Sofia National Gallery (Kvadrat 500)
The Basics
The Sofia National Gallery (Kvadrat 500) sits in the heart of downtown Sofia. Visit the gallery to see its collection of 50,000 pieces of Bulgarian art, spanning from paintings and carvings to decorative art. To see the gallery as part of a guided tour, take a Sofia walking tour—most stop by the outside of the historic building, along with neighboring attractions such as the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral and St. Sofia Church.
Things to Know Before You Go
Art lovers and architecture fans appreciate the collections at Sofia National Gallery.
Few artists in the collection are internationally known, but the gallery does hold Renoir and Matisse sketches.
Visit on Thursdays for reduced admission. Students and seniors are discounted, while those under 12 or with disabilities go free.
There is a lecture program in both English and Bulgarian.
The Sofia National Gallery is wheelchair accessible.
How to Get There
The Sofia National Gallery is just off Alexander Nevsky Square, a stone’s throw from the cathedral itself, in the heart of downtown Sofia. It’s a 5-minute walk north of Sofia University (Sofiyski Universitet) metro station, which is on Line 1 and Line 2.
Trip ideas
When to Get There
The Sofia National Gallery is open Tuesday to Sunday and closed for Christmas, New Year’s Day, Orthodox Easter, and other Bulgarian state holidays. For a deal, visit on Thursday, when tickets are heavily discounted, but the gallery is also more crowded.
The Kvadrat 500 Building
At the core of Sofia National Gallery is a grand 19th-century neoclassical building, originally designed as the State Printing House, which used to hold the National Gallery of Foreign Art. Kvadrat 500 merges the refurbished State Printing House with buildings that once belonged to the Technical University. The collection combines the National Gallery of Foreign Art and the National Art Gallery into a museum some Bulgarians consider Sofia’s answer to the Louvre.
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