the Roman Stadium, built in the 2nd century on the model of the stadium at Delphi, of which only 12 of this kind survive. It was about 200 m long and could hold about 30,000 spectators for games and gladiator fights, and only the northern end and part of the fortified wall are exposed today. A plaque recalls the Olympic flame passing through in 1980. Dzhumaya Mosque, one of the oldest Ottoman buildings in the Balkans, with nine lead-covered domes, stands right beside the stadium. On the small square outside, local artists show sculptures, paintings and jewelry.
Tip: Fit it into a walk along pedestrian Knyaz Alexander I Street, which meets the stadium square, and look at the artists' work on the small square outside.
Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Visit Bulgaria (Ministry of Tourism, official); Visit Bulgaria (Ministry of Tourism, official); Visit Bulgaria (Ministry of Tourism, official)Sfendona area free to visit - 12Plovdiv
Eat and browse in Plovdiv's Kapana district
Kapana, the Trap, was a craftsmen's quarter for more than five centuries. The 17th-century traveler Evliya Celebi counted 880 shops here, and street names still say who worked where: Zhelezarska for blacksmiths, Zlatarska for goldsmiths, Abadjiyska for clothiers and Kozhuharska for furriers. A neglected part of the city for years, it was revived through Plovdiv's year as European Capital of Culture in 2019 and is now a district of galleries, studios, workshops, pedestrian streets, bars and restaurants. It is close to all the major landmarks of the center.
Tip: Read the street signs as you go, since each name points to a lost craft, and stay for a meal, as local and international cooking both have a home here.
Sources: Visit Plovdiv (Plovdiv Municipality, official)Pay as you go - 13Sofia
See Banya Bashi Mosque in central Sofia
Banya Bashi Mosque stands on Maria Luisa Boulevard and is the only working mosque in Sofia. It was built in 1566 to 1567 and is credited to the great Ottoman architect Mimar Sinan, who also designed the Suleymaniye Mosque in Istanbul. The name means many baths, because it sits on natural mineral springs. It has a square plan with one central lead-plated dome and a minaret, and its prayer hall and arches are made entirely of stone. A small three-domed porch at the front was built in memory of the wife of its founder.
Tip: Public worship takes place here every Friday, so plan your visit for another day.
Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Visit Bulgaria (Ministry of Tourism, official); Visit Sofia (Sofia Tourism Administration, official)Active mosque; visit outside prayer times - 14Sofia
Visit the 6th-century Church of Saint Sophia
Saint Sophia is one of the oldest churches in Sofia, with roots in Roman times. The present cross-domed basilica, with three naves, is believed to be the fifth building on this site and was built in the middle of the 6th century under Emperor Justinian I, a contemporary of the famous Hagia Sophia in Constantinople. The site began as a necropolis of Roman Serdica, and in the 2nd century a Roman theatre stood here, followed by several churches that Goths and Huns destroyed. It sits only a short walk from Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, so the two make an easy pair.
Tip: Pair it with Alexander Nevsky Cathedral on the same walk, since the two sit only a short distance apart.
Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Visit Sofia (Sofia Tourism Administration, official); Visit Sofia (Sofia Tourism Administration, official)Check the opening hours - 15Sofia
See Thracian gold at the National Archaeological Museum
The National Archaeological Museum occupies the Buyuk Mosque, built at the end of the 15th century and the oldest preserved Ottoman building in Sofia. It opened to visitors in 1905 and faces the Presidency. The collection runs from the Paleolithic to the late Middle Ages, with a Prehistory hall for finds from Karanovo and Ezero, and the Thracian kingdom of the 5th to 3rd centuries BC. A real-size copy of the Madara Horseman greets you at the entrance. Upstairs, the Treasury Hall holds the Valchitran Treasure from the 14th to 12th centuries BC and the Lukovit treasure from the 4th century BC, along with finds from the Svetitsa mound near Kazanlak, including a burial mask.
Tip: In the colder months it closes one day a week, so check the day before you go.
Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Visit Bulgaria (Ministry of Tourism, official)Adult: €6 (about $7) · Pay at the door; closed Mondays Nov to AprLast verified
- 16Plovdiv
Tour the Regional Ethnographic Museum in Plovdiv
Plovdiv's Regional Ethnographic Museum is the second largest of its kind in Bulgaria and sits in the Old Town in Argir Kuyumdzhioglu's house, built in 1847 by the master builder Hadzhi Georgi. The museum was founded in 1917 and moved to this house in 1938. Inside you see everyday life of the Bulgarian Revival: copper and ceramic ware, shepherds' woodcarvings, jewelry, lace, folk costumes from across the Bulgarian lands and musical instruments. Rooms recreate typical interiors from Koprivshtitsa, the Rhodopes and Plovdiv. The house itself is part of the display.
Tip: The museum is closed on Mondays, so plan it for another day, and give the house itself a few minutes of attention.
Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Visit Plovdiv (Plovdiv Municipality, official); Visit Bulgaria (Ministry of Tourism, official)EUR[fee] at the door; closed Mondays
Every sight, city by city
Ancient Theatre of Philippopolis
A Roman theatre from the 1st century AD, among the best preserved in the world, in the Old Town.Entry: Pay at the doorSearch tickets and tours on TiqetsBachkovo Monastery
Founded in 1083, the second largest Bulgarian monastery, with two courtyards and four churches in the Rhodope foothills.Entry: Open daily; grounds free to enterSearch tickets and tours on TiqetsBalabanova House
An emblem of Old Plovdiv: an early 19th-century merchant house rebuilt in the 1970s.Entry: Pay at the door; closed Mondays. Closed MondaysSearch tickets and tours on TiqetsChurch of Saints Constantine and Helena
One of Plovdiv's oldest Christian churches, on the Acropolis wall in the Old Town, with preserved frescoes.Entry: Check the opening hoursSearch tickets and tours on TiqetsDzhumaya Mosque
The main mosque of Plovdiv, built in the 15th century on the pedestrian street beside the Roman Stadium.Entry: Active mosque; visit outside prayer timesSearch tickets and tours on TiqetsHindliyan House
A richly decorated Revival-era merchant house built in 1834 to 1835, in Old Plovdiv.Entry: Pay at the door; closed Mondays. Closed MondaysSearch tickets and tours on TiqetsKapana
The old craft and trade quarter next to Dzhumaya Mosque, now Plovdiv's creative district for cafés and food.Entry: Pay as you goKnyaz Aleksandar I Street
Plovdiv's main pedestrian street, from Central Square past the Roman Stadium and Dzhumaya Mosque.Entry: Free to visitOld Plovdiv
The hilltop Old Town of cobbled lanes, Revival houses, Roman remains and churches, best explored on foot.Entry: Streets free; museum houses ticketedRegional Ethnographic Museum
A museum of Plovdiv's Revival-era traditions, with over 60,000 artifacts, in the Old Town.Entry: EUR[fee] at the door; closed Mondays. Closed MondaysSearch tickets and tours on TiqetsRoman Stadium
Part of a 2nd-century stadium for about 30,000 spectators, lying under the main pedestrian street.Entry: Sfendona area free to visitSearch tickets and tours on TiqetsAlexander Nevsky Cathedral
The Neo-Byzantine cathedral of the Bulgarian Patriarch, Bulgaria's biggest, holding up to 10,000 people.Entry: Open daily until 5:30 PMSearch tickets and tours on TiqetsAncient Serdica complex
Roman streets of ancient Serdica, including the decumanus maximus, shown below Nezavisimost Square in the Largo.Entry: Largo area free every day, 7 AM to 10 PMSearch tickets and tours on TiqetsBanya Bashi Mosque
Sofia's only active mosque, built in 1566 to 1567 by the architect Mimar Sinan, with a tiled interior.Entry: Active mosque; visit outside prayer timesSearch tickets and tours on TiqetsBoyana Church
A UNESCO-listed medieval church in the Boyana district, known for its frescoes, open in short visits.Entry: Visits in short timed slotsSearch tickets and tours on TiqetsCentral Sofia Market Hall
A covered market built in 1909 to 1911 on Maria Luiza Boulevard, with richly sculpted stone facades.Entry: Pay as you goChurch of St George Rotunda
The oldest preserved building in Sofia, a 3rd to 4th century Roman rotunda with later frescoes inside.Entry: Check the opening hoursSearch tickets and tours on TiqetsNational Archaeological Museum
The country's main archaeology museum, on Atanas Burov Square, with Thracian, Roman and medieval finds.Entry: Pay at the door; closed Mondays Nov to AprSearch tickets and tours on TiqetsRila Monastery
Bulgaria's largest and best-known monastery, with a main church, museums and a medieval tower, in the Rila mountains.Entry: Grounds and church open daily; museums ticketedSearch tickets and tours on TiqetsSaint Sophia Church
A 6th-century basilica above the tombs of the Serdica Necropolis, one of the oldest churches in Sofia.Entry: Check the opening hoursSearch tickets and tours on TiqetsVitosha Boulevard
Sofia's main pedestrian street, lined with restaurants and coffeeshops, running south toward Vitosha mountain.Entry: Pay as you goAsenevtsi Monument
A 1985 monument to the tsars Asen, Peter, Kaloyan and Ivan Asen II around a giant sword.Entry: Free to visitSearch tours on TiqetsChurch of the Archangels, Arbanasi
A 17th to 18th century Arbanasi church with painted women saints against a starry sky.Entry: Pay at the doorSearch tickets and tours on TiqetsChurch of the Nativity, Arbanasi
The earliest and most richly painted church in Arbanasi, with the Wheel of Life and Jesus's family tree.Entry: Pay at the doorSearch tickets and tours on TiqetsKonstantsalieva's House, Arbanasi
A fortified merchant house from the late 17th century, now an ethnographic museum in Arbanasi.Entry: Pay at the door; hours shorten in winterSearch tickets and tours on TiqetsSamovodska Charshia
A restored craft quarter of Revival houses and working pottery, wood-carving and weapon workshops.Entry: Pay as you goTsarevets Fortress
The hilltop fortress and royal palace of the Second Bulgarian Kingdom, with a patriarchal church on top.Entry: Pay at the doorSearch tickets and tours on TiqetsTsarevgrad Turnov visitor center
A multimedia center near Tsarevets with figures and scenes from the Second Bulgarian Kingdom.Entry: Pay at the doorSearch tickets and tours on TiqetsQuestions travelers ask
What are the best things to do in Bulgaria for a first trip?
Start in Sofia with Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, the Roman remains of Serdica and the 1259 frescoes of Boyana Church, then give a day to Rila Monastery in the mountains. Next, spend time in Plovdiv's Old Town, its Roman theatre and stadium, and the cafes and studios of Kapana. Finish in Veliko Tarnovo, with Tsarevets Fortress and the painted churches of Arbanasi. Bachkovo Monastery makes a quieter extra if you have time.
Sources: Visit Bulgaria (Ministry of Tourism, official); Visit Bulgaria (Ministry of Tourism, official); Visit Plovdiv (Plovdiv Municipality, official); Visit Bulgaria (Ministry of Tourism, official)How many days do you need in Bulgaria?
One way to split a first trip is two to three days in Sofia, including a day trip to Rila Monastery about 120 km away, one to two days in Plovdiv, and one to two in Veliko Tarnovo with Arbanasi 4 km from town. Buses from Sofia reach Veliko Tarnovo in about 3 hours, and trains run direct from Plovdiv, so the three cities fit together without long transfers.
Sources: Visit Bulgaria (Ministry of Tourism, official); Veliko Tarnovo tourist information (official); Visit Bulgaria (Ministry of Tourism, official)When is the best time for sightseeing in Bulgaria?
Spring to autumn is easiest for sightseeing, since opening hours are longest from April to October. Tsarevets opens earlier and closes later in those months, Plovdiv's Ancient Theatre stays open later, Trapezitsa Fortress closes from November to March, and the painted churches of Arbanasi open only on request in winter. Hrelyo's Tower at Rila Monastery opens to visitors in summer. Sofia has a temperate continental climate with normal rainfall, so city sights work year-round.
Sources: Visit Bulgaria (Ministry of Tourism, official); Visit Bulgaria (Ministry of Tourism, official); Veliko Tarnovo tourist information (official); Veliko Tarnovo tourist information (official); Visit Bulgaria (Ministry of Tourism, official); Visit Sofia (Sofia Tourism Administration, official)Which attractions should you book ahead in Bulgaria?
Most sights need no advance booking, but a few run on request. Guided tours of Plovdiv's Ancient Theatre are arranged in advance at Balabanov's House. From November to March the churches of Arbanasi open by request, and you should arrange your visit at least 30 minutes ahead by phone. At Tsarevets, guided tours are available in several languages. Check seasonal hours before a long trip to a monastery or fortress.
Sources: Visit Bulgaria (Ministry of Tourism, official); Veliko Tarnovo tourist information (official); Visit Bulgaria (Ministry of Tourism, official)How do you get around Bulgaria?
In Sofia, the metro links the airport, the center and Central Railway Station: the airport line takes about 30 minutes to the center, and the station is about 5 minutes from Serdika. Trains and buses connect Sofia with Plovdiv, and Plovdiv's airport lies 10 km from the city. Buses from Sofia reach Veliko Tarnovo in about 3 hours. Trains from Sofia stop at Gorna Oryahovitsa, 7 km away, while direct trains run from Plovdiv.
Sources: Visit Sofia (Sofia Tourism Administration, official); Visit Sofia (Sofia Tourism Administration, official); Visit Plovdiv (Plovdiv Municipality, official); Veliko Tarnovo tourist information (official)What should you know about church and monastery etiquette in Bulgaria?
Many top sights are working churches, so dress and behave accordingly. At Rila Monastery, shorts, short skirts and sleeveless tops are not allowed, men remove hats in the church, photos and video are not allowed in the church or museum, and large backpacks and pets stay out. Boyana Church also forbids photography inside. Keep your voice low, and avoid visiting the Banya Bashi Mosque during Friday worship.
Sources: Holy Monastery of Rila (rilskimanastir.org); Visit Bulgaria (Ministry of Tourism, official); Visit Bulgaria (Ministry of Tourism, official)What currency does Bulgaria use?
Bulgaria joined the euro area on 1 January 2026, so the euro is the currency you will use for hotels, meals and tickets. Most hotels and stores accept major credit cards, and as a euro-area country it takes the same coins and notes as other euro countries. If you find old Bulgarian lev notes at home or in a drawer, the Bulgarian National Bank exchanges them for euro free of charge with no deadline.
Sources: European Central Bank (official); Visit Sofia (Sofia Tourism Administration, official)