Although the winter is a wonderful season, it might be a little bit harder to come up with interesting things to do, especially now, when the restaurants are closed due to COVID 19. If you do not enjoy walks in the cold and prefer to stay in, but are bored of being at home all the time or you are a tourist looking for a place to visit, this is the post for you! Below you can find four of my favorite activities that are perfect to beat the cold weather blues:)

1. Go to an Escape Room

If you are a mystery lover, there is no better place to be than in an escape room! This kind of entertainment has become increasingly popular in the last few years and different companies have spread around the city like wildfire. The rooms have interesting themes and also different levels of difficulty. From Game of Thrones through Saw to Sherlock Homes, there is something for everyone! The prices may vary, but usually they are around 30 to 40 BGN per player, which is not that bad at all.

My favorite company that offers this kind of experience is Dextrophobia. Recently, we’ve been to their Room 66 II, which was just incredible! I was so impressed that I could not stop talking about it for 3 days after we went.

The room started when we entered the building, which I thought is cool. Another thing I loved was the fact it is available in English and Bulgarian, so I was able to go with my Greek boyfriend. Now, from the description on the website we couldn’t really guess exactly how scary the room would be, but let me tell you – there were screams. But enough with the spoilers! If you are a fan of a good scare and really well thought puzzles, then you can make a booking on their website. I will definitely visit their two other rooms and hope they will live up to my high expectations.

2. The Museum of Illusions

I have been to this kind of museum in Athens, so I was not particularly fond of the idea to go to the one in Sofia. But it seemed like a nice alternative to staying at home and munching while watching a movie. And it was worth it, indeed!

The museum is not as big as the one in Greece, although it entrance fee is similar – 21 BGN. Despite that, I liked it much better. The attractions in the Greek museum were way too many, so by the time we reached the end, I was already a bit bored of reading the descriptions. In Sofia, they were organized in a really good way, so it was easy to follow the flow and understand them. There were also floor employees that were explaining what we see and were giving very interesting and useful details. Descriptions were available in Bulgarian and English and the staff also spoke both languages. There were different and fun photo opportunities and the employees took as many pictures of us as we wished. The gift shop also offered some of the items of the exhibit, so it is possible to take the magic with you at home.

If you are a fan of illusions and mind tricks and you want to understand them, I would wholeheartedly recommend this place. It is a great idea to go with a group of friends, so you can take advantage of the pic set-ups together.

3. Painting with Wine

What better way to finish off a long day than with a glass of wine (or multiple glasses)? Well, painting while drinking!

The places that organize this type of activities are open, despite the COVID measures, and are a great opportunity to relax and forget the crazy world we live in just for a few hours. If you are not an amazing artist, do not worry – neither am I! The good thing now is that, because of the pandemic, the groups are smaller and the teachers are able to pay attention to each participant. Even the most untalented person can create something to be proud of.

I can recommend The Sunny Room. We went there a couple of evenings ago to try painting with fingers. I found it to be much more fun than using regular brushes and I quite like my masterpiece. It is right in the center of the city and the teacher is amazing, so it deserves a huge thumbs up.

4. Good Old Ice Skating

An entertainment as old as time, ice skating never fails to deliver. For me, a person who hates all kinds of sport, this is the only physical activity I am willing to leave my house for in the cold. It is not olny fun, but burns hundreds of calories.

If you are wondering where to go, Yunak Stadium is the place to be. They have sessions every 2 hours (1h30min skating and 30 minutes to clear the ice) from 10 am on a daily basis. They are open even when it snows, which is the most magical time to skate! I have already been there a couple of times and it got me so hooked that I’ve ordered my own skates. The price for a session is 6 BGN – if you bring your own pair, or 10 BGN, if you want to rent.

Even during pandemic, there are opportunities to entertain yourself with caution. All the places that I have mentioned are following the anti-pandemic measures applied by the government. So do not forget your face mask and enjoy!

P. S. Let me know in the comments if you want me to recommend more fun activities to do in Sofia during this winter 🙂

Photos: Personal Archive