bg Sofia

Former Grand Hotel Bulgaria

- Dyakon Ignatiy Street 1 -
The residential building, which later turned into an administrative building, was built in 1881 according to a design that came from the hand of the Czech architect . The interior of the hotel was furnished according to all rules and requirements of the then luxury hotels in Europe. One of the earliest cinema shows in Bulgaria, with a film program of five moving pictures, was organized in the cafe of the hotel on December 11, 1896.
An old postcard showing the cafe on the right
Compared to other Sofia inns and primitive hotels of that time, the Grand Hotel Bulgaria was an extraordinary luxury hotel, which attracted high-ranking guests from abroad, who stayed at the hotel. The Austro-Hungarian and Czech historian, politician, diplomat, and Slavist, , was among one of the guests that lived in the hotel for some time. The American writer was also a guest, who described his visit in the afterword of the book called Ten Days That Shook the World. From 1892 until 1915, the Irish journalist, correspondent in the Balkans, and advocate for the Bulgarian cause, lived in one of the hotel's most luxurious rooms. In 1906, the prominent Russian revolutionaries and stayed here for a while. In 1925, after shooting films in , the film actress arrived back in Bulgaria and was accommodated in one of the most luxurious rooms in the hotel. And later, after her stay, another film star arrived, the wonderful .
The building at the end of the 19th century
In 1936, the incredible opera bass was a guest of the hotel for ten days. He was accommodated in the huge suite, where the Sofia Press was housed years later. From the balcony of his apartment, Chaliapin often greeted Sofians who had gathered to see him. Over the years, many world names from cinema and theater have been guests at the hotel. Even the Chilean pianist , who arrived from South America for a tour, lived there for a while. One of the last guests of the hotel, before it closed its doors after 57 years in 1938, was the diva of the opera . She came to Bulgaria to perform a concert on the stage of the Sofia Opera House.

The building was used in the following years to house an insurance company and a bank. An upgrade of the building took place in 2016, which added three extra floors in a more modern style.
The building on the left around 1930
Underneath the roof of the symmetrical building, which is built in the styles of Neo-Renaissance and Neo-Baroque, you'll be able to see a strip of , which is decorated with floral ornamentation. Underneath it, you can see another strip of dentils, as well as an motif and an foliage band. The that are abundantly present on the second floor are either crowned with a Corinthian, a Doric, or a Tuscan . In the open part of the pointed , as well as on the , which both can be seen above the second floor windows, you'll be able to admire a lavishly decorated . The window frames of these same windows are all decorated with two . Three are placed underneath these windows that either contain three or five , which are also used in the balcony that's placed in the center of the facade. The balcony is supported by four massive , which are all richly embellished with acanthus foliage. On top of the multidimensional stone block pilasters that are placed on the first floor, you can see some beautiful ornaments that resemble a piece of jewelry. The wooden main entrance door that's decorated with garlands also contains wrought iron-barred windows, which are adorned with and .
The interior of the restaurant of the Grand Hotel Bulgaria