Hotels in Sofia
The National Gallery for Foreign Art
The National Gallery for Foreign Art is a spacious gallery located on St Alexander Nevski Square in the capital city of Sofia and serves as the country's national institution for foreign (i.e. non-Bulgarian) art. It is housed in the imposing 19th-century Neoclassic edifice of the former Royal Printing Office built between 1882 and 1884 during the rule of Knyaz Alexander Batenberg after a project by Austrian architect F. Schwanberg.
The National Gallery for Foreign Art in Sofia is the only one of its kind on the Balkans. It holds a unique collection of Christian sculpture of the Indian province of Goa which can be found only in Portugal and Great Britain, the Poetic Reality collection which no other museum has to offer, etc.
The Gallery is unique with the character of its collection – the art of distant lands, of exotic tribes and nations, of old and new ages coexists with the modern European tendencies, with traditional and religious pictorial principles in the chronological span of a millennium.
The appearance of today’s gallery conforms entirely to the functions of a modern gallery, is the work of famous Bulgarian architects, artists, art historians.
The gallery was founded in 1985 as the art gallery of the St. Cyril and Methodius Foundation, its stock being collected by donations, as well as by the addition of the National Art Gallery's foreign art section. The history of the establishment of the museum was related to a decade of collection and organization activity in the 70s and 80s of the last century.
The gallery's permanent exposition features European, Asian (Buddhist, Japanese and Indian) and African art, as well as separate contemporary art and engraving sections.
Among the artists featured in the collection are Italian Renaissance painter Rosso Fiorentino, Dutch and Flemish artists Jan van Goyen, Nicolaes Pieterszoon Berchem, Isaac van Ostade, Frans Francken II, as well as Auguste Rodin, Ivan Meštrović, Pierre-Auguste Renoir and Marc Chagall.
The most valuable exhibits of the Gallery funds are displayed on four floors, housed in 19 halls, with a total exhibition area of approximately 3,200 sqm. The Gallery holds over 10,000 museum items – graphic works, paintings, sculptures, fine arts.
The National Gallery for Foreign Art has at its disposal magnificent halls, contemporary multi-media equipment and other conveniences, very suitable for organizing different kinds of cultural, social and business enterprises.
Remarkable exhibitions
Indian miniature paintings
Originally, the miniature painting came into being as an element of the manuscript layout. Later, it took an important place within the structure of books and became an independent pictorial work with short text elements. The miniature was related to literature and therefore included text margins in its overall composition, even when in the 17th century the miniature was modified into a new form – the so called “album painting”.
In the Hindu artistic tradition, the miniature is a dynamic and actively developing genre. The first preserved specimens date back to the 10th—11th century and its recent top achievements have been made in the 19th century. It is divided into two groups differentiated by historical and territorial signs.
The first group comprises miniature paintings conveying the specific character of local culture.
The second group includes the miniature paintings of the School of Mongolia named after the powerful Mogolian Dynasty that made a conquest on India in the 16th century and established the Delhi Sultanate as a center of its empire.
Indian Sculpture
The main focus of this exposition is on the Hindu temple sculpture. For India it is a typical form of religious art aimed at creating a simple visual image of complex philosophical and mythological ideas. Besides, the intention was to create a strong expressive impact on the senses and emotions of the believers; some specific psychological adjustments and perceptions were impressed on them.
The displayed sculptures refer to the second rise of Hinduism which occurred on the Indian Peninsula within the period of 320 – 550.
Goa impressive collection
Goa is the name of an Indian State situated along the west coast of the peninsula. From ancient times to the mid 19th century the territory of Goa boosted the interest of conquerors and travellers, merchants and missionaries.
The Muslim Dynasties were particularly persistent in their attempts to conquer the rich province.
Graphic Collection of the National Gallery for Foreign Art
The graphic collection of the National Gallery for Foreign Art numbers several thousand items, mainly graphic prints, less drawings, watercolour paintings, and bibliophilic issues. The collection is, in the main, derived from two sources: the former foreign collection of the National Art Gallery and the fund of works purchased exclusively for the Gallery throughout a decade or so prior to its official opening in 1985. The European graphic school prevails in the collection, and of more limited scope is the art of USA, Latin America and Asia, except for two especially valuable collections of works of the traditional Japanese woodblock printing, Ukiyo-e, and Indian miniature paintings.
The fact that most works in the collection were brought together in the last decades of the 20th century when the classical values were generally distributed, and the lucky finds and accessible prices were increasingly rare occurrences, explains the prevailing number of works by contemporary authors.
Address: 1000 Sofia,
St.Aleksander Nevski Square,1, "19 february" str.
Entrance ticket
- Individual visits:
- Adults - 4.00 lv. two visits into 20 days
- For school and university students - 2.00 lv.
- Group visits:
- For tourist Agencies - 3.00 lv.
- Family tickets - 4.00 lv.
Taking pictures:
- By a camera - 10.00 lv.
- By a video-camera - 80.00 lv. /without using additional light/
Free entrance – Monday
Opening hours: 11:00-18.30 pm, excluding Tuesday
Official website of National Gallery of Foreign Arts
Bulgarian National Gallery for Foreign Art on the map of Sofia
Other galleries in Sofia
Hotels in Sofia
- Anel Hotel
- Arena di Serdika Boutique Hotel
- Grand Hotel Sofia
- Hilton Sofia Hotel
- Holiday Inn hotel
- Hyatt Regency Sofia Hotel
- Intercontinental Sofia (ex Radisson Blu Grand Hotel)
- Sofia Hotel Balkan a Luxury Collection Hotel (ex Sheraton Hotel)
- Best Western Hotel Europe
- Best Western Premier Sofia Airport
- Central Hotel
- City Hotel
- Crystal Palace Hotel
- Downtown Hotel
- Festa Sofia Hotel
- Geneva Hotel
- Gloria Palace Hotel
- Hill Hotel
- Hotel Coop
- Les Fleurs Hotel
- Metropolitan hotel
- Novotel Sofia
- Ramada by Wyndham Sofia City Center
- Rodina Hotel
- Rosslyn Central Park Hotel
- Rosslyn Thracia Hotel
- Salt Palace Hotel
- Sveta Sofia Hotel
- The Stay Hotel Expo Center
- VEGA Hotel Sofia
- Vitosha Park Hotel
- Akord Hotel
- Aleksander Palace - Advi
- Arte Hotel
- Best Western Losenets Hotel
- Best Western Plus Bristol
- Brod Hotel
- Budapest hotel
- Earth and People hotel
- Hemus Hotel
- Legends hotel
- Light hotel
- Lion Hotel
- Maxim Hotel
- Meg-Lozenets Hotel
- Montecito Hotel
- Park Hotel Moskva
- Rocentro /ex Renaissance Hotel/
- Slavyanska Beseda Hotel
- Sofia Place Hotel
- Medic Hotel
Upcoming events in Sofia
- Sofia Dance Week 2010
- Art festival in Sofia city
- Scorpions in Sofia city 2010
- International Feline Show in Sofia
- Paco De Lucia performs in Bulgaria
- Drumset Competition 2010- Sofia Drum Day
- TOP 100 DJs party Monarchy performs in Bulgaria
- Chris Norman performs in Bulgaria 2010
- Harlem Gospel Choir performs in Bulgara
- Yann Tiersen's concert for Students Holiday
- Disco Legends Boney M concert in Bulgaria
- Legendary Firewind performs in Sofia
- Barclay James Harvest performs in Bulgaria
- Vaya Con Dios in Bulgaria
- 15th Sofia International Film Festival
- Absent Minded
- Concert of the queen of fado Marisa in Sofia, Bulgaria
- Guano Apes in Bulgaria
- Toto Cutugno in Bulgaria
- Manu Chao in Sofia city
- Children of Bodom in Bulgaria
- Alphaville in Sofia
- Rosalia de Souza in Bulgaria
- Vassil Vassilev and Chambao
- 100 Gypsy Violins in Bulgaria
- Raul Midon in Bulgaria
- Omega- the most successful Hungarian Rock Band gigs in Bulgaria
- Joe Cocker
- Roxette in Sofia, Bulgaria 2011
- Isthar in Sofia city
- Sting in Bulgaria
- CINDERELLA & MR.BIG in Bulgaria
- Dragana Mircovich and Vesna Zmijanac gig in Bulgaria
- Michel Legrand in Bulgaria
- Linkin Park in Bulgaria
- Mellow Music Festival
- Omara Portuondo and Buena Vista Social Club in Bulgaria
- ARASH feat. Rebecca concert in Bulgaria
- Mor Karbasi’s concert in Bulgaria
- Alice Russel in Sofia city
- Gipsy Kings gig in Bulgaria
- Jean Michel Jarre in Bulgaria
- Eric Sardinas concert
- Pooh gigs in Bulgaria
- Manhattan Transfer's concert in Bulgaria
- Hindi Zahra’s concert in Bulgaria
- Amon Amarth concert in Bulgaria
- Sade gigs in Bulgaria in November
- Genesis gigs in Bulgaria
- Julio Iglesias concert
- Sofia Rocks festival 2012
- Jennifer Lopez- concert in Bulgaria
- Depeche Mode performs in Bulgaria in May 2013
Places to go in Sofia
- St. Alexander Nevski Cathedral
- Boyana Church
- National Museum of History
- Alexander Nevsky Crypt Icon museum
- Vitosha Nature Park
- “Ivan Vazov” National Theatre
- The St. Petka Samardjiska Church /St. Petka of the Saddlers/
- Borisova Gradina Park (Central Park)
- Bulgarian National Gallery for Foreign Art
- St. George Rotunda-the oldest Eastern European Orthodox church
- Bulgarian National Gallery of Arts
- National Archaeological Museum
- Fountains in Sofia
- Public gardens and green areas
- St. Sofia church- ancient Eastern Orthodox church in Sofia
- St. Nikolay Russian church
- Sofia botanical garden
- Church of the Holy Seven
- Sofia Zoo
- Bulgarian Natural History Museum
- Sofia City Art Gallery
- Pancharevo lake
- Ethnographic Museum
- St. Nedelya church
- Museum of Earth and Man
- Sofia University Botanic Garden
- Cathedral of St Joseph
- Independence Square
- Boyana waterfall
- Alexander Nevski Square
- King Alexander Battenberg Square
- National Assembly's building in Sofia
- Tsar Osvoboditel Boulevard
- Vitosha Boulevard
- St. Paraskeva Church
- Eagle's Bridge
- Atanas Burov Square
- St. 40 Martyrs Church
- Oborishte street
- Rila monastery
- Slaveikov square
- National Palace of Culture
- National Library St. St. Cyril and Metodius
- Banya Bashi Mosque
- Jewish synagogue in Sofia
- Lion's bridge
- Law Courts
Deals & discounts in Sofia
News from Sofia
- Bulgaria’s National history museum included in the EU project “Museums present Europe”
- International Festival of the Masquerade Games in Pernik town, Bulgaria
- Ice Bar in Sofia city
- Burgas, Varna, Sofia – included in 100 Global Cities Destination Ranking
- Skiing in Vitosha mountain
- Sofia hotels in top 10 capital cities worldwide
- Festival “Skiing and snowboarding in the city” is held in Sofia
- Days of challenges in Sofia city
- Bon Jovi visits Bulgaria in 2013
- No restored ski equipment at Vitosha Mountain
- New cultural and historic route Sveta Gora
- International kids folklore festival in Sofia city
- Low cost flights from Sofia airport to Budapest
- Ski competition at Vetrovala in Vitosha Mountain today
- 16th International Sofia Movie festival
- Sofia is the cheapest holiday destination in Europe
- Christmas traditions will be presented in Ethnographic museum in Sofia
- Central Mineral bath in Sofia becomes a museum and SPA centre
- Sofia is the cheapest holiday destination in Europe
- 3 Airline Carriers Stop Winter Flights to Sofia
- A growth of 6,6% of passengers at Sofia airport
- Tourist information centre opened at Sofia Airport
- Gipsy Kings performance is postponed
- French Movie Festival in Sofia city
- Cheapest hotels in Sofia city