City Introduction

Bulgaria’s capital Sofia (Bulgarian: София; English: Sofia) is the political, economic and cultural center of the country, which is located in the Sofia basin surrounded mountains in all direction in the mid-west of Bulgaria. The Iskar River and its branches cross the city. The city covers an area of 167 square kilometers, with the population of nearly 1.2 million.

 

 

 

 

History and Culture

In the first century BC, it was once a fortress of Roman Empire and Byzantium, which had relatively developed handicraft industry and business. Between the eighth century and seventh century, Thracian Serdi tribe lived here. Later, it became a fortress of Roman Empire and one of the political center of the Byzantium. In 809 AD, it was a part of Slavic Bulgaria, which was populated by Slavic people of the Balkan Peninsula. In 1396, the Ottoman Empire conquered Bulgaria. In 1879, Sofia was determined as the capital. Bulgaria broke away from Ottoman Empire and proclaimed its independence, and thus Sofia became the capital of the independent Bulgaria.

 

 

 

 

Natural Environment

Sofia is located in the central area of the Balkan Peninsula. It is in the north of the Vitosha Mountain in the western part of Bulgaria. Sofia is just located at the foot of the valley, surrounded by mountains in all directions. Sofia Valley covers an area of 1,186 square kilometers, with the average elevation of 550m. There are three mountain passes around Sofia, which respectively lead to the Black Sea, the Adriatic Sea, the Aegean Sea, and Central Europe. Rivers in Sofia is few, including the Vladaiska River and the Perlovska River. The Iskar crosses the east part of Sofia. Sofia is rich in mineral springs and hot springs, and there are some artificial lakes and reservoirs built in the last century in the city.

 

 

 

 

Useful Information

It’s common to give a tip with the amount 10% of consumptions when you dine at a Bulgarian restaurant.

 

 

 

 

Currency Exchange

Bulgarian legal currency is Lev, and the fixed exchange rate of Lev with euro: 1 euro = 1.95583 leva, Lev is a freely convertible currency. However, RMB is not directly convertible with the local currency. So it’s advised to exchange euro at home before departure.