SOFIA DESTINATION
The capital Sofia is the largest city of Bulgaria with its nearly 1.3 million residents. Centre of political, cultural and business life in Bulgaria, Sofia is a bustling and vibrant city, but pleasantly surprises everyone with a cozy atmosphere unexpected for a megalopolis. The proximity of Vitosha Mountain whose silhouette appears in the background of the central boulevards, the abundance of greenery and beautiful Orthodox domed churches in ancient squares, the charming architectural eclecticism, marked by the flashing effects of various European styles, the elegant cafes and bistros always full of dressed up people stir the feeling that Sofia is a city of pleasure. Leisure time and enjoyment – in the day and at night – never ends here. If, during the day the city is colourful and kaleidoscopic, at night its abundantly illuminated historic buildings make it a magical scenery of a fairy show, with plenty of amazing opportunities and seductive roles.
Protected by several mountains, Sofia enjoys a mild and pleasant temperate continental climate and Vitosha Mountain is its ornament and a privilege with which few capitals in the world can boast. Only twenty minutes from downtown, the huge park offers great opportunities for a number of extreme sports and excellent ski-runs, where one can even ski at night. Proximity and easy access provide a perfect opportunity for a refreshing hike among the great landscapes, in touch with the natural beauty of the rich flora and fauna of the mountain. Sofia is located in a valley at an altitude of 550 m above sea level, which puts it fourth among the capitals of Europe. Since ancient times the city and its environs have been famous for the abundance of hot and cold mineral springs. In their vicinity Thracians and Romans built shrines and temples, and in the 3rd century AD the Romans started constructing public baths (thermae) and supplying the heating systems of their residences with the warm mineral water. The springs continue to gush even today in the centre of modern Sofia, accessible to all, and attracting hundreds of Sofia citizens and guests of the capital with their numerous healing qualities. Sofia is the only European capital availing eight different types of mineral water.
With its seven thousand-year history, the city is one of the oldest human settlements on the European continent, and its numerous historical and architectural monuments harbour messages from the wisdom of the centuries of cultural experience. The very name of the city, Sofia, has preserved for the generations one of the most beautiful cultural symbols in the world, the ‘divine wisdom’. In the 14th century the city accepted it in its ancient cross-dome basilica of St Sofia, which continues to this day to gather believers in a stunning temple erected by the most early Christians in the Balkans.
Today’s Sofia is a successor of Serdica, an ancient city founded by the Thracians, and made by the Romans a strategic fortress and regional centre of the Roman Empire in the 2nd century AD. The impressive ruins of the ancient fortress walls and streets peacefully coexist with the modern administrative centre of the capital. Immediately to the Presidency in the oldest building in Sofia can be seen, St George, a rotunda church built in the first half of the 4th century AD, the brilliant era of Emperor Constantine the Great. The Rotunda of St George has by no incident been one of the key tourist attractions of the Bulgarian capital – it is one of the few complete and perfectly preserved buildings in the Balkans from the Early Byzantine Period. Many more unique finds from the Thracian, Hellenistic and Roman eras can be seen in the halls of Sofia's biggest museums, the Archaeological and the National History Museum, in which the image of ancient Europe emerges in a bright and exciting way. Here are exposed to the world famous Thracian gold treasures, which overturned the ideas of scientists for the sources of the Hellenistic culture. Here are also the lovely filigree items made by medieval Bulgarian master goldsmiths, precious specimens of ancient Byzantine and Bulgarian iconography – a triumph of talented local painters.
The golden domes of one of the largest and most beautiful Orthodox cathedrals in the world, St Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, raise in the heart of the city. It was built after the recognition of Sofia as capital in 1879, as an expression of the restored independence and dignity of the Bulgarian nation. Everyone, at the doorstep or standing in the temple, bates his breath in front of the magnificent neo-Byzantine architecture, the fine golden mosaics and coloured stone carvings. Instead of tombs of monarchs, the Crypt keeps one of the richest collections of Orthodox religious art in Europe.
Today in Sofia there are about 50 Orthodox churches and monasteries, many of which are remarkable pieces of church art and architecture. Here also rise several impressive temples of other religions, among them being the perfectly preserved Banya Bashi Mosque from the 16th century, designed by renowned Ottoman architect Mimar Sinan; the Sofia Synagogue, an architectural masterpiece in Byzantine-Moorish style, the third largest European temple of Sephardic Jews built in Sofia in 1907. Since 2006 Sofia has its own Catholic Cathedral of St Joseph, whose clock tower outlines in the horizon to the west.
Plenty of antiques in the city is nicely combined with many modern cafes, bars, bistros and restaurants – all of them diverse in design and offering an impressive menue list, which hardly lacks any of the gourmet specialties of the modern culinary world. Sofia is a very good destination for culinary and wine-tasting tourism. Delicious food, quality beer and good coffee – this is what you'll find anywhere in Sofia. In the downtown only, the establishments are over three hundred, and the range of proposals is almost infinite in terms of the specialties of the popular foreign cuisine, fusion, healthy, or vegetarian food. Typically, visitors to Sofia quickly find out that local national dishes, combining traditional European flavours with spices of the East, are the best ones not only the Balkans but also in Central and Eastern Europe. A rich range of alcoholic beverages in the comfortable bars and restaurants of Sofia include selections from the superb Bulgarian wines whose quality and surprisingly attractive prices do not fail to impress even connoisseurs of the legendary brands in the world of wine.
In general, in Sofia it is hard to be bored. Its marvellous concert halls, art galleries, clubs, discos, jazz and underground locales, most of which are open until late evening or at night, offer a variety of experiences for all tastes and preferences. It is no exaggeration to say that night life in Sofia is not inferior to that in the most attractive European capitals, but not in terms of the luxurious proposals, but in the unpredictability of entertainment and the pleasant Bohemian spirit. As a rule, artistic life in Sofia enjoys foreigners with the greater freedom of communication and immediacy of manner than it is possible, for example in Western Europe and the U.S.
Sofia music scene attracts connoisseurs of classical music. Every season its programme features great performances of Bulgarian and foreign musicians of the highest calibre. The hall of Sofia Opera is considered by world famous conductors as one of the few in the world with perfect acoustics. In its one hundred years of history, Sofia Opera School has given the European stage some of the greatest voices. No less exciting are the concerts in the famous Bulgaria Hall, in the halls of Sofia City Art Gallery, the Military Club, the Crypt at St A. Nevsky Cathedral and the Catholic Cathedral of St Joseph. Each year the prestigious Sofia Music Weeks international festival and European Music Festival donate many wonderful experiences to lovers in music. Recently a dozen annual festivals and art events contribute to strengthening the international reputation of the capital city and its cosmopolitan spirit. Cult films arrive quickly in Sofia modern cinema halls, sometimes even ahead of their premieres in Paris and Brussels. The theatres of the capital city offer dozens of meetings with the best pieces of Bulgarian and world dramatic repertoire and with the creativity of the talented Bulgarian directors and actors.
With the accession of Bulgaria to the European Union, the process of improvement and unification of education with European educational standards is increasingly gaining momentum in the schools of the capital. In Sofia there are many primary and secondary schools, both public and private, language, dance and music schools, training centres and higher educational establishments, including 16 universities. The oldest one and considered among the best, is St Kliment Ohridski Sofia University, established at the end of the 19th century. In Sofia is located the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences and St St Cyril and Methodius National Library. Most of the young and business people in Sofia speak a number of European languages and the foreign guests of the city will have no problem to communicate, understand or be informed.
The transport system of the capital is highly developed and is an important part of the national transport system. In Sofia all modes of transport are represented, except water transport. The city is also the most important railway junction in the country. Close to the Central Railway Station is the Central Bus Station, serving both passengers to the country and abroad respectively by 47 and 60 buses. Road transport has prospects for development due to the fact that Sofia is the intersection of three trans-European transport corridors, nos. 4, 8 and 10. Air transport is represented by the largest airport in Bulgaria, Sofia Airport and the Air Traffic Control Centre. In the system of urban transport, main carrier is the municipal Centre of Urban Mobility. By 2008, the system included 97 bus, 16 trolleybus and 9 tram routes. Fully operational is the first section of Soia subway from Obelya Quarter to Mladost-1 Quarter. Sofia Metro is the first and only metro in Bulgaria, put into operation on 28 January, 1998.
Today Sofia is the biggest industrial centre of Bulgaria with the heavy industry being a priority. The city hosts about 800 big companies. Sofia concentrates 75% of ferrous metallurgy, 50% of printing, 15% of electrical and electronic industries, 14% of fur and shoe industry of the country. Construction, commerce and transport, linking the physical with the social infrastructure of the city, are highly developed. The private sector in the territory of Sofia City Municipality is concentrated mainly in the branches of trade and services. Sofia Stock Exchange and Bulgarian Stock Exchange operate in Sofia.
In Sofia are focused all bodies of state power – legislative, executive and judicial institutions. In the centre of the city are the buildings of the National Assembly, the Presidency, the Council of Ministers and all ministries. The city houses also all higher judiciary institutions. Here, too, are stationed other national institutions, a number of business establishments and authorities, whose main task is the implementation of the ongoing reform in the country. In Sofia are the headquarters of the Bulgarian National Bank, the majority of domestic and international banks in the country, the offices of many NGOs and foundations. Sofia is the seat of the Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, the General Mufti of Muslims in Bulgaria, the Chief Rabbinate of Bulgaria, as well as of other officially registered religious denominations. In the capital city are the headquarters of almost all political parties in the country and the main trade unions. Here operate also the EU Association Council and the Representation of the European Commission in Bulgaria.
Sofia also provides excellent conditions for various sports: outdoor tennis courts, golf courses and facilities for horseback riding, spa pools, stadiums and several well equipped gyms. Ideal centre for practising water sports is the dam lake of Pancharevo, only 15 km from Sofia; and Iskar Dam, some 37 kilometers from the city.
The dynamic development of the city in recent years has provided many amenities for business trips, congress tourism, business meetings and trade shows. Sofia boasts several congress and exhibition halls fully equipped for international events; while dozens of luxury hotels offer all the services known in the modern business world, sophisticated interior design and impressive recreation and spa treatments, matching the traditions of the Romans, the ancient rulers of the city.
