| TRAVEL >
The best of Sofia
Written by: Anita Lišková & Todd Shaw
Photo by: Tomáš Kubeš
Dramatically ringed by the Balkan mountains to the north and the
Vitosha mountains to the south, this former Ottoman stronghold
offers the visitor everything from thermal springs and tree-lined
boulevards to street bazaars and a vast array of architectural
styles.
Dimitar Pechlivanov
Press and cultural attaché, Bulgarian embassy
Favorite hotels: Kempinski Hotel Zografski, 100 James
Bourchier Blvd., tel.: +359 2 62 518
Hilton Sofia, 1, Bulgaria Blvd., tel.: +359 2 933 5000,
Radisson SAS, 4 Narodno Sabranie Square 1000, tel.: +359 2
9334 334
Favorite restaurant: Pod Lipite, 1 Elin Pelin Str. Lozenec,
tel.: +359 2 668 214
Favorite night clubs: Biblioteka, Vasil Levski 100, tel.: +359
2 943 39 78
Caramba, 4 Tzar Osvoboditel Blvd., tel.: +359 2 978 07 78
Favorite attraction: Sofialand for children and adults.
Favorite shops: Vitosha street - lots of expensive stores.
Advice: Visit Vitosha mountain range and the Russian cathedral "Alexander
Nevski". |
Armin
Zerunyan
general manager, Hilton Prague
Favorite hotel: Hilton Sofia, 1, Bulgaria Blvd., tel.:
+359 2 933 5000
Favorite restaurant: Una Enoteca, 45 Vassil Levski Blvd.,
tel.: +359 2 983 55 81
Favorite night clubs: Chervilo, Tzar Osvoboditel 9, tel.:
+359 2 981 66 33
Biblioteka, Vasil Levski 100, tel.: +359 2 943 39 78
Favorite attraction: Vitosha mountain
Best-kept secret: Bulgarian red wines
Advice: Don't use your credit card outside of the hotel,
pay cash.
|
Zdeněk Pernica
director, Pernica - Business center
Favorite hotel: Hrankov Castle Hotel, 53 Krusheva Gradina
St., Dragaleutzi, tel.: +359 2 967 29 29
This is a luxury hotel located in an attractive part of the
city, in Dragalevec, next to the Vitosha mountains.
Favorite restaurant: Captain Cook, 12 Pencho Slaveikov Blvd.,
tel.: +359 2 954 90 98
Newly opened luxury restaurant offering seafood specialities.
Some meals are prepared directly in front of costumers. This
restaurant is well-known throughout the country.
Favorite night club: Dali, 6 Shipka St., tel.: +359 2 465
129
Fantastic night club with live Latin-American music. The
show is presented by popular Bulgarian actors and singers.
Favorite attractions: The biggest attraction of Sophia and
all the Balkan peninsula is Sofialand. It is fashioned after
Disneyland in the US or the Pratter in Vienna.
Best-kept secret: Pristine areas in the Vitosha mountain
range with splendid vistas over the Bulgarian capital.
Favorite shops: The ideal place for shopping is Boulevard
Vitosha, where you can find luxury (but not too expensive)
stores selling basically everything.
Advice: Sophia is a city of many faces. It is worth several
days to explore its spirit, history and very warm people.
Then you realize the truth of the motto: "It grows but
it's not getting older." |
|
Basic facts
Location: Western Bulgaria
Country dialing code: 359
Population: 1,200,000
Ethnic mix: 90% Bulgarian, 10% Romanian
Religion: 95% Bulgarian Orthodox, 5% Muslim, Jewish
and other
Time zone: GMT + 2
Electricity: 220 volts AC, 50 Hz; round two-pin or
three-pin plugs
Average January temp: - 2° C (28.5° F)
Average July temp: 22° C (71.5° F)
Annual rainfall: 645 mm (25.4 inches)
|
|
Where on the web?
For further information, we suggest the following websites dedicated
to Sofia:
http://www.explore-sofia.com/ -includes city overview, info on
nightlife, hotels, culture, maps, major attractions and more
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/destinations/europe/bulgaria/attractions.htm -the folks from Lonely Planet travel guides have plenty of online
information for Bulgaria
http://www.hotelsbulgaria.com/ -as the name implies, this page
is basically a search engine for hotel rates and availability
http://www.utell.travel-guides.com/data/Sofia/cityoverview.asp -all-in-one city guide, brought to you by the Utell hotel network
http://www.wunderground.com/global/stations/15614.html -a great
site for weather forecasts to help you plan your packing
http://www.virtualtourist.com/vt/5ca44/ -a strong focus on accommodation,
but also info and an interesting discussion forum for insider's
views.
Business profile
|
Prices
· 1.5-liter bottle of mineral water: BGL 0.5
· 33-cl bottle of beer: BGL 0.9
· Noviny Financial Times / Financial Times newspaper:
BGL 4
· 36-exposure color film: BGL 8
· city-center bus ticket: BGL 0.4
· adult football ticket: BGL 5
· three-course meal with wine/beer: BGL 15
1 bulharské leva / Bulgarian Lev (BGL) = CZK 16.20;
EUR 0.52; USD 0.60
(currency conversion rates as of press time)
Source:
http://www.cityguide.travel-guides.com
|
|
· Bulgaria is among one of the most industrialized former Eastern
Bloc countries. The main industries based in Sofia are machinery,
including farm machinery and car assembly, as well as textiles
and food products. The city was also the center of former Soviet
Bloc high-tech industry and excels in electronics, particularly
computers, software development and the creation of some very nasty
viruses - due to a cadre of young tech-heads with too much free
time.
· Bulgaria is working hard to align its laws with European Union
standards, in the hope of gaining EU membership, although this
looks a long way off. The Bulgarian government is keen to attract
foreign investors and has passed new laws to protect and assist
foreign businesses, attracted primarily by a highly qualified,
computer literate and cheap labor force. The main business districts
in Sofia are located on Vitosha Boulevard and in the Sveta Nedelya
area.
· Bulgarian business people are reserved and often highly suspicious
of an outsider's intentions until the proper introductions and
contacts have been established. Business visitors should request
meetings well in advance - in writing or by fax - and arm themselves
with documents detailing interest and position. People in the higher
ranks are likely to be former Communist party members and thus
stiff officiousness should be prepared for.
· Bulgarians pride themselves on their IT development, and visitors
will be expected to scrutinize the company's website before questions
are entertained. Dress code is standard suit and tie for men, while
women are allowed to dress more daringly - short skirts and plunged
necklines are not uncommon. English is generally well understood,
although it is important for visitors to note that nodding the
head means "no", while shaking the head means "yes".
· Standard office hours are 09:00-18:00. Arrangements should be
kept and punctuality is important. Bureaucracy tends to be slow
and complicated, so patience is essential. However, Bulgarian after-hours
socializing is lively indeed, with a prodigious intake of food
and alcohol - foreigners are advised not to attempt to keep up.
Source: www.cityguide.travel-guides.com
|
