Where is the best Bulgarian Souvenirs Shop in Sofia?
There are many souvenirs shops in Sofia, don’t be afraid you can buy souvenirs even when you leave Sofia, after check in at Sofia airport there are some souvenirs shop.
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But if you want to enjoy Bulgarian folk art and crafts I recommend to visit souvenir shop in the Royal Palace (at the same building is National Ethnographic museum).
The shop is at Sofia city center, the address is 2 Alexander Batenberg square. When you climb the stairs, enter Royal Palace and on the right is the door of souvenir shop.
Watch the movie at Royal Palace Souvenir Shop
Here you can buy very nice Bulgarian souvenirs.
Bulgarian embroidery – silk and cotton shirts and blouses, children’s blouses and dresses, table clothes, serviettes, handkerchiefs, scarves, albums. I like very much this old style embroudery, I have red table cloth and really enjoy to use it.
Fabrics – carpets from Chiprovci village, rugs, fleecy rugs, tufted rugs, pillows.
Knitting work – cardigans, shawls, socks, sweaters. Sweaters are so warm and useful during the cold winters.
Dolls, wearing national costumes from various Bulgarian regions (in the past every region has its own typical costume). Mummer’s masks and mummer dolls, mural dolls. If you visit the Ethnographic museum, please buy also a ticket for a guide who will tell you interesting stories about the Old Bulgarian clothes.
National Music instruments – shepherd’s pipes (kaval), dvoianka, ocarinas, bagpipes, gadulka, tamboura. I am not sure you can use this souvenirs like real musical instruments, but there are CDs and DVDs at the shop with recorded music, buy one that have examples with all possible Bulgarian instruments, their sound is very specific and differ from anything you have been heard.
Silver adornments – filigree and bearing semi precious stones: brooches, necklaces, rings, bracelets, ear-rings, ecclesiastic adornments, chests, boxes, chains and teaspoons.
Pottery – Sgraphitto and Troyan pottery – dinners sets, fruit bowls, dishes, cups, tankards, ashtrays, bells etc. I have big pottery bowl and like to prepare Shopska salad in it.
Woodcarving and wood turnery – wooden panels, chests, jewel boxes, masks, pots, fruit bowls, wash tubs, spoons.
Pyrography – dishes, chests, pipes, vials.
Ancient weapons – copies of pistols, yataghans, knives.
Forged copper – copper panels, dinners sets, Turkish coffee pots, cauldrons, copies of ancient vessels.
Smelting – candlesticks, bells, cow bells.
National costumes – jackets, fur caps, tzurvouli, slippers.
Arts and crafts literature – books, catalogues, postcards, folders. At this souvenirs shop you can buy guide books about Sofia and other Bulgarian cities and villages, written in different languages.
The other thing I like with this souvenirs shop is that it is open every day (even in weekends) working time is from 10 to 18.
