Sofia’s architecture reflects its ancient history and its Greek, Roman and Ottoman heritage. However, today it is a modern city with a young, smart population, and when you also consider Bulgaria’s ultra-low corporation tax rate, Sofia is a great place to do present-day business too.
Corporate city apartments in Sofia are a fantastic choice for the business traveller who wants their own private space. Each property offers their own cooking, dining and washing facilities, which you wouldn’t get in a hotel room, all at a very competitive rate too. Serviced apartments in Sofia are also well-maintained thanks to housekeeping services and the on-site laundry facilities they have. These Sofia apartments essentially offer a fully self-catered experience, although several do serve excellent breakfasts. If you want to dine out, rather than cook for yourself, of course, you can go to any of the excellent restaurants in the heart of Sofia.
Serviced apartments can also be much more convenient than hotel rooms as places to do business. Guests have access to free WiFi and some buildings even have professional meeting rooms or at least places to enjoy a coffee. 'Choice' really is the keyword here – you choose a Situ fully equipped, serviced apartment in Sofia that offers what you want.
Sofia is the capital and the largest city in Bulgaria. Sofia has a population of 1,236,000, meaning that the city is home to around one in six Bulgarians. It is located in the west of the country, around 30 miles east of the Serbian border. Plovdiv, the country’s second-largest city, is 82 miles to the south-east. Varna and Burgas are the third and fourth-largest cities in the country and both are located on the Black Sea, more than 200 miles to the east of Sofia.
Sofia is close to the Vitosha Mountain too, at an elevation of 500 metres. This makes Sofia one of the highest capital cities in Europe. Sofia may not be centrally located within Bulgaria, but it is still at the heart of the transport network, with an international airport and a railway station that is served by several domestic and international destinations. The capital is also connected by the A1 and A2 highways, which provide routes to Plovdiv, Varna and Burgas.
Bulgaria experienced a period of high economic growth following its accession to the European Union in 2008. Nowadays, the capital does tend to dominate the country’s economy to some degree, accounting for more than 40% of Bulgaria’s GDP. It has the most educated workforce in the country and the lowest unemployment rate.
To illustrate just how well educated the people of Sofia are, the city is home to no less than 23 universities, 51% of Sofia’s population have a degree, and around one-third of those aged between 19 and 34 report being fluent to at least intermediate level in a foreign language – the most common languages being English, Russian and German.
The most major industries in Sofia include information technology, higher education, creative industries and Business Process Outsourcing. Many businesses have been encouraged to relocate to Bulgaria and the capital city because of the very low corporation tax rate (10%). It is no wonder new serviced apartments in Sofia are emerging more and more across the city.
At 2,290 metres above sea level, Vitosha towers above the city of Sofia. You can catch the metro to the foot of the mountain, then if you don’t fancy the four-hour hike, there’s a breath-taking cable car ride where you can see the incredible city views. In the winter, the mountain is a popular skiing destination. Sofia has perhaps the most interesting and eccentric collection of religious architecture you will find anywhere too. From the copper and golden domes of St. Alexander Nevski Cathedral and the early 20th-century Russian style St. Nikolas Church, to the 900-year-old Boyana Church, now recognised as a World Heritage Site.
To escape the bustle of the city, some savvy tourists head to Zapaden Park, to the west of the centre. It’s on the metro system, and it’s one of the less busy Sofia parks, so it can be a lovely, peaceful spot. Sofia is home to some world-class restaurants as well. Visitors to Cosmos say that it is so good, the fine dining experience starts with the bread course! What follows is a superb tasting menu or regular menu of Bulgarian-inspired meat and fish dishes. Este offers a superb pan-European dining experience, and the restaurant is particularly noted for its seafood and steaks.
To put it briefly, there’s so much to see and do in Sofia. The easiest way to make sure you don’t miss anything would be to stay in a city centre Sofia apartment.
Sofia’s airport serves 70 international destinations, which include Manchester, Liverpool, Bristol, London Luton, London Heathrow and London Gatwick.
The airport is just six miles to the east of the city centre, and with the fast and efficient metro system, you can reach your city apartment in Sofia within 20 minutes. There's also an airport shuttle service.
The metro system, opened in 1998, comprises 43 stops on four connected lines. Locations with metro stations and stops include the central railway station, the University, the National Stadium, the Business Park and Zapaden Park.
Sofia’s central train station is located around one mile to the north of the city centre and serves domestic destinations including:
Plovdiv - with a train typically departing every one or two hours, for a three-hour journey.
Varna – a few trains per day for the eight-hour journey.
Burgas – a few trains per day for a six-hour journey.
International destinations served from Sofia include:
Bucharest (Romania) - one train per day, for a journey of 10 hours.
Istanbul (Turkey) - a daily overnight train, taking 11 hours.
Belgrade (Serbia) - one train per day, taking around nine hours, and runs from June to September only.
Internal destinations served by buses from Sofia include Plovdiv, Burgas, Bansko, Ruse and Veliko Tarnovo. The city bus station also serves 18 other European countries.
Please contact a member of our team to find out more about serviced properties in Bulgaria and how you could base yourself with walking distance of public transport facilities across the city and country.
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