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Sofia
About Sofia
Sofia is the capital of the Bulgaria and Europe’s second oldest capital. Situated in the heart of the Balkan, the 7000 year old city lies at the foot of the mountain massif Vitosha. Today Sofia is a vibrant cosmopolitan city with a colorful night life, a city with many archaeological sites that remind us of its diverse history and with many buildings, parks, and neighborhoods that reflect its rapid growth between 1879 and 1939.
Local highlights
Explore the city
- The town gates and towers of Serdica: a large part of the ancient city of Serdica is underneath important modern buildings with for example the ancient city council hidden under the "Sheraton" hotel, a number of basilicas below the Palace of Justice, and a Roman residence with elaborate mosaics below the "Rila" hotel
- Go see the outdoor book market on Slaveykov Square
- Nezavisimost Square
- Lodkite – the open-air bar in the city park
Explore its museums and historical sights, such as
- Alexander Nevski Memorial Church-Gold-domed five-aisle church
- Rotunda of St. George with its fine medieval frescoes
- St. Sofia Church with 1600 year-old mosaic
- The National Palace of Culture
- The Church of St. Nedelya
- The 16th century Banya Bashi Mosque
- The Bulgarian National Historical Museum with its Thracian treasures
- The Ivan Vazov National Theatre designed by Viennese architects
- The Bulgarian Parliament
- The Crypt Museum with its superb collection of icons
- The Russian Church "St. Nicholai"Probably-the prettiest church in Sofia
Highlights in the vicinity
- Dragalevtsi with its monastry (frescoes)
- Boyana, a UNESCO world cultural heritage site, with its frescoes that are among the oldest examples of East European Medieval art
- Bankya-a spa town of just 17 km west of Sofia
- Aleko ski centre at Mount Vitosha (1800m) and on the north-eastern slopes of Cherni Vrah (2290 m)
- Vitosha Nature Park with its Reserve Bistrishko branishte proclaimed by UNESCO as a part of the world network of biospheric reserves
Good to know
- No. of inhabitants: 1.2 Million
- Timezone: UTC +2
- Weather: Summers are pleasantly hot and sunny with temperatures around the 30°Cs .Winters have little sunshine and temperatures between -4°C and 6°C
- Police tel.nr. 166
Local transport
- Yellow taxis
- Public transport is excellent
- Tram
- Bus or trolley bus
- Sofia Metro
Inbound transport
- Nearest airport: Sofia Airport or Vrazhdebna
- Train: Sofia has 8 railway stations. International trains-tel. nr. 875935, 870777
- Buses: Be aware that the crossing of either the Serbian or Romanian border might take quite a long time
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