'Relaxed' Sofia's main cathedral is 'impressive'

Bulgarian capital receives praise for Aleksandar Nevski Cathedral

The Bulgarian capital of Sofia is a "compact, cosy and relaxed city" with a particularly "impressive" cathedral at its centre, making it ideal for people on solo holidays in eastern Europe.

Ms Simmons - writing in The Daily Telegraph - said that one of the biggest attractions in Sofia is a monumental old Christian building of worship.

"Sofia's centrepiece, set in a large cobbled square, edged with trees, is the Aleksandar Nevski Cathedral, with golden domes and heavy bronze doors I struggled to open," she said.

"The building is only a century old, but its crypt displays much older icons collected from around Bulgaria, each one gleaming jewel-like against the whitewashed walls."

However, the writer revealed that the neighbouring smaller Russian church is her favourite attraction in the city, particularly praising the building's "onion domes".

Sofia, which is the 17th-largest city in the European Union, is home to the Boyana Church, which is a 10th-century Bulgarian Orthodox church and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.