Fast facts

• Bulgaria's capital city
• Population: 1.37 million
• Currency: Bulgarian Leva
• Conversion rate: £1 = 2.9 Leva (May 06)
• IDD country code: +359; Sofia 2
• Flying time from London: 3 hours, 10 minutes

Sofia's history dates back more than 2,000 years, making it one of the oldest of Europe's capital cities. A stroll through its city centre still reveals the architectural influence of the Romans, Byzantines, Bulgarians, Ottoman Turks and Soviet-inspired communists.

Located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha, Sofia is the administrative, cultural, and industrial centre of the country. Vitosha's hulking presence ensures hiking, climbing and skiing are all available on Sofia's doorstep, with Vitosha National Park a haven for outdoor enthusiasts and mineral resorts nestle in the foothills.

Sofia may not offer visitors quite the grandeur of many European capitals, but its tree-lined cobbled streets are steeped in Balkan history and cry out to be explored on foot. Its key location - it is reached via three mountain passes - have historically made it vital link connecting the Adriatic Sea and Central Europe with the Aegean and Black Seas.

With the Communist years now a fast-fading memory and with Bulgaria largely having escaped the ethnic turbulence that has engulfed most of the Balkan Peninsula, Sofia is a destination in vogue.

Although bleak Communist-era apartment blocks ring the city, the centre is a charming mix of ancient and modern. Leafy boulevards and parks share space with skateboard rinks and on busy streets the occasional donkey cart goes seemingly unnoticed by locals talking animatedly on the latest slimline mobile phones.

Sofia is a city of parks, filled with fountains, sculptures, cafes and music and are a great place to kick back and enjoy Bulgarian music which, like its cuisine, is a lively mix of East and West. Other historical gems include the 10th-century Boyana Church (a UNESCO World Heritage protected sites) and the early Byzantine Church of St Sophia.

Energetic Nightlife

The city boasts a booming film industry but its real economic strength lies in the manufacturing sector, including metal, textiles, rubber, leather and electronic goods. Sofia is also the country's financial hub. Increasingly the city is attracting attention as an outsourcing location for Western European and American multinationals.

Downtown Sofia is one of the most energetic centres of any major European city, with its heavy concentration of bars, shops, clubs and pubs in full-on mode seven days a week. It's difficult to wander far in any direction without stumbling across an enticing selection of bars, from the ubiquitous Irish pubs on Graff Ignatiev Street to the many watering holes clustered around the National Palace of Culture.

Drinks and food are incredibly cheap and with seemingly no drinking age laws in force expect to see a very young crowd in many nightspots. Further afield, the student suburb of Studentski Grad is also a centre of no-holds-barred nightlife.

Getting around the city is easy - and cheap, with the many taxis the best way to get around the city centre if walking doesn't appeal. English is the most commonly spoken foreign language, although the harsh Slavic accents are sometimes challenging to decipher. And if you are at a loss for what to do next, check out Sofia's English-language newspaper, www.sofiaecho.com, which has the latest information on local events.

Rakia is the Bulgarian alcoholic staple - grappa brandy with an almost demonic strength that is a definite trap for the first-time imbiber. A litre can cost you less than £4.00 and is likely to improve your chances of appreciating chalga - Bulgarian folk music featuring oriental influences crossed with belly dancing.

Communist Kitsch

The Golden arches and Colonel Sanders beckon fast fooders but the Balkans are not the place to play it safe when it comes to local cuisine, with its Mediterranean and Central Asian influences. Shopska salad is a Bulgarian staple featuring tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, green peppers and generous helpings of feta cheese. Be warned - it is almost always accompanied by shots of chilled rakia. Also worth your attention is tarator, a cold soup of yoghurt, water, cucumbers, parsley, salt and olive oil.

The street market in front of the majestic golden domed Aleksandr Nevsky Cathedral is a Mecca for bargain seekers - offering everything from Byzantine coins and Second World War helmets to communist era kitsch such as cheap Lenin busts.

For a totally different market experience, seek out the Sofia's summer farmers' market along Graf Ignatiev, where vendors' tables groan with piles of grapes, plums, figs and melons.

Bulgaria's capital has a well developed transport network featuring underground trains, trolley buses and international rail and road links. However, the boom in private car ownership of the past decade means traffic congestion is a growing headache.
Sofia is a short flight from the UK, with flights from Gatwick, Heathrow and Manchester offered by BA, Bulgaria Air, Wizz and Hemus Air.

Choose carefully when you visit - winters are bone-chillingly cold and high summer sizzles uncomfortably, w. In June, July and August average temperatures can reach the high twenties, and humidity and rain storms can also be a nuisance. December to February are often below freezing - but ideal for winter sports enthusiasts.