A capital that keeps every layer of its history in view at once

Bulgarian head gestures run backwards from most of the world's — a side-to-side shake traditionally means yes, an up-and-down nod means no. Many Sofia residents who deal with visitors switch to the familiar gesture automatically, which only adds a second layer of confusion; when in doubt, ask out loud.

Bulgaria uses the lev, not the euro, despite EU membership — it's pegged to the euro at a fixed rate, but euro cash is not accepted at most tills, so change money or draw levs from an ATM on arrival.

A single walk down Knyaginya Maria Luiza Boulevard passes a Roman street grid, an Ottoman mosque, a Sephardic synagogue and a Vienna Secession bathhouse within a few hundred metres of each other — few European capitals stack that many empires into one block.

Tipping isn't obligatory but is customary at sit-down restaurants — rounding up or adding roughly 10% in cash is the norm; card machines rarely offer a tip-line prompt.

Every metro barrier and tram or bus reader in Sofia takes a contactless bank card or phone tap directly — no ticket, no app, no Bulgarian cash needed. A single ride is €0.80 with a free transfer within 30 minutes, and repeated taps on the same card in one day cap out at €2.00 total.