Sofia's beautiful St Alexander Nevski Memorial Church was built to honour the 200,000 Russian casualties who helped liberate Bulgaria from Ottoman rule in 1878. With its gold-domed roof, this dramatic five-aisle structure is one of the Balkans' finest architectural pieces.
Completed in 1912 and named after the "Tsar Liberator" who led the army, the church is richly decorated in the finest Eastern Orthodox traditions with Italian marble, Egyptian alabaster, Brazilian onyx and plenty of shimmering gold.