It was built between 1929 and 1940 in a neoclassical style, with a long colonnaded facade facing the boulevard. The building fills a whole city block and its name runs in large letters across the top of the front.
The best-known detail is the pair of bronze lions on either side of the main staircase; the lion is the symbol of Bulgaria. Until 2000 part of the building also housed the National Museum of History, before it moved to the Boyana district.
Visitors usually see the palace from outside. It stands where Vitosha Boulevard begins, a few steps from St Nedelya Church and the Sveta Sofia statue, so it is easy to include on a walk along Sofia's main shopping street.
