General information and infrastructure
Territory - 1,311 sq. km
Number of population centers - 59
Population - 1,200,000
The capital of the Republic of Bulgaria, Sofia, is located in the Sofia Plain at an altitude of 550 m above sea level. An important factor that makes Sofia attractive to investors is its well developed infrastructure. The good road network and telecommunications help the integration of urban areas, improve workforce mobility and the access to various types of services. The transport system of the capital is an important part of the national transport system. Sofia is the country's most important railway junction and provides an outlet to the inside of the country along 5 routes. Automobile transport has good development perspectives due to that Sofia is the crossing point of three transport corridors - No. 4, No. 8 and No. 10. The electric power grid is about 8,000 km long. Over 5,000 electric power substations were constructed. The length of the district heating network is about 850 km. Over 85 thousand street lighting fittings are in place. The street network has a length of about 2,700 km and an area of 30 sq. km. The total length of the water supply network is 2,655 km. The treatment of potable water is carried out by two plants - Pancharevo and Bistritsa. The city has a waste water treatment plant in the village of Koubratovo. The tram network has an operational length of 190 km. Trolley lines are 93 km. The automobiles registered on the territory of the municipality were about 520,000 in 2002. (440 per 1,000 residents). The first ring of the subway, with eight stations and a total length of about 10 km, is now operational.
Economy and business
The municipal companies of importance to the city's development are: Metropoliten EAD - managing the subway, Patishta i Saorajenia (Roads and Facilities) EAD - maintaining the roads, Egida - Sofia EAD - the security company in charge of public order; Stolichna Kompania za Gradski Transport - Sofia EOOD (Capital City Public Transport Company), Sofiyska voda AD (Sofia Water). Sofia municipality manages over 86,000,000 sq. m of land and 38,000,000 sq. m of forests. All sectors of industry are represented in Sofia's economy; there are about 43,556 small and medium-sized enterprises and 800 large business entities. The priority sector is industry (about 250 enterprises). 75% of ferrous metallurgy, 60% of the printing industry, 18-20% of electric and electronic industry, 15% of clothes and footwear industry are concentrated in Sofia. Also developed are the chemical, textile and food & beverages industries. The branches of District Heating and Energy, Construction, Trade, and Transport companies are well developed. The services sector - from medical, through to recreational and educational and transport and financial - has a share from 25 to 75%. The financial and insurance sectors are also dynamically developing. Over 70% of all operations for the country are carried out in offices and branches in Sofia. Foreign investments for the period 1992 - 2003 amount to US $ 2,905 million, which accounts for over 42 % of direct investment in the country. For the past 5 years alone a total US $ 2,365 million were invested in the municipality. Sofia is a region of sustainable economic growth in the medium-term and long term perspective. Its key advantages include: convenient location and easy access - airport, railway and road communications; adequate power supply; concentration of management offices and state institutions; good technical and social infrastructure; large regional market; qualified workforce; well-developed industrial, R&D and educational facilities.
Strategic goal
To establish adequate conditions for the development of Sofia as part of the system of first-rate European cities and to achieve a higher degree of intensity and balance in the areas surrounding the urban centre. The major objectives listed in the city's Development Strategy are: "Opening up" of the capital in all geographic directions; Development of the technical infrastructure and establishing Sofia as a communications centre for Southeastern Europe; The passage of European corridors through the region by providing roadways and related activities; Achieving a balance in Sofia's development by imposing restrictions on the development of labor intensive and non-traditional production and activities; Providing terrains and opportunities for development of services, research and development and new technologies; Ensuring the competitiveness and a new position for Sofia as an urban center of European scale; Conducting new industrial policy through restructuring in favor of light and environmentally friendly industry while applying modern technological solutions; Improving the large urban residential areas.
Strategic projects and opportunities for foreign investments
The "External Investments" division provides assistance in the implementation of large investment projects and designs projects under international and government programs; Some of the more important ones include: Strategy for the development of Sofia; Concession of the water and sewerage system of Sofia; Project for the replacement of public transport vehicles; Parking space strategy for the city of Sofia; Construction of housing for socially disadvantaged Roma families; Rehabilitation and expansion of the existing Waste Water Treatment Plant; Dialogue for sustainable development between the cities (Berlin, Vienna, Budapest, Prague and Sofia Developing an Action plan for improving the energy efficiency of buildings; Feasibility study into the introduction of a Public Transport Management System; Establishing the Sofia Energy Agency SOFENA; Project å-munIS: Municipal information e-services - implementing the best European practices; Regional integration and development of the metropolitan areas of Southeastern Europe - Thessaloniki, Sofia, Skopje and Tirana. From the beginning of 2004 Sofia municipality is represented in the Sustainable Development Network managed by the Vienna municipality and financed by the European Commission; two projects in the field of energy efficiency were proposed for financing by the Network.
Priority investment projects:
Development of the Sofia subway - by design it should have 3 rings of total length of 54 km, 48 subway stations and daily capacity to carry over 1 million passengers. The first ring is planned to be finalized with the construction of the section between Interpred and Mladost stations. Transport project: modernization of the tram system; purchase of new trolley-buses and buses; introducing a new passenger charging system; a traffic control system; renewal of the tram lines. Solid Household Waste Treatment Plant: The project foresees the construction and operation of a household waste treatment technology by the end of 2005. A joint company has been incorporated between Capital City Municipality and Kremikovtsi AD and currently a strategic partner is sought to participate in the investment, construction and operation of the plant; the investor will be granted a 20-year concession on the treatment of the city's solid waste. Construction of housing for socially disadvantaged Roma families: A pilot project for social inclusion of the Roma people. Railway station square - Rotunda - Central Railway Station Sofia - The project foresees the reconstruction of the square in front of Sofia Railway Station. "Beautiful Bulgaria" Program- Central Spa Bath; the Ariana Lake. Forthcoming investment projects of Sofia municipality: Connection Todor Kableshkov Blvd - the project goal is to improve the transport infrastructure of the city by creating a new tangential connection and diverting the traffic away from the city centre; Connection Pencho Slaveykov Blvd in the section from Ivan Rilski Street to Slivnitsa Blvd; Zhitnitsa Blvd from Houbcha Street to Ovcha Kupel Blvd Transport junction Freight Railway Station; Connection Prof. Milko Bichev; Al. Malinov Blvd from A. Popov Str. to Roman Avramov Str; Transport Junction Sofia Bypass Road - Mladost Residential Area.
Natural sights, monuments of culture, Environmental Protection and Tourism
Sofia has three basic functions in the system of recreation and tourism: informative and business tourism for visitors to the city; daily and weekend recreation of local residents; short-term daily and weekly recreation of residents from other settlements around the capital city. The natural scenery of the city is defined by the Balkan Range, Vitosha Mountain, and Lulin Mountain. The mountains close to Sofia are attractive places for recreation and tourism. Some of these feature tourist centers of national and international significance, for example the winter tourism and sports complex Aleko in Vitosha Mountain. The natural tourist potential of Sofia runs along three major recreation and tourism sites: the Vitosha Nature Park, Pancharevo Lake and Iskar artificial lake. Vitosha Nature Park - very few European cities have a mountain that is so close and easily accessible, rising to the south of the city to a height of 2290 m. Vitosha was declared a national park in 1934. About 60 km of asphalt and pavement roads have been constructed. The length of network of paths and alleys exceeds 270 km. The nature park includes two reserves - Bistrishko Branishte and Torfeno Branishte, and several sites of natural beauty - the Boyanski Waterfall, the Samokovishteto Waterfall on the Bistritsa River, the Douhlata cave (the longest cave in Bulgaria, on 6 levels, with 6 galleries) etc. From Cherni Vrah (2290 m) the Rila mountain and the Balkan range can be clearly seen, alongside with the silhouette of the Rhodopes. The natural conditions on Vitosha are suitable for skiing. There are two existing skiing centers. Aleko is the oldest and largest skiing centre. It is located at an altitude of 1,800 m above sea level. The highest point for skiing is Cherni Vrah. Three hotels were built at this skiing center - Shtastlivetsa, Prostor and Moreni, a number of rest houses and one hostel - Aleko. A number of specialized sports facilities are installed - a gondola lift from the Simeonovo Residential Area to Shastlivetsa, the Vitoshko Lale downhill racing ski-slope, jogging tracks etc. The ski-slopes are divided according to the degree of difficulty and are suitable for both beginners and skilled skiers. The second skiing center - Zlatni Mostove, is located on the northwest slopes of the mountain. A gondola lift was constructed from Knyazhevo Residential Area to the Golyamoto Kopito Peak at an altitude of 1,350 m, where the Kopitoto hotel & restaurant was built. There is another restaurant near the Zlatnite Mostove "stone river", and above Zlatnite Mostove the skiing center Konyarnika-Vetrovala was constructed with one larger rope-line and two smaller ones. The tourist facilities, including accommodation and infrastructure facilities create favorable conditions for winter recreation. The Pancharevo Lake zone is only 15 km to the southeast of Sofia and covers the banks of the Pancharevo Lake. Its length is 4 km, and its width ranges from 100 to 400 m. It has a beach strip of 1,300 m. This zone is used for water sports, fishing and for and balneology therapy. The rowing channel hosts national and international competitions. Accommodation facilities include several vacation homes owned by different institutions with a capacity over 500 beds, a camping site accommodating 40 people and a two-storey hotel. The mineral water in the village of Pancharevo has a temperature of 48ϗ, it is slightly mineralized and is suitable for a number of medical conditions. Iskar Artificial Lake Recreation Zone covers the banks of the Iskar Artificial Lake, which is 37 km from the capital city. It is suitable for short-term recreation activities near the water, water sports and fishing. Its accommodation capacity is about 600 mostly in vacation homes and a camping site accommodating 40. Catering facilities include the Shtarkelovo Gnezdo (Stork's Nest) restaurant and several smaller catering establishments and cafes. Sailing facilities were established in this zone. The water basins near Souhodol, Bankya, Chepintsi and Botounets are independent tourist sites with their own beach strips and water sports facilities. They have swimming pools, well-kept parks for walk and recreation. Sofia is a popular balneology center. Within the city itself and in the vicinity there are a number of natural and drilled hydrothermal sources. The more important balneology centers include Sofia-centre, Bankya (17 km from Sofia), Ovcha Koupel and Gorna Banya. One of the capital's characteristic traits are its green areas - urban and suburban woodland parks - Borisova Gradina, the South Park, West Park, a number of gardens. Green areas total 16.5 sq.km. Sofia also boasts a number of man-made tourist resources. Its cultural and historical landmarks, archaeological monuments and architectural landmarks attract most of the attention of visitors. Still preserved and accessible for sight-seers are parts of the city walls of old Serdika - the East Gate, the Triangular Tower. The St. George Rotunda of 4th c., the medieval Petka Samardjiska Church, the St. Sofia Church, several mosques. Most of the architectural landmarks constructed since Bulgaria's Liberation from Turkish Domination are located in downtown Sofia. Today many cultural establishments are located in buildings of architectural value. These include the Ivan Vazov National Theatre House, the National Assembly, Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski, the National Library Saints Cyril and Methodius, the Holy Synod, the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, the Bulgarian National Bank etc. Sofia is rich in monuments reflecting the respect and admiration of Bulgarians to heroic events and personalities. These are the monuments to Vasil Levski, Ivan Vazov, Paisiy Hilendarski, Patriarch Evtimiy, Saints Cyril and Methodius, St Kliment Ohridski, the Tsar Liberator, the Russian monument, the Doctors' monument, the Writers' Alley in the Borisova Gradina Park and many others. The museums in the capital city attracting the most visitors include: The National Museum of History, the Museum of Archaeology, the National Museum of Science and Nature, the The Earth and the People National Museum, the National Museum of Science and Technology, the National Museum of Literature, the National Museum of Military History, the National Ethnographic Museum, the Ecclesiastical Museum of History and Archaeology. There are also a number of museum houses commemorating prominent writers and public personalities. The most popular places of worship and religious monuments are the St. Alexander Nevski Memorial Church and its Crypt - the most imposing church on the Balkan Peninsula, the St. Nedelya Church, the Russian Church St. Nicholas, etc The unique Boyana Church St. Nicholas is located in the outskirts of Vitosha, 11th c.; it is included on UNESCO's World Heritage List. Also worth seeing are the many small monasteries around Sofia known as "Sofiska Mala Sveta Gora" (the Small Sofia Mount Athos). Most of them are still functioning. Apart from the churches and monasteries, two remarkable places of worship of the Moslem and Jewish faith are also the focus of interest: Banyabashi Mosque and the Synagogue. Sofia is a modern city providing numerous opportunities to attend cultural events and places of entertainment. The choices of cultural events in the capital city include concerts by the Sofia Philharmonic, the performances of the Sofia Opera House, theatre performances by over twenty theatres, art galleries. The National Palace of Culture is the largest multifunctional congress centre in Southeastern Europe, with numerous state-of-the-art performance facilities for concerts and performances, conference halls etc. Some of the larger hotels in Sofia are the Sheraton, the Hilton, the Kempinski Hotel Zografski, , the Princess, the Rodina, the Moskva Park-Hotel, the Sofia Grand Hotel, Rila, as well as a number of catering and entertainment establishments. .
Associations, memberships, twin-cities and partnerships
Membership in international organizations: AIMF - Association Internationale des Mairies Francophones, International Association of Mayors of French-speaking Capitals and Cities; Metropolis - World Association of the Major Metropolises; ICLEI - International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives EURICITIES - an international non-governmental organization based in Brussels, Belgium. Cooperation with other capital cities and towns: Vienna, Berlin, Madrid; Paris - Friendship and co-operation agreement; Brussels - Framework Agreement for co-operation; Strasbourg - "Strasbourg Club"; Barcelona - Protocol for co-operation. Milan - Protocol for collaboration; Lisbon - Co-operation agreement; Bucharest, Hamburg, Munich, Leipzig, Stuttgart, Rabat, Beirut - Agreement of understanding; Hanoi - Agreement for co-operation; Moscow - Agreement between the government of the city of Moscow and the Mayor's Office of the city of Sofia for economic, scientific and cultural co-operation; Kiev - Agreement for long-term co-operation; Kuwait - Memorandum of co-operation; Amman - Agreement for friendship and co-operation.
Sofia is the co-founder of the EuroBalkans Euroregion Nish- Skopje- Sofia Triangle; International program for technical co-operation between Sofia municipality - Bulgaria, Columbus County -USA and the municipality of Nish- Serbia; CLARAE Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe at the Council of Europe; Representation office of the city of Sofia in Brussels - June 2004.
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