Sofia. Sofia. Sofia. So. Fee. Aaaaaaaah. Sound rather like a fit Spanish bird from a soft-core Film 4? Well...yeah...but....no...but stay with us.....hot Italian screen sirens and many a fine Spanish model-turned-actress aside, Sofia is the name of the newest kid on the European Block and she's ready and waiting for your call. Bulgaria's bustling capital is such a brand-spankingly, thirst-inducingly, pant-tighteningly new stag destination that even the Bulgarians didn't know about it until we pointed it out to them.
If mainstream destinations jam-packed with guide-book wielding ‘bucket ‘n spade' families on package deals don't float your boat then a stag weekend in Sofia is your money shot.
Why Sofia?
This little Eastern Bloc city rocks. A compact city with a cacophony of architectural styles largely rebuilt after having the s&*t being bombed out of it during the Second World War, the city is rich in history, culture and tradition. And despite being on economically shaky ground with high unemployment and many hardships, the inhabitants of Sofia are renowned for being some of the most ‘upferit' nocturnal party starters in the whole of Europe. Bulgarian cuisine is hearty, tasty and has ‘hangover cure' written all over it, with rich cheeses, dumplings, stews and salads as far as the eye can see. And to get you needing that hangover cure, Bulgarian wine and spirits are some of the finest and most affordable around; look out for Melnik reds from the South West and a seriously potent plum-based spirit called Rakia, buy a bottle - or ten - and if you can't hack it then use it as a cheap alternative to paint stripper.
Stripper? Who said stripper?
We did. And if you like strippers there are plenty to go around due to the city's seriously heaving nightlife. Since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1989 this former communist nation has experienced some seriously corrupt and unstable political times but this has served to whet the Bulgarians' appetite to party and live for the moment. As a result many bars, clubs and even restaurants are open 24 hours a day and some of the most respected DJs include Sofia on their clubbing circuit. Whether it's Latin funk, dirty house or serious hardcore trance you'll find it spinning on a deck in Sofian club near you. If you prefer to see nipple tassles rather than heavy beats being spun then this is the place for you; we've tracked down Sofia's finest venues that have something for everyone. Couple this with the great Balkan ethos that nothing can't be improved with ten shots of Rakia and you've got yourself a stag weekend and a half. So strap yourselves in (or on - as the case may be) and prepare yourselves for the next all-time great destination. Remember you heard it here first.
Daytime Activities:
All the classic crowd pleasers are here: karting (indoor and outdoor), paintball and shooting, which are all guaranteed to put smiles on your dials, but to really get the juices flowing bungee jumping, caving, canyoning and game hunting are the business - and if your group is game you'll have the time of your lives. We will sort you out with guides and suppliers who we know and trust so the only risks you'll run will be those of the self inflicted kind. We recommend you try out the target shooting as it's a great kick off to a weekend of thrills and spills.
Bloc Party!
There are some times when a good night in front of the telly and a take away is just the ticket. Your stag weekend is not one of those times. If you have yet to really burn the candle at both ends and live it large with your mates then - for the love of God - hurry up and get on with it. Sofian nightlife is a stag's beer-goggled-wet-dream. Unlike many destinations which welcome a British stag group like a stripper welcomes a stray hand, Sofia is not yet world-weary of blokes in search of a bit of fun and the nightlife is varied yet consistently buzzes with people all up for letting the good times roll. The biggest concentration of bars and cafes lie on either side of the Vitosha Boulevard and the bars are rammed until midnight, after which heavy duty revellers move on to nightclubs. The absence of licensing laws mean that drinking is possible at all hours for all ages though you must be over 16 to purchase alcohol. Table wine will set you back about £4 and a top-end reserve will clock in around £8. Tobacco is one of Bulgaria's chief exports so cigarettes are unbelievably cheap - about £1 for the national brand ‘Victory'. Nightclub admission is cheap compared to UK at around £2 - 10 but pre-booking is advisable to guarantee entry. For those after mind-blowing erotic shows ranging from surprise stripper cakes to erotic beauty contests then look no further than Sofia, we'll make sure your weekend ends with a bang of the most delicious kind.
Transport:
Sofia is a city with limited public transport: there is only a short underground line, busses and tramways are mainly old and far from covering the whole metropolitan area. It may be relatively cheap to travel through the city by taxi, which tends to be cheaper than in other capitals, provided you bump into an honest driver, which is not exactly to be taken for granted. It is also advisable, especially if you have to go to the airport, to have your taxi booked in advance rather than stopping the first one in the street. Presently, all taxis in Bulgaria are yellow according to a law approved a few years ago.
Getting there:
Flights to Sofia depart from Bristol, Manchester and London. Approximate flight time from London is 3hrs 20 mins.
Ex- London see: British Airways, BH Air and Bulgaria Air and Wizzair
Ex - Bristol see: First Choice Airways
Ex- Manchester see: Bulgaria Air
Sofia's principal airport is located just 10km east of the city centre and having been recently renovated it is now bright, modern and smoke-free.
Climate:
Spring and autumn sees Sofia at her glorious best. Green tree-shaded avenues add colour and life to a city that can verge on the drab during the winter months. Expect January to fall well below zero and summer to reach heights of 35 degrees. Spring hovers around 19 degrees and Autumn is a pleasant 10 degrees.
Fact File:
Currency: Bulgarian LEV (Lv). Currently the exchange rate is roughly 2.09 (Lv) to the pound.
Time Zone: GMT + 2. Set your watches forward two hours.
Dialling code: + 359
Daylight saving: Starts last Sunday in March and ends last Sunday in October.
Language: Bulgarian and Russian with few but a growing number of locals understanding and speaking good English.