Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria located at the foot of Vitosha Mountain in the western part of the country, only 50 km from the Serbian border. It has a population of 1,300,000.

It is situated in western Bulgaria, in the Sofia Valley that is surrounded by the Balkan mountains to the north. Three mountain passes lead to the city, which have been key roads since antiquity, Vitosha being the watershed between Black and Aegean Seas. Sofia is one of the highest capitals of Europe, altitude of the city is 550 meters, and the surrounding mountains reaching over 2000 meters.

The city has 16 universities, including the University of Technology and the University "St. Kliment Ohridski", founded in 1888.

This Orthodox metropolis has a multitude of churches, among which the most important are Church of Saint George, Saint Sophia, the Church of the Holy Week and the Patriarchal Cathedral, Temple of Alexander Nevsky.