Sofia City Guide

Sofia is Bulgaria's capital and largest city — population 1.24M (city) / 1.55M (metro) — and one of Europe's oldest continuously inhabited capitals (Thracian origins ~7000 BC). The city sits at the foot of Vitosha Mountain (2,290m) with a layered Roman + Byzantine + Ottoman + Soviet-era + post-1989 modern cityscape. Sofia hosts Bulgaria's government, central bank, the rapidly-growing technology cluster (Sofia Tech Park), and the country's professional-services + financial-services + manufacturing employment core. Average residential property prices reached €2,400/m² by January 2026 — roughly 60% cheaper than Lisbon at €5,500+/m². With Bulgaria's January 2026 Eurozone accession + 2024 Schengen membership + 2007 EU accession, Sofia is now a fully-integrated European capital at the EU's most affordable price point.