Sofia Overview

Location:
Sofia is the capital of Bulgaria. The city is located at the foot of the Balkan Mountains in the Western part of the country. Vitosha mountain is located only 8 km south of the city and rises 550 m above the urban landscape. Sofia is Bulgaria’s largest city and as such is a main commercial, manufacturing, transportation and cultural centre.

Climate: Sofia is surrrounded by high Mounts: Vitosha and the Balkan, and the climate is temperate continental with for distinct seasons: cold, damp winter; warm spring; hot, dry summers and autumn full of colourful tree leaves.

Transportation:
Sofia lays on the international railway and automobile routes from Western Europe to Istanbul via Belgrade, from Greece and Macedonia to the CIS.
Sofia has eight railway stations and an international airport. All major European airlines have scheduled flights to Sofia including British Airways, Air France, Alitalia, KLM, Turkish Airlines, Lufthansa and Olympic Airways. Flights are available from most major UK airports including Gatwick, Heathrow, Manchester and Edinburgh. Three European Transport Corridors pass by the city.
Public transport is well-developed and reliable. It is provided by means of underground trains (metro), buses, trams and electric buses. There are over 15,000 licensed taxi cabs operating in the city.

Sightseeing:
Even today many archaeological sites remind of Sofia’s, diverse history - the castle gates and towers of Serdica, old public buildings etc. Many of these are hosted on Aleksander Batenberg Square, Narodno Sabranie Square and Tsar Osvoboditel Boulevard - an area known with its yellow pavement. The best shops are on Vitosha and Stamboliski Boulevards and in the underpass of the National Palace of Culture (abbreviated as NDK).

Other places to visit are The National Historical Museum, The Museum of Natural Science and History, The People and the Earth Museum, The National Gallery.
Sofia boasts the biggest on the Balkans Congress Center - National Palace of Culture. It is equipped with modern high-quality facilities. Ideal place for congresses, meetings, festivals, concerts, etc.
The National Archaeological Museum in Stamboliiski Boulevard hosts extensive collection of finds from various archaeological sites from all around Bulgaria, including the former capitals Pliska, Preslav and Veliko Turnovo. You may also like to visit The Rotundra of St. George, The National Palace of Culture,The Church of St. Nedelya, Vassil Levski Monument and many other interesting places.

It is also becoming more attractive as a holiday destination with great weather, beautiful buildings, wide boulevards, outdoor cafes and in the winter nearby ski slopes.