Sofia is the biggest city and capital of Bulgaria, as well as the 15th biggest city in the European Union with a population of 1,267,098 people (officially registered). It is the major administrative, industrial, transport, cultural and educational centre of the country, concentrating 17 percent of the population and one sixth of the industrial production in Bulgaria. Sofia is a lively and vibrant city, but pleasantly surprising its visitors with the cozy atmosphere, unexpected for a megalopolis. Protected by three mountains, Sofia Kettle enjoys a pleasant temperate continental climate, while its altitude of 550 metres above sea level gives it fourth position among the capitals of Europe. Sofia and the kettle are dominated by Vitosha Mountain. Few capital cities in the world can boast so beautiful, so close and easily accessible nature park.
With its seven thousand-year history, the city is one of the oldest human settlements in Europe, and its numerous historical and architectural monuments harbour the wise messages of centennial cultural experience. The very name of the city, Sofia, has preserved for the generations one of the most beautiful cultural symbols of Christianity – the 'divine wisdom'. The city with the motto It Grows but Does not Age is the successor of the ancient Roman fortress of Serdica that early in the 2nd century AD grew into a regional centre in the Roman Empire and at the end of the 3rd century AD it became the capital of the newly established province of Inner Dacia (Dacia Interna).
Since ancient times the town and its surroundings have been famous for the abundance of hot and cold mineral springs, which still continue to gush into the centre of modern Sofia, accessible to all, and attracting Sofia citizens and the guests of the capital with their numerous healing qualities.
In Sofia it is impossible to be bored. The plenty of antiques in the city is nicely combined with many modern concert halls, opera, major national museums, art galleries, theatres, clubs, discos, jazz and underground locales offering exciting experiences for all tastes and preferences. The dynamic development of the city in recent years has provided many amenities for business trips, congress tourism, business meetings and trade shows. Sofia is an excellent place for culinary and wine-tasting tourism. Many modern cafes, bars, bistros and restaurants of varied designs offer an impressive menu list, in which any of the gourmet specialties of the modern culinary world is hardly absent. Sofia also provides excellent conditions for sport – several stadia and well equipped gyms, outdoor tennis courts, golf courses and facilities for horseback riding, spa pools. And only twenty minutes from downtown, in the great Vitosha Nature Park one can even ski at night…
