Ancient Serdica
On Gingerguide's self-guided Sofia audio tour, Ancient Serdica is a stop worth about ~30 min. Stand in front of it, press play for a short narrated story, and put any follow-up question to the built-in AI guide.
- Type ruins
- Suggested visit ~30 min
- Sofia Sofia guide
About Ancient Serdica
The excavated heart of Roman Serdica, laid bare beneath the modern city: paved streets, buildings and a gate, on open view around the metro and under the great socialist-era Largo.
Beneath the streets of central Sofia lies Serdica, the Roman city from which the capital grew. Named for the Serdi, a Celtic tribe, it was taken by Rome around 29 BC and raised to a city, Ulpia Serdica, under the emperor Trajan. Here in 311 the Edict of Serdica granted Christians the right to worship, two years before the famous Edict of Milan, and tradition holds that Constantine the Great called the city 'my Rome'.
Uncovered during the building of Sofia's metro, the Archaeological Complex Serdica opened in 2016, displaying streets, buildings and an early church about six metres below today's pavements. You can walk among the ruins around the Serdika metro station and the Largo, where glass panels in Independence Square reveal the ancient city, and see a surviving stretch of the eastern gate in a pedestrian underpass.
Did you know? Serdica, the Roman city from which Sofia grew, was named for the Serdi, a Celtic tribe, taken by Rome around 29 BC and raised to a city, Ulpia Serdica, under the emperor Trajan.
How much time do you need at Ancient Serdica?
Around ~30 min works well for Ancient Serdica — time to look properly and listen to its story on the spot. Linger if you like; nothing on a self-guided walk is on a clock.
Should you stop at Ancient Serdica?
Yes — Ancient Serdica made the cut as one of 13 places the Gingerguide team researched and narrated across Sofia. The story tells you why it is worth the stop, and the AI guide fills in anything you still wonder.
Nearby stops in Sofia
Day 1 of the Sofia in 2 days itinerary →
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Hear the story of Ancient Serdica
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