Sobornaya Square is the central square of Belgorod, named for the cathedral (sobor) that stands on its north side. It is the social heart of the city — a wide pedestrian plaza with benches, fountains, and the usual Russian city-centre arrangement of Soviet-era administrative buildings alongside restored 19th-century facades. The square is where the city gathers for public holidays, particularly Liberation Day on 5 August.
Around the square and on the pedestrian streets leading from it you'll find the best concentration of cafes and restaurants in Belgorod. The city has a reasonably lively student culture thanks to the university, and the streets around the square have a liveliness in the evenings that belies the city's mid-size, provincial status.