South Park is more than just a green space – it’s a Sunday tradition, a summer stage, a walk with the dog, or simply ‘going to the park’ – a familiar scene for thousands of Sofians for almost 50 years now. To the right of the fountain at the park entrance, visitors come upon ‘The Circle’. The large, elliptical garden, dotted with benches and iconic spots, is also a favourite among residents of the ‘Ivan Vazov’ housing estate.

Among them is Sofia’s unique ‘Queen’s Clock of Friendship’ – a little-known but very charming piece of urban art. Built in the winter of 2013 by the Urban Art Foundation and funded by a natural juice company, it takes the form of a distinctive clock face made up of benches. Each bench bears the name of people who took part in a competition and decided to celebrate the simplest yet greatest thing of all – friendship.

At its southern end, the garden is dotted with stone animal sculptures, which have been an integral part of Sofia’s urban landscape since the second quarter of the last century. Those we can see today in South Park were placed there in the 1980s, and generations of Sofians have climbed on them ever since. The stone sculptures can also be seen in several other places in the Large Round Garden.