Boulevard Tsar Osvoboditel

Boulevard Tsar Osvoboditel, named after the "Tsar Liberator" Alexander II of Russia, is fondly called the Yellow Brick Road for obvious reasons. Its characteristically unique yellow bricks were originally given as a gift in 1907 to King Ferdinand from his Austrian cousin, Emperor Franz-Joseph. They were recently re-laid (by hand, no less!) in an effort to make the road slightly less bumpy for motorists who speed up and down its length. It is a landmark thoroughfare leading in and out of the city centre, stretching from the university to the shopping centre TZUM.

Heading towards the city centre from the National Assembly you will encounter the recently restored Military Club, a 19th century Renaissance-style building on the corner of Tsar Osvoboditel and Rakovski Street. It was once the scene of fashionable balls and celebrations for Sofia's elite, including Mustafa Kemal (the founder of modern Turkey), who was the Sultan's Military Attache here in the years after the Second Balkan War. It is still used for various concerts and recitals, and a portion of it now houses the trendy nightclub, Chervilo (Lipstick).

Russian Church of Saint Nicholas

This beautiful white and green building with its five golden domes was designed by Russian architect Preobrajenski and built by Russian workers (some of the same that worked on the Nevski cathedral) from 1912-14. Named after St. Nikolai "the Blessed and the Miracle maker," it was constructed in order to appease a Tsarist diplomat who was afraid to worship in Bulgarian churches.

The onion-shaped golden domes were recently re-gilded by Bulgarian and Russian workers with gold leaf donated by the Patriarchate of Moscow. The church's small interior tends to be very dim, but it is worth a look at the frescos, which are of the Novgorod iconography school. Many people come to pray to Bulgarian Bishop Serafim (1881-1950), who is buried in the crypt and seen by many Bulgarians as a saint, although he has never been canonized. Messages and wishes for miracles are written on slips of paper and left in a box by the Bishop's white marble sarcophagus.

Moving towards the city centre from the Russian Church, you'll pass the Natural History Museum, which has Geology, Zoology and Botany sections that will satisfy any desire to see rocks, minerals, stuffed animals or their skeletons.