Prince Alexander of Battenberg Square, Sofia

Alexander of Battenberg was the first Prince of the Principality of Bulgaria. He became the Prince in 1879. The Bulgarian Grand National Assembly voted him in. At that time Bulgaria was an autonomous Principality of the fast fading Ottoman Empire. He was not sufficiently subservient to Russian interests. He was forced to abdicate in 1886.

During the Communist era in Bulgaria (1944-1989), the square was called September 9th Square for the coup d'etat of 1944. Before the Communist coup the square had been known as Tsar's Square. The Tsar's royal palace was situated there. The palace is today the National Art Gallery. The square also became the home of the Georgi Dimitrov Mausoleum.

Georgi was the first Communist leader of Bulgaria. He died in 1949. He got top billing at the Mausoleum. Vasil Kolarov was number two. He died in 1950. He got a niche in the east wall. There were plots and attempts to blow up the Mausoleum from the very start. Finally the post-Communist UDF government exploded the building after four attempts.

The square is the most favorable venue in Sofia for outdoor events and concerts. Military parades were held often in the Communist era. The only popular such parade today is the Bulgarian Armed Forces Day Parade, held on May 6th each year.

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Create Your Own Self-Guided Walk to Visit This Sight

Sight Name: Prince Alexander of Battenberg Square
Sight Location: Sofia, Bulgaria (See walking tours in Sofia)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:

Sofia Introduction Walking Tour

Walking Tours in Sofia, Bulgaria

Create Your Own Walk in Sofia

Creating your own self-guided walk in Sofia is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.

Sofia Introduction Walking Tour

"Ever growing, never aging" This is the motto of Sofia, capital city of Bulgaria. Under different names, the area of Sofia has had a 7,000 year history. Organized settlements around the area's hot water springs existed as early as the third millennium BC. A Thracian state union there was raided by Philip II of Macedon in 339 BC.

The Celtic Serdi provided the name... view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.6 Km or 1.6 Miles

Communist Era Landmarks Walk

In the not-so-distant past Bulgaria was part of the Soviet-led Eastern Bloc. Today, this is one of the few countries where you can still find numerous relics of the Communist era manifested in monumental architectural landmarks. Concrete and metal were the main materials as a symbol of the industrialized nation, and the size was important too as a common architectural characteristic prescribed by... view more

Tour Duration: 3 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 6.6 Km or 4.1 Miles

Useful Travel Guides for Planning Your Trip

Sofia Shopping: 15 Things To Memorize Bulgaria By

Increasingly popular tourist destination in recent years, Bulgaria has opened up to the outer world, revealing colorful identity, manifested in rich craftsmanship, culinary and cultural traditions and history. The country's capital city Sofia is a lovely alloy of Eastern and Western European...

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