Something colourful, something unusual, and something you can certainly only see in Bulgaria and Sofia – these are our iconic ‘klekshops’. Although locals are used to them and hardly notice them, these little shops are distinctive and unique, and have an intriguing history. 

Can you believe that, in the wake of the horrors of the First World War and before the outbreak of the Second, Bulgarians designed small bomb shelters in the basements of residential buildings in Sofia, with a separate room for each family? These often had a small window situated right at pavement level. Times changed, however, and after 1989, when communism fell, the people of Sofia quickly developed a strong entrepreneurial spirit in keeping with the new era. This entrepreneurial spirit meant that, even with limited funds, the basements—some of which had been intended as bomb shelters—were transformed into small shops, at the level of the feet of passing pedestrians. They are called ‘squat shops’ because you have to crouch down to buy anything. 

Although they are now a dying breed, the few remaining ‘kletshopi’ still keep alive the memory of the early days of the democratic transition, when entrepreneurship flourished thanks to the availability of space and materials. In the city centre today, some of the most iconic reminders of that era are still in operation. In around 27 shops along Sofia’s most central streets, you can still kneel down to buy essentials – coffee, waffles, cigarettes, beer and even freshly squeezed juice or croissants. And some of these small shops are still run by craftsmen, cobblers and tailors who serve their long-standing customers and have watched from below for years as the city and its people change. If you want a genuine #soSofia memory for your social media, just crouch down for a photo in front of the most colourful and quirky little shop you can find in Sofia!