Sofia-Capital, Bulgaria
Sofia
Sofia is a capital city in Sofia-Capital, Bulgaria, 562 m above sea level. It has a population of about 1,213,134 (2025). The climate is classified as hot-summer humid continental (Köppen Dfa), with warm summers, cold winters and precipitation in every season.
Now21°C
Best timeApr · Sep–Oct
Population1.21M
Local time15:51
42.70° N, 23.32° EElevation 562 mUTC+3 · Eastern European Summer Time
Postal code1000October: high / low18° / 7°
Rain this month45mm
Best timeApr · Sep–Oct
Best: Apr · Sep–Oct. Warmth, sunshine and dry days, month by month.
Sofia at a glance
Sunrise · sunset07:48 · 18:3510 h 47 min of daylightThe moon tonightWaxing gibbous85% · Moonrise 16:39Next holiday24 DecemberChristmas EveNext eclipse21 Feb 2027Penumbral lunar eclipse
Best time to visitApr · Sep–Oct
The months with the highest weather score
Warmest month29°C
Average high in August
Coolest month-4°C
Average low in January
Wettest monthMay
71 mm of rain
Driest monthJanuary
40 mm of rain
Monuments nearby10+
within 1.5 km
How Sofia has grown
People living in the built-up area (201 km² today), every five years since 1975; 2030 is the projection.
+24%858k in 1975 → 1.07M in 2025Weather in Sofia
Now and the next ten days. The 14 and 30-day outlooks are one click away.
21°C
Today hour by hourShowers · wind 8 km/h · humidity 62%
Today22 Oct22°10°5.4 mm
Fri23 Oct17°9°17.6 mm
Sat24 Oct19°6°
Sun25 Oct18°8°
Mon26 Oct19°7°
Tue27 Oct19°5°
Wed28 Oct18°5°
Thu29 Oct15°6°
Fri30 Oct13°9°2 mm
Sat31 Oct15°7°1.5 mm
When to go to Sofia
Each month's weather score (warmth, sun, dry days) with its temperatures and rain.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Score | 31 | 32 | 39 | 68 | 66 | 64 | 60 | 65 | 80 | 78 | 43 | 30 |
| High | 4° | 7° | 12° | 17° | 22° | 26° | 28° | 29° | 24° | 18° | 11° | 5° |
| Low | -4° | -2° | 1° | 6° | 10° | 14° | 16° | 15° | 11° | 7° | 2° | -2° |
| Rain (mm) | 40 | 40 | 45 | 52 | 71 | 73 | 57 | 55 | 46 | 45 | 44 | 45 |
| Wet days | 10 | 9 | 11 | 10 | 16 | 14 | 11 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 10 |
What's on in Sofia
Concerts, football matches, the public holidays ahead and the town's festivals through the year.
Music venues
14 shows
Стадион „Локомотив“4.5 km
9 showsAkademik Stadium1111 Sofia, Bulgaria · 3.9 km
9 showsЗала Универсиада3.1 km
6 showsSofia's festivals through the year
Jan
Mar
Apr
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Monuments and museums in Sofia
0.1 km
Saint George Rotunda ChurchBuilt 3300.9 km
Yablanski HouseBuilt 1907
1.4 km
Резиденция на френския посланик в СофияBuilt 1929
1 km
Battenberg MausoleumBuilt 1897
0.5 km
Modern Theater, SofiaBuilt 1908
1.5 km
Fingov's houseBuilt 1909
Museum0.7 km
Alexander Nevsky CathedralBuilt 1882
Museum0.1 km
National Archaeological Museum, BulgariaBuilt 1892More museums: Археологическа експозиция Антична Сердика · Archeological level of the St. Sophia Basilica · Boris Hristov · Exposition for National Reconciliation · Киноцентър Бояна · Late Antique Mausoleum · Къща музей "Георги Димитров" · Pancho Vladigerov House Museum · Къща музей "Христо Смирненски" · Къща музей на Райна Попгеоргиева Княгиня · Къща-музей Никола Й. Вапцаров · Къща-музей Пейо К. Яворов
Outdoors around Sofia
Hiking routes from the town, and what there is to do within 15 km: huts, viewpoints, climbing, camping, ski areas and dive sites.
Mountain huts51Zoos16Viewpoints15Climbing8Theme parks5Camp sites4Water parks4Hot springs & thermal baths1
Находище на минерална вода "София-център"Hot springs & thermal baths
0.3 kmStenata SUClimbing
1 kmSt Nikola Park SofiaTheme parks
1.2 kmVazrazhdane AquaparkWater parks
1.5 kmГ.У.Ш.Zoos
1.6 kmMarble Beach ClubCamp sites
1.8 kmVitoshaSki area · 17 km of pistes · 10 lifts
14 kmЕлицаDive site
1 kmScubaBarDive site
4 kmAqua lungDive site
4.5 kmПодВодаDive site
5 kmNature around Sofia
Wildlife in October
The birds and mammals of Bulgaria seen most this month, compared with the rest of their year.
The sky over Sofia
Earthquakes around Sofia
The last 30 days within 300 km, and the record since 1950.
Last 30 days0magnitude 2.5+ within 300 kmSince 19504magnitude 5+ within 150 kmSignificant earthquakes on record57within 300 km
Strongest nearby since 1950
5.6Vitanovtsi 1 km ←2012 · 30 km
5.2Draginovo 6 km ↖1977 · 85 km
5.1Bukovo 2 km ↙1972 · 114 km
5.1Dolna banya 8 km ↙1959 · 57 km
Fossil sites near this town
Fossil sites: 3 · 2 km
Triassic · 3
Formations around the town
Ammonites · 3Paraceratites, Hungarites, Norites
Ancient sites nearby
Sites: 3
Theatres and amphitheatres
Archaeological sites
Universities and research institutes
University of Telecommunications and PostUniversity or college · founded 1881
Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski"University or college · founded 1888
National Academy of ArtsUniversity or college · founded 1896
G. S. Rakovski National Defence CollegeUniversity or college · founded 1912
Medical University of SofiaUniversity or college · founded 1917
University of National and World EconomyUniversity or college · founded 1920
National Academy of Music Prof. Pancho VladigerovUniversity or college · founded 1921
Todor Kableshkov University of TransportUniversity or college · founded 1922
University of Structural Engineering and Architecture Lyuben KaravelovUniversity or college · founded 1938
Institute for Bulgarian LanguageUniversity or college · founded 1942
National Sports Academy Vassil LevskiUniversity or college · founded 1942
University of Architecture, Civil Engineering and GeodesyUniversity or college · founded 1942
Technical University of SofiaUniversity or college · founded 1945
University of Chemical Technology and MetallurgyUniversity or college · founded 1945
National Academy for Theatre and Film ArtsUniversity or college · founded 1948
University of Library Studies and Information TechnologiesUniversity or college · founded 1950
University of ForestryUniversity or college · founded 1953
University of Mining and Geology "Saint Ivan Rilski"University or college · founded 1953
New Bulgarian UniversityUniversity or college · founded 1991
Theatre College Luben GroysUniversity or college · founded 1991
Institute of Mineralogy and Crystallography "Acad. Ivan Kostov" Bulgarian Academy of SciencesUniversity or college · founded 1995
National Center of Infectious and Parasitic DiseasesUniversity or college · founded 1999
University of Finance, Business and EntrepreneurshipUniversity or college · founded 2002
Bulgarian Defence Institute "Professor Tsvetan Lazarov"University or college · founded 2009
Big Data for Smart Society (GATE) InstituteUniversity or college · founded 2019
Institute of Agricultural EconomicsResearch institute · founded 1935
Institute of Biology and Immunology of ReproductionResearch institute · founded 1938
Institute for Nuclear Research and Nuclear EnergyResearch institute · founded 1946
Geological Institute Strashimir DimitrovResearch institute · founded 1947
Institute of Mathematics and InformaticsResearch institute · founded 1947
Institute of NeurobiologyResearch institute · founded 1947
Institute of Soil Science “Nikola Poushkarov”Research institute · founded 1947
Stephan Angeloff Institute of MicrobiologyResearch institute · founded 1947
Institute for LiteratureResearch institute · founded 1948
Institute of Plant Physiology and GeneticsResearch institute · founded 1948
Institute of Astronomy and National Astronomical ObservatoryResearch institute · founded 1958
Institute of Physical ChemistryResearch institute · founded 1958
Institute of General and Inorganic ChemistryResearch institute · founded 1960
Institute of Metal Science, Equipment and TechnologiesResearch institute · founded 1960
Institute of PolymersResearch institute · founded 1960
Institute of Chemical EngineeringResearch institute · founded 1961
Institute of MechanicsResearch institute · founded 1962
Institute of BiophysicsResearch institute · founded 1967
Institute of Electrochemistry and Energy SystemsResearch institute · founded 1967
Institute of Philosophy and SociologyResearch institute · founded 1968
Georgi Nadjakov Institute of Solid State PhysicsResearch institute · founded 1972
Central Laboratory of Solar Energy and New Energy SourcesResearch institute · founded 1978
Institute for Parallel ProcessingResearch institute · founded 1985
Space Research and Technology InstituteResearch institute · founded 1987
National Drug Addiction CenterResearch institute · founded 1994
Institute of Molecular BiologyResearch institute · founded 1995
Central Laboratory of General EcologyResearch institute · founded 1996
Remote Sensing Application CenterResearch institute · founded 1998
AgrobioinstituteResearch institute · founded 2000
Institute of Cryobiology and Food TechnologyResearch institute · founded 2001
National Center for Supercomputing ApplicationsResearch institute · founded 2008
Institute for the Study of Societies and KnowledgeResearch institute · founded 2010
Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem ResearchResearch institute · founded 2010
Institute of Biophysics and Biomedical EngineeringResearch institute · founded 2010
Institute of Ethnology and Folklore Studies with Ethnographic MuseumResearch institute · founded 2010
Institute of Information and Communication TechnologiesResearch institute · founded 2010
Institute of Optical Materials and Technologies Jordan MalinowskiResearch institute · founded 2010
National Institute of Geophysics, Geodesy and GeographyResearch institute · founded 2010
Chemical Pharmaceutical Research InstituteResearch institute
Forest Research InstituteResearch institute
Institute for Balkan Studies and Centre for ThracologyResearch institute
Institute of RoboticsResearch institute
National Center of Public Health and AnalysesResearch institute
National Institute of Meteorology and HydrologyResearch institute
Towns and villages around Sofia
Each with its own page: weather, climate and the best time to visit.
Gorna Banya6.3 kmKnyazhevo7.7 kmKubratovo8.9 kmBusmantsi9.1 kmNegovan10 kmMirovyane10 kmChepintsi11 kmMramor11 kmVoluyak11 kmSvetovrachane11 kmIvanyane12 kmNovi Iskar12 kmGerman12 kmKrivina12 kmKazichene12 kmBistritsa13 kmChelopechene13 kmVladaya13 kmMalo Buchino13 kmPodgumer13 kmPancharevo14 kmDobroslavtsi14 kmVoynegovtsi14 kmDolni Bogrov14 kmZhiten15 kmDragichevo15 kmBankya15 kmLokorsko15 kmKokalyane15 km
Sofia from above
Around Sofia38 places to see, do and reach nearby
Lesnovska RiverNature12 kmBlato RiverNature12 kmPerlovskaNature2.9 kmBoyana waterfallNature9.5 kmLake ArianaNature1.4 kmBoyanska rekaNature1.9 kmVitoshaMountain15 kmCherni VrahMountain15 kmGolyam RezenMountain14 kmMalak RezenMountain15 kmLavchetoMountain14 kmUschiteMountain11 kmVitoshaSki area14 kmDive siteDive site1.0 kmScubaBarDive site4.0 kmAqua lungDive site4.5 kmSaint George Rotunda ChurchMonument0.1 kmYablanski HouseMonument0.9 kmРезиденция на френския посланик в СофияMonument1.4 kmBattenberg MausoleumMonument0.9 kmModern Theater, SofiaMonument0.5 kmFingov's houseMonument1.5 kmGeorgov's HouseMonument1.2 kmHoly Mother of God church, SofiaMonument1.0 kmAlexander Nevsky CathedralMuseum0.7 kmNational Archaeological Museum, BulgariaMuseum0.1 kmNational Art Gallery of BulgariaMuseum0.2 kmNational Museum of Natural HistoryMuseum0.4 kmNational Museum of Military HistoryMuseum2.4 kmStationStation1.7 kmStationStation2.5 kmStationStation3.2 kmKostinbrodPlace16 kmBankyaPlace15 kmNovi IskarPlace12 kmElin PelinPlace23 kmBozhurishtePlace13 kmNegovanPlace10 km
Postal code
1000
Getting to Sofia
Sofia AirportSOF
7.6 kmNiš Constantine the Great AirportINI
139 kmPlovdiv International AirportPDV
144 kmЦентрална гара СофияRailway station
1.7 kmПодуянеRailway station
2.5 kmЗахарна фабрикаRailway station
3.2 kmPlaces near Sofia
Places with a climate like Sofia
Matched month by month on temperature, rain and sunshine.
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time to visit Sofia?
Based on 30-year climate normals, April, September and October offer the best balance of comfortable temperatures, low rainfall and sunshine in Sofia.
What is the hottest month in Sofia?
August is the warmest month, with average highs of 29°C and lows of 15°C.
What is the coldest month in Sofia?
January is the coldest month, with average highs of 4°C and lows of -4°C.
What is the rainiest month in Sofia?
May is the wettest month with about 71 mm of precipitation on 16 wet days.
What is the postal code of Sofia?
The postal code of Sofia is 1000.