How to get the best out of Sofia in a weekend

DAY 2:

09:30  Carb up after a heavy night at Sladak Svyat on ul. Alabin. The bakery serves bread rolls and cakes, but you can’t go to Bulgaria without trying banitsa – the national dish is a mix of eggs, cheese and filo pastry and costs about 25p from here.

10:30  Hit the Mineral Baths on ul. Triaditsa, also known as the Turkish Baths. Not only will this be a good spot to try and soothe a hangover, but the ceramic representations of medieval churches inside are amazing. Just outside is Aleksander Nevski market, which is good for a browse – artists sell their paintings alongside souvenirs, jewellery, embroidery, plus real and fake Soviet memorabilia.

13:00  For a mega-cheap lunch, go to the travellers’ oasis of sustenance that is Dream House. The veggie eatery, found in a small shopping arcade, has an all-you-can-eat buffet on Sundays for £2.

14:30  Leave the centre of the city for some adventure in the fresh air at  Kokolandia forest amusement park, with rope climbing, tree-top courses and rock climbing walls, as well as miniature golf and a bar. Do you dare to try the tougher ‘over 18’s’ zone of the woodland obstacle course? Harnesses are provided, and admission costs £1.20. The park is open from May to October.

19:00  Get dinner at the busy Olive’s, where you can get international food – think pasta, steaks and burgers – for about £3.50.

21:00  End your trip sitting among the copper vats at Pri Kmeta. The microbrewery serves its own Kmetsko beer by both the litre – and metre. Brewing courses are available for about £4 on the last Monday of every month, and they involve tasting, too. It’s pretty cheap to drink here, with beers costing from 90p.