Central Military Club

The Central Military Club in Sofia is among the masterpieces of the Bulgarian early 20th-century architecture, which still adorns the city center of Bulgaria’s capital city. It is one of the earliest monumental buildings erected after the re-establishment of the Bulgarian state after centuries of Ottoman government.

The Central Military Club is located in the center of Sofia, on the crossroad of the popular Tsar Osvoboditel Blvd. (covered by its characteristic yellow pavement) and Rakovska Str. It is right opposite the Crystal Garden and the Russian Church of St Nikolay.

The Military Club was designed by Czech architect Antonín Kolář in the Neo-Renaissance style and finished by Bulgarian architect Nikola Lazarov in 1907. The lot and the funding were provided by the Sofia Officers’ Assembly. That is why the building was initially known as the Officer’s Club and its halls were used for receptions, festivities, balls, and various events of the nascent capital’s elite, a larger part of which belonged exactly to the military class.

It consists of two wings and three monumental towers, whose facades are entirely covered by rich plastic decoration: elegant terraces, elaborate columns, windows adorned by triangular frontons, etc. – a rich Renaissance palette of Neo-Classic architectural elements. The building has three stories and features a coffeehouse, an art gallery, several refined halls varying in size, as well as an imposing concert hall with a capacity of up to 450 spectators. Due to all this, the Central Military Club has always been an important cultural center of the capital. As part of the city’s beautification project, the facade of this attractive, Renaissance-style building was refurbished a few years ago.

Address: 7 Tzar Osvoboditel Blvd., Sofia
Phone: +359 2 9881746