HALLES DU MARCHÉ COUVERT (ЦЕНТРАЛНИ СОФИЙСКИ ХАЛИ)

The summer of 2024 saw the long-awaited reopening of the historic Halles in central Sofia. Built between 1909 and 1911, Sofia's grand market, a magnificent hall in the style of National Romanticism, in fact neo-Byzantine and neo-Baroque, was a lively market. After a monumental renovation project, these splendid halls now open onto Maria Louisa boulevard, between the disused synagogue and the great mosque, another historic monument that embellishes the city center. The renovation has been a success, and the building has been restored to its former glory! It's worth noting that the German Kaufland Group invested 25 million euros in the restoration of these historic halls, in accordance with the specifications drawn up by the Institut National du Patrimoine Culturel Immobilier and the French Ministry of Culture. The building has been listed as a Bulgarian cultural heritage site since 1955. The architecture of this landmark monument in Sofia's Serdica district is the work of Naoum Torbov, a native of nearby Bitola. At the end of the ^19th century, the first generation of Bulgarian architects trained in the great Western schools were working in Bulgaria. Naoum Torbov designed a series of remarkable buildings. In addition to Les Halles de Sofia, these included the Odeon cinema, the Casino, the Continental Hotel, the Church of Saints Cyril and Methodius and the Women's Market halls.

Today, the interior walls on either side of the main entrance display panels that explain the history of Les Halles in old photos and text. In the basement, a cultural space offers a rich program and houses a bookshop dedicated to children. However, it is regrettable that the original market stalls have been replaced by the shelves of a supermarket, however luxurious. The market atmosphere, with its greengrocers, butchers and cafés, is no longer there. But the halls retain their high ceilings and a mezzanine where you can enjoy a pastry and a hot drink or an artisanal lemonade at one of the tables overlooking the shelves of the chic Cake Company department store, eat sushi on the neighboring terrace or even a sausage at the Austrian street food kiosk. For a nostalgic yet refined stopover. Lovers of an authentic old-fashioned market atmosphere should head to the historic Marché des Femmes, which retains all its old-fashioned flavor.