Fodor's Expert Review Ivan Vazov National Theater and City Gardens

The performances at Bulgaria's national theater—also its oldest, having opened in 1907—may be almost exclusively in Bulgarian, but it is worth coming here to check out the building's wonderful architecture alone. The Neoclassical structure was designed by famous Viennese theatre architects Hermann Helmer and Ferdinand Fellner, but it had to be almost completely rebuilt after it was extensively damaged by a fire in 1923. Still one of Sofia's most impressive buildings, it is also located in the leafy heart of the city, with a facade facing the City Gardens. Together these make a beautiful and peaceful place simply to stroll about.