Is Sofia Safe for Women? Crime Rate in Sofia

Sofia is generally safe during the day, but a lot of men have no manners re:verbal comments, so there is a fair likelihood you could get catcalled or yelled at. Another specific issue is локали/локални (local roadmen-type teens who disturb everyone), they could get closer and actually dedicate time to harassing you if you’re younger (18-21) and look “alternative” (coloured hair, piercings, edgier clothing) but usually they’re more annoying than dangerous. Bar life is relatively safe, I haven’t heard of any large roofie scandals. There is night transport, but it is once an hour and it costs a separate 2 lev/1 euro. I would recommend having around 15 lev/7 euro, to order a taxi from an app like Tuda, just in case. I wouldn’t recommend staying out all night, but it is safe. A lot of stuff fluctuates by neighbourhood, though. The city centre is well lit up, going North or West from it can be a bit more dangerous. The Southern and Eastern neighourhoods are generally safer.

I feel safe living in Sofia as a woman. Especially in the city centre I never have to worry. I haven’t experienced theft here either, but I guess it is always a good idea to keep your belongings just in case, you never know:)

I feel safe in my city, especially in my neighborhood. In the center there are some weird people but nothing has ever happened to me or my friends. Tourist spots aren't very crowded. Main streets are well lit. But there are a lot of stray dogs.

Well, if you are walking late at night in Sofia in the center, you should be worried. There are a lot of drugged people and Arabs who are trying to manipulate you and steal something from you. You should be also aware in the Studentski Grad, there are a lot of troubles here too.

We stayed near Serdica and after dark there were a lot of people drinking and being rowdy on the streets. Even though I was with my boyfriend we felt very scared, both of us. In broad daylight I was also followed by a strange man from a cafe where he had been staring at me the entire time I was there. When he went inside I quickly gathered my things and started walking. However, we caught up to me and was talking in my ear for almost half a kilometre. It was clear I was being followed but no one intervened or said anything. It was really scary and I was paranoid for the rest of my trip. In general, the men made me very dry uncomfortable. I did some things on my own and I felt like I was being watched a lot. Even when I was with my boyfriend men would start uncomfortably at me. The beauty of the city was overshadowed by the weird vibe for women and the drunk people after dark.

Sofia is a nice city. It has like every city has some minor crime scenes but nothing that would make it unsafe or dangerous. It is a family friendly city with many different activities. I would definitely recommend also visiting near cities like Plovdiv or the mountains that it has

Couple travel

Overall, the city is beautiful and has so many gorgeous buildings with clearly different influences from history. Sofia feels very lived in, but overall it’s a chaotic place in my opinion. It’s a very walkable city with lovely public parks and green spaces to chill. We were really lucky with the weather and had a lovely time walking around. We stayed near Serdica metro, which was very convenient. However, at night time we felt a bit unsafe as there were a lot of people drinking on the street and being rowdy together. I also spent some time on my own and was followed from a cafe all the way to the Main shopping street by a man. That was very scary, and in broad daylight where nobody intervened as he was saying things to me. We visited some museums - the National Gallery which had a beautiful host of Bulgarian painters, as well as French and a (slightly misleading) Picasso exhibition. We also went to the museum of natural history which was charming, but mostly for kids and a little stuck in the 90s aesthetic wise. I also did the free Balkan Bites tour, it was so fun and my tour guide was really knowledgable. We got to try local cuisine, fusion items, and some Bulgarian wine. You are expected to tip though! Food wise: I highly recommend Kuzina for Greek food, Mezza for Turkish and Middle Eastern food, and I do not recommend Happy as my chicken was bright pink even after I send it back to be recooked.

Solo travel

Even though a few streets seemed sketchy literally nothing happened, the transportation was extremely well organized and not too overcrowded, plus even when it was nobody pushed personal boundaries. I stayed in an apparent next to the biggest square and it was amazing