Sofia ( www.sofia.bg )
|
Coordinates
|
42º42′N 23º20′E | |
|---|---|---|
|
City area
|
1 349km² (520.9 sq m) | |
|
Elevation
|
550m (1,804 ft) | |
|
Density
|
1 030/km² (2,667.7 sq m) |
(Bulgarian: ????? Sofija),is the capital (since 03/04/1879) and largest city of the 
Republic
of Bulgaria, with a population of 1,270,010 (making it the 14th largest
city in the European Union), and some 1,386,702 in the metropolitan
area, the Capital Municipality. It is located in western Bulgaria, at
the foot of the mountain massif Vitosha, and is the administrative,
cultural, economic, and educational centre of the country.
One of the oldest capital cities in Europe, the history of Sofia dates back to the 7th century BC, when Thracians established a settlement there. Sofia has had several names in the different periods of its existence, and remnants of the city's millenary history can still be seen today alongside modern landmarks.
Numerical trivia
5 surrounding mountains (Vitosha, Lyulin, Plana, Lozenska & Stara Planina);
7 railway stations;
11 trolley-bus lines;
16 universities;
18 mineral springs;
21 tramlines;
22 temples;
23 theatres;
24 administrative districts;
29 museums;
31 cinema screens;
37 art galleries;
200 bus lines;
490 libraries,
14 930 shops and
15 168 taxis.
The Latter-day Settlements!
Sofia is the shoes and handbags capital of the world, bling to boring, leather to lacquered, it is here in abundance. There are a plethora of shops around the labyrinth called Vitosha Boulevard, it is not necessary to stray too far from the pedestrianised section in the ‘Centrum’. Please beware, there are designer names to make your gullible friends envious, sadly most of the designers would not recognise the items as their own work.
It is important to recognise Sofia for what it actually is – a haven for probably over two million (and that would seem just the cars), bound by systems the majority try to ‘cheat’, hot in the summer and not-so in the winter. However, it is not like the cast of a UK soap opera with 000’s of mediocre characters, it is either black or white with grey at a cost. Corruption is rife, from the traffic police (KAT) to politicians, gypsies to ‘Joe the Plumber’. Be aware, there is no complicity with Trading Standards (or whatever their latest UK genre maybe).
Then, there is the bad news? A friend described Sofia as the bad relative you choose to ignore the faults of, and appreciate the qualities instead. The nightlife is fantastic, Vitosha mountain more so, shops in abundance, the women beautiful and finally it is so unlike the rest of Bulgaria. The last part is difficult to comprehend as Bulgaria is diverse, cultured and exciting. The potholes, uphill struggle to achieve the simplest goal and unswerving bureaucracy simply add to the charm of Sofia (and the alcohol manufacturer’s profits).
We believe the important details for inclusion in Sofia.Go are answers to the day-to-day issues, rather than the date of the next trade mission from Kurdistan or the contact details for the Congolese representative in Sofia, that is until we stand corrected. This section is in two parts, the first with information predominantly for the business traveller and the second for the tourist, please read both.
Information for the business traveller
Accountants
As with everything in Bulgaria it is important to specify what is required rather than just to accept what may be supplied! For instance, for our humble requirements, we received offers (not estimates or quotations) ranging from 300 to 900 leva per month. We settled for 150 leva a month. There are familiar names from the UK located in Sofia including:
Deloitte
Sofia is the shoes and handbags capital of the world, bling to boring, leather to lacquered, it is here in abundance. There are a plethora of shops around the labyrinth called Vitosha Boulevard, it is not necessary to stray too far from the pedestrianised section in the ‘Centrum’. Please beware, there are designer names to make your gullible friends envious, sadly most of the designers would not recognise the items as their own work.
It is important to recognise Sofia for what it actually is – a haven for probably over two million (and that would seem just the cars), bound by systems the majority try to ‘cheat’, hot in the summer and not-so in the winter. However, it is not like the cast of a UK soap opera with 000’s of mediocre characters, it is either black or white with grey at a cost. Corruption is rife, from the traffic police (KAT) to politicians, gypsies to ‘Joe the Plumber’. Be aware, there is no complicity with Trading Standards (or whatever their latest UK genre maybe).
Then, there is the bad news? A friend described Sofia as the bad relative you choose to ignore the faults of, and appreciate the qualities instead. The nightlife is fantastic, Vitosha mountain more so, shops in abundance, the women beautiful and finally it is so unlike the rest of Bulgaria. The last part is difficult to comprehend as Bulgaria is diverse, cultured and exciting. The potholes, uphill struggle to achieve the simplest goal and unswerving bureaucracy simply add to the charm of Sofia (and the alcohol manufacturer’s profits).
We believe the important details for inclusion in Sofia.Go are answers to the day-to-day issues, rather than the date of the next trade mission from Kurdistan or the contact details for the Congolese representative in Sofia, that is until we stand corrected. This section is in two parts, the first with information predominantly for the business traveller and the second for the tourist, please read both.
Information for the business traveller
Accountants
As with everything in Bulgaria it is important to specify what is required rather than just to accept what may be supplied! For instance, for our humble requirements, we received offers (not estimates or quotations) ranging from 300 to 900 leva per month. We settled for 150 leva a month. There are familiar names from the UK located in Sofia including:
Deloitte
(t) 802 3300Ernst & Young
(t) 817 7100Grant Thornton
(t) 980 5500KPMG
(t) 980 5340Price Waterhouse Cooper
(t) 935 5200The significant advantage of these brands compared with the multitudes of local accountants will generally be that English is spoken.
Banks
There is no pretence in Bulgaria, as with the UK, of professionalism or providing a service. The simplest service takes an eternity, is signed and stamped in duplicate. An application is generally begrudgingly processed or declined often with a simple ‘Ne’, more often that not there is no response at all, this also means ‘Ne’?
The majority of banks are now foreign owned, though spoken English remains the exception rather than the rule. Bank transfers into Bulgaria are not complicated, be wary of outgoing transfers exceeding 5,000 euro. Regulation in Bulgaria is strict, the Bulgarian National Bank (the Bulgarian equivalent of the Bank of England) guarantees deposits in all Bulgarian-based banks to 50,000 leva. This makes deposit accounts very attractive compared to the UK with a range of international banks offering very favourable terms. The banks include Alpha Bank (Greek), ccb (Bulgarian), Tokuda Bank (Japan), MKB Unionbank (Hungarian), Raiffeisen Bank (Austrian) and CIBank (Flemish). The terms vary from a six month contract, with minimum deposit of 100 Leva to an annual return of 9.5%. For further information please do not hesitate to contact info@SOFIAGO.com, please be advised that we will not act as an intermediary.
Car Hire
CarRent
(t) 960 1408Dollar Thrifty Rent A Car
(t) 931 6000Europcar
(t) 945 9266Winners Group
(t) 858 5006Chemists (open 24/7) [Bulgarian: AПТЕКА]
Galen
1 Skobelov Blvd (t) 951 6632Pharmatel
1 G M Dimitrov Blvd (t) 962 2222Saldzhi
35 Vitosha Blvd (t) 980 5896Sofilski Apteki
5 Sveta Nedelya Sq (t) 987 5089Conference Facilities
Central Hotel
(t) 981 2364Central Forum Hotel
(t) 954 4444Couriers
City Express
(t) 91212DHL Express Bulgaria EOOD
(t) 93094 50 Patriarh Evtimij Blvd 36 Dragan Tzankov Blvd 10 Prodan Tarakchiev StrSEMA Express OOD
(t) 942 4110Exhibition Centres
The two main business exhibition centres in Sofia are the National Palace of Culture (known locally as NDK) which is located in the Centrum and Inter Expo Center located near the airport. Both websites are available in English, details below:
Congress Centre – Sofia
National Palace of Culture
(t) 916 6369Inter Expo Centre
(t) 965 5230Office Accommodation
Business Park Sofia
(t) 489 9081Interpred World Trade Centre
(t) 969 5220Regus
(t) 805 7575Sterling Serviced Office Group
(t) 926 4111Office Supplies
Multirama
(t) 400 6620Office 1 Superstore
(t) 070 010 700Office Express
(t) 080 018 080Solicitors
As with the UK, the majority of Solicitors tend to specialise so ensure that your chosen Solicitor is ‘fit for purpose’. There is a particularly useful legal guide printed in English, called Invest Bulgaria 2008, which contains special editorials by leading law firms in Bulgaria. The website www.investbg.government.bg is also has an English-language option.
The cost of legal representation is generally cheaper, by the hour, than in the UK. Please consider, briefs will be strictly adhered to but the notion of not commercially viable will often be overlooked. A number of reputable practices follow alphabetically, fee rates vary from approximately 40 to 200 euro per hour, E indicates that English is spoken:
Borislav Boyanov & Co
(t) 981 3007Dimitrov, Deevska, Vitanova & Antonov
(t) 980 4166 Djingov, Gouginski, Kyutchukov & Velichkov
(t) 932 1100Georgiev, Todorov Co
(t) 937 6500Lega Consulting
(t) 852 7511M Carroll
1 Graf Ignatiev Str fl.2 (t) 980 0625Novel Consult
(t) 988 5709Seplex Law Offices
(t) 930 0907Toncheva & Partners
(t) 963 4700Information for the tourist
Mount Vitosha and Vitosha National Park
Less than the digits on your hand equate to the number of capital cities with a mountain in close proximity. The peak of Vitosha, Cherni Vrah (meaning black top in Bulgarian), elevation of some 2,290m above sea level and the fourth highest mountain in Bulgaria. From the Thracian meaning of twin peaks or two parts, Vitosha is documented earlier than 500BC. Throughout the ages it has been a refuge from the Barbarians, epidemics such as the Black Death, for children from the Turks and latterly fresh air and beauty away from the centre of Sofia.
Over 1,000,000 years ago, Vitosha emerged from a sea bed as a result of friction between Techtronic plates and subsequent volcanic eruptions resulting in three plateaus. The last of these plateaus is approximately 1,150 metres above sea level, the next averaging 1,550 metres and the final from approximately 300 metres below Cherni Vrah. Mount Vitosha lies south of Sofia with a range of over 311 square kilometres, an average height of around 1,380 metres (making it the second highest average behind Rila at about 1,550 metres). Around the peaks, winter lasts for seven months, the summer only July and August, March has the greatest snowfall and a North-South wind averaging just over 10 metres per second makes for the second-most windy range in Bulgaria. Mount Vitosha is known locally as the lungs of Sofia, albeit that Sofia is to the North!
After tree-fellers and cave-dwellers (who took the branches as firewood) had done their worst, the flora and fauna on Vitosha prevented erosion. Over 1,800 different plants are to be found on Mount Vitosha, approximately half of the species in Bulgaria, 150 types of trees and bushes cover half the mountain with a broad-leafed forest between 1,500 to 1,700 metres. Densely planted Spruce are to be found below the grass covered peaks abundant with Blackberry and Juniper bushes. During the spring and summer 52 varieties of Red Book (endangered species) plants including Snow Drops, Peroni, Globe flower and Mountain Lily provide decorative ground cover. Vitosha is home to 10 breeds of amphibians, 12 reptiles, 50 small mammals, 200 birds and 1,800 vertebrates, the most noteworthy include deer, wild boar, bears and venomous snakes (but only two species!).
Vitosha became the first national park in the Balkans on the 27 October 1934 and its protection has increased from 6,401 hectares originally to an awesome 26,606 hectares today. Two reserves are to be found to the South, Bistritsa (named after the local village) covering 1,061 hectares achieved UNESCO listing in 1977 and is populated by Spruce. Torf (meaning peat) covers 1,041 hectares near Cherni Vrah, over 1,500 years old with peat layered up to 60 cm deep, provides the ideal eco-climate for over 300 varieties of moss and 500 varieties of seaweed plus scores of rare wild flowers.
Three suburbs of Sofia, namely Simeonovo, Dragalevtsi and Boyana are the Northern gateway to the mountain. From there, emergency shelters lacking amenities such as toilets, provide respite from the 290 kilometres of trails. The first such shelter is Aleko, named after a symbol of Vitosha – the writer Aleko Konstantinov also depicted on the 100 leva note, is close to the Dendrarium. Other of the numerous shelters include Fonfon, Kumata, Tintiava, Momina Skala and Edelweiss. 13.6 kilometres of piste (some with night lighting), two gondolas, four chair-lifts and seven drag-lifts make for a unique ski and board resort. Man-made lakes, mountain springs on the first plateau, roaring swallow holes and then rivers including Struma and Palakarya wind through beautiful valleys to make the perfect haven off-piste for three of the seasons. The Boyana river cascades down a 15 metre sheer face producing spray and the ultimate challenge for ice climbers in winter. Tamer challenges include Komnite, near the Boyana waterfall, and also the most dangerous 250 metre east-face of Golyam Rezen! The area around Bosnek, to the South-West of the mountain, hosts 38 caves and the most famous are Akademik, Chichovtsi and Pepelyanka. Pepelyaka’s snow white walls present the most dangerous of experiences, legend has it that explorers would leave their shoes at the entrance to alert the need for potential rescue. Dukhlata is the largest cave in Bulgaria, 18 kilometres in length with caverns to 70 metres high, six underground rivers weave a path through seven floors and home to an array stalactites and stalagmites (the average growth of which are 0.13 mm a year). Another symbol of Vitosha is Moreni, ‘stone rivers’ up to two kilometres long and spanning 50 metres, formed during the ice age and whose waters are hidden below a multitude of boulders.
Find yourself a summer house, bring a camera and take away a collection of memories. With minimal expense Vitosha is guaranteed to provide maximum enjoyment, please tell your friends but no too many of them!