Kristal Garden is a lively, colourful and cheerful spot that draws crowds of young Sofians to the area between some of the city’s most central streets. Located near some of the city’s most iconic theatres on Rakovski Street, as well as the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, it becomes a hub for open-air parties in the summer. The garden preserves the spirit of the iconic restaurant of the same name, Crystal, which no longer exists but used to attract many of the famous figures of the Bulgarian bohemian scene in the 1980s and 1990s. Keeping the tradition alive, the Kristal Garden today attracts Sofia’s modern urban bohemians and young people, mainly those working in film, advertising and the city’s contemporary creative industries.

Kristal holds even more interesting stories and secrets – as far back as 1914, the site was earmarked for the National Museum and the National Library. Excavation work began for the building, but the wars that followed halted construction. This was followed by the construction of the magnificent Military Club building, and the hole found its perfect purpose as a hill in the garden adjacent to it. 

Today, this landscape is iconic and has become a favourite spot for visitors to Kristal to have a picnic or lie down on the grass. That is why one of the most enjoyable pastimes for Sofians at any time of day is to spend some relaxing time with friends, sitting on a bench or on the grass, whilst enjoying a hot coffee or a cold beer.