Sofia, Bulgaria

Sofia, with over 1.3 million inhabitants in 2014, is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria, functioning as the country’s economic, administrative, and cultural hub. The key factors contributing toward its establishment as the metropolis it is today are its location at a strategic crossroad on the Sofia Plain and slopes of Vitosha Mountain, and having both thermal and cold springs within its confines. Due to its geographical location in western Bulgaria along the route from the western Balkan Peninsula to Turkey, transportation policy has featured prominently in government agendas, including infrastructure improvements to boost accessibility and connectivity to domestic and international destinations.

Thousands of years ago, the city’s original settlers, the Thracian tribe Serdi, recognized its strategic location and favorable natural and geographic characteristics and ...