Sofia
If someone will ask you to think about Bulgaria for a moment. What would come to your mind first ? Some people would think about Golden Sands, beaches, the sea, Varna city, others would think about Burgas, while others still associate Bulgaria with an Eastern European country in which the remnants of communism are still evident. But if you come once to Sofia, you will understand that Bulgarian government is making every possible effort to free itself from this Eastern European image. Since Montenegro achieved this quite recently, or like Hungarian Budapest achieved it a long time ago.
Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria and one of the oldest cities in Europe, is a beautiful city that combines all the Balkan colors of East and West, New and Old worlds. It is the largest city in the country, with a population over a million, located on a plateau at 545 meters in the west of the country, making it the highest capital in Europe.
Sofia Airport is conveniently located just 12 km from the city center, which is an additional benefit for those, who are in a hurry to get to the hotel as soon as possible.
The peak of foreing tourist to Bulgaria was registered In 2019, 9.3 million, come into Bulgaria, 7.1 million from those passed through the country's main air gate in Sofia.
Today Sofia is no longer what it was 20 years ago - it is a young and modern city, keeping pace with the times, animated by the noise of cars during the day and the sounds of nightlife in the evening. On weekends, all cafes, bars, markets, casinos and restaurants are almost full with locals and guests of the capital. The city is rich in cultural and religious heritage, a variety of museums, cathedrals, churches (there is also a beautiful synagogue and an impressive mosque), art galleries, many parks decorated with monuments from the Soviet Union era, and great places to stay. In winter, guests of the capital have the opportunity to go skiing in the “Vitosha ski resort” located nearby(only 10 km from city center), and can be reached most quickly by car.
You can spend a few single days, a weekend or even a full week, rent a car and drive around, and of course, do not forget to spend at least one day for shopping, which will surprise you for sure with Bulgarian variety and low prices.
On the one hand, Bulgaria is a member of the European Union to feel like everyone else - in the league of the greats. The EU strongly supports the development of tourism in the capital and in the whole country, and this is confirmed by various laws on nature protection, as well as the UNESCO World Heritage Site, which includes 10 sites in Bulgaria, including the Pirin National Park, which is a neighbor to the ski resort of Bansko and the Cathedral of St. Sophia in the capital. On the other hand, Sofia and all of Bulgaria have preserved the local currency (Lev) and local Bulgarian culture in order to remain in its minor league and thus preserve the local and humble life. Even the locals are very ambivalent about the character of the city today, they are happy to join the union and the status it brings with it, but they also miss the times when the economy was strong and the sense of economic security was stronger.
