IGSM 2007
Geography
Sofia's development as a significant settlement owes much to its central position in the Balkans. It is situated in western Bulgaria, at the northern foot of the Vitosha mountain, in the Sofia Valley that is surrounded by mountains on all sides. Three mountain passes lead to the city, which have been key roads since antiquity, connecting the Adriatic Sea and Central Europe with the Black and Aegean Seas.
A number of low rivers cross the city, including the Vladayska and the Perlovska. The Iskar River in its upper course flows near eastern Sofia. The city is known for its numerous mineral and thermal springs. Artificial and dam lakes were built in the last century.
It is located 150 km (90 miles) northwest of Plovdiv, Bulgaria's second largest city, 390 km west of Burgas, 472 km (294 miles) west of Varna, Bulgaria's major port-cities on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast.
Climate
Mean daily maximum temperature in May is 24 °C
Mean daily minimum temperature in May is 10 °C
Culture
Sofia is one of the oldest capital cities in Europe, blending its past and present in a remarkable architectural style. Historic landmarks include the 10th-century Boyana Church (one of the UNESCO World Heritage protected sites), the Alexander Nevski Cathedral (one of the world's largest Orthodox churches), and the early Byzantine Church of St Sophia.
More modern architecture is represented by the Bulgarian National Opera and Ballet, the Ivan Vazov National Theatre, the Rakovski Str theatre district, Slaveykov Square's outdoor book market, and the NDK, which is Southeastern Europe's largest cultural and congressional centre.
Sofia is the see of an Eastern Orthodox and of a Roman Catholic diocese.
Museums
Sofia houses numerous museums, notably the National Historical Museum, the Bulgarian Natural History Museum, the Museum of Earth and Men, the Ethnographic Museum, the National Museum of Military History, the National Polytechnical Museum and the National Archaeological Museum. In addition, there are the Sofia City Art Gallery, the Bulgarian National Gallery of Arts, the Bulgarian National Gallery for Foreign Art as well as numerous private art galleries.
Places of special interest
The city also offers many places of special interest such as the Sts. Cyril and Methodius National Library (which houses the largest national book collection and is Bulgaria's oldest cultural institute), the Sofia State Library, the British Council, the Russian Cultural Institute, the Polish Cultural Institute, the Hungarian Institute, the Czech and the Slovak Cultural Institutes, the Italian Cultural Institute, the French Cultural Institute, Goethe Institut, Instituto Cervantes, Open Society Institute, along with Sofia Land, the nearly nine-acre amusement park adjacent to the Sofia Zoological Garden founded in 1888.
Sofia currently enjoys a booming film industry as it is the filming ground of several international film productions. Vitosha Boulevard, also called Vitoshka ranked as the world's 22nd most expensive commercial street represents numerous fashion boutiques and luxury goods stores and features exhibitions by world fashion designers. Sofia's geographic location, situated in the foothills of the weekend retreat Vitosha mountain, further adds to the city's specific atmosphere.
Tourist attractions
Some of Sofia's popular tourist attractions include:
The late Roman Church of St George (4th century), situated in the courtyard of the Sheraton Sofia Hotel.
The early Byzantine Church of St Sophia, built in the 6th century.
The gold-domed Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, built in the early 20th century in memory of the 200,000 Russian soldiers, who died in the Russo-Turkish War, 18771878, which led to the liberation of Bulgaria from Ottoman rule.
St Nedelya Church
The tiny Church of St Petka of the Saddlers from the 14th century featuring some fine frescoes.
The Monument to the Tsar Liberator commemorating Alexander II of Russia.
The Banya Bashi Mosque, built in the 16th century.
The Sofia Synagogue, the largest in the Balkans.
The Bulgarian National Historical Museum, noteworthy for its Thracian treasures.
The National Palace of Culture cultural and congressional centre the largest multifunctional complex in Southeastern Europe, inaugurated in 1981 and situated in a lush green park surroundings.
The Ivan Vazov National Theatre.
The National Gallery of Foreign Art.
The National Archaeological Museum.
Sofia Public Mineral Baths, decorated with the finest majolica tiles and completed in 1911.
Vitosha mountain, one of the symbols of Sofia, just a short drive or lift trip away, open year round. Ski and snowboard are popular in the winter, and hiking in the summer.
Borisova gradina, Sofia's main and oldest garden, the construction of which began in 1884.
Education
There are 16 universities in Sofia. The Saint Clement of Ohrid University of Sofia is often regarded as the most prestigious university of Bulgaria, being founded in 1888 and having an incoming class of 14,000 students each year. Other important universities include the National Academy of Arts, the Technical University of Sofia, the University for National and World Economics, Sofia Medical University, the Krastyo Sarafov National Academy for Theatre and Film Arts and New Bulgarian University.
Furthermore, institutions of national significance, such as the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences and the SS. Cyril and Methodius National Library are located in Sofia along with the American College of Sofia, founded in 1860 and regarded as the oldest American academic institution outside the United States.
Transportation
1. If you arrive at Sofia airport, you can get to University of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geodesy /UACEG/ by airport bus number 84 to the National Stadium Vasil Levski. UACEG is situated 10 minutes walking from there.
2. If you arrive at Sofia airport you can get to Pliska hotel and to make the connection with bus 280 to the National Sport Academy situated in Student campus.
3. If you arrive at Central Bus station/ Train Station, you can catch the bus number 305,213 to the Orlov most and after that to catch the bus 280 from Orlov most to National Sport Academy campus.
4. If you arrive at Central Bus station/ Train Station, you can catch the bus number 305,213 to the Orlov most. UACEG is situated 10 minutes walking from there.
For more information:
www.bgmaps.com
www.sofia.bg
3D map of Sofia
Satellite map 1
Satellite map 2
Sofia's development as a significant settlement owes much to its central position in the Balkans. It is situated in western Bulgaria, at the northern foot of the Vitosha mountain, in the Sofia Valley that is surrounded by mountains on all sides. Three mountain passes lead to the city, which have been key roads since antiquity, connecting the Adriatic Sea and Central Europe with the Black and Aegean Seas.
A number of low rivers cross the city, including the Vladayska and the Perlovska. The Iskar River in its upper course flows near eastern Sofia. The city is known for its numerous mineral and thermal springs. Artificial and dam lakes were built in the last century.
It is located 150 km (90 miles) northwest of Plovdiv, Bulgaria's second largest city, 390 km west of Burgas, 472 km (294 miles) west of Varna, Bulgaria's major port-cities on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast.
Climate
Mean daily maximum temperature in May is 24 °C
Mean daily minimum temperature in May is 10 °C
Culture
Sofia is one of the oldest capital cities in Europe, blending its past and present in a remarkable architectural style. Historic landmarks include the 10th-century Boyana Church (one of the UNESCO World Heritage protected sites), the Alexander Nevski Cathedral (one of the world's largest Orthodox churches), and the early Byzantine Church of St Sophia.
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More modern architecture is represented by the Bulgarian National Opera and Ballet, the Ivan Vazov National Theatre, the Rakovski Str theatre district, Slaveykov Square's outdoor book market, and the NDK, which is Southeastern Europe's largest cultural and congressional centre.
Sofia is the see of an Eastern Orthodox and of a Roman Catholic diocese.
Museums
Sofia houses numerous museums, notably the National Historical Museum, the Bulgarian Natural History Museum, the Museum of Earth and Men, the Ethnographic Museum, the National Museum of Military History, the National Polytechnical Museum and the National Archaeological Museum. In addition, there are the Sofia City Art Gallery, the Bulgarian National Gallery of Arts, the Bulgarian National Gallery for Foreign Art as well as numerous private art galleries.
Places of special interest
The city also offers many places of special interest such as the Sts. Cyril and Methodius National Library (which houses the largest national book collection and is Bulgaria's oldest cultural institute), the Sofia State Library, the British Council, the Russian Cultural Institute, the Polish Cultural Institute, the Hungarian Institute, the Czech and the Slovak Cultural Institutes, the Italian Cultural Institute, the French Cultural Institute, Goethe Institut, Instituto Cervantes, Open Society Institute, along with Sofia Land, the nearly nine-acre amusement park adjacent to the Sofia Zoological Garden founded in 1888.
Sofia currently enjoys a booming film industry as it is the filming ground of several international film productions. Vitosha Boulevard, also called Vitoshka ranked as the world's 22nd most expensive commercial street represents numerous fashion boutiques and luxury goods stores and features exhibitions by world fashion designers. Sofia's geographic location, situated in the foothills of the weekend retreat Vitosha mountain, further adds to the city's specific atmosphere.
Tourist attractions
Some of Sofia's popular tourist attractions include:
The late Roman Church of St George (4th century), situated in the courtyard of the Sheraton Sofia Hotel.
The early Byzantine Church of St Sophia, built in the 6th century.
The gold-domed Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, built in the early 20th century in memory of the 200,000 Russian soldiers, who died in the Russo-Turkish War, 18771878, which led to the liberation of Bulgaria from Ottoman rule.
St Nedelya Church
The tiny Church of St Petka of the Saddlers from the 14th century featuring some fine frescoes.
The Monument to the Tsar Liberator commemorating Alexander II of Russia.
The Banya Bashi Mosque, built in the 16th century.
The Sofia Synagogue, the largest in the Balkans.
The Bulgarian National Historical Museum, noteworthy for its Thracian treasures.
The National Palace of Culture cultural and congressional centre the largest multifunctional complex in Southeastern Europe, inaugurated in 1981 and situated in a lush green park surroundings.
The Ivan Vazov National Theatre.
The National Gallery of Foreign Art.
The National Archaeological Museum.
Sofia Public Mineral Baths, decorated with the finest majolica tiles and completed in 1911.
Vitosha mountain, one of the symbols of Sofia, just a short drive or lift trip away, open year round. Ski and snowboard are popular in the winter, and hiking in the summer.
Borisova gradina, Sofia's main and oldest garden, the construction of which began in 1884.
Education
There are 16 universities in Sofia. The Saint Clement of Ohrid University of Sofia is often regarded as the most prestigious university of Bulgaria, being founded in 1888 and having an incoming class of 14,000 students each year. Other important universities include the National Academy of Arts, the Technical University of Sofia, the University for National and World Economics, Sofia Medical University, the Krastyo Sarafov National Academy for Theatre and Film Arts and New Bulgarian University.
Furthermore, institutions of national significance, such as the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences and the SS. Cyril and Methodius National Library are located in Sofia along with the American College of Sofia, founded in 1860 and regarded as the oldest American academic institution outside the United States.
Transportation
1. If you arrive at Sofia airport, you can get to University of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geodesy /UACEG/ by airport bus number 84 to the National Stadium Vasil Levski. UACEG is situated 10 minutes walking from there.
2. If you arrive at Sofia airport you can get to Pliska hotel and to make the connection with bus 280 to the National Sport Academy situated in Student campus.
3. If you arrive at Central Bus station/ Train Station, you can catch the bus number 305,213 to the Orlov most and after that to catch the bus 280 from Orlov most to National Sport Academy campus.
4. If you arrive at Central Bus station/ Train Station, you can catch the bus number 305,213 to the Orlov most. UACEG is situated 10 minutes walking from there.
For more information:
www.bgmaps.com
www.sofia.bg
3D map of Sofia
Satellite map 1
Satellite map 2