The capital city, Sofia

Today, Sofia is a cosmopolitan city. Like any other European capital it is the hub of the country's political, business and cultural life, the centre of various international events. There are many theatres, an Opera house, an Operetta, concert halls, cinemas, museums and galleries.

The city has a university (founded 1889) and numerous other educational and cultural facilities. It is the see of an Eastern Orthodox metropolitan and of a Roman Catholic bishop and also retains many old churches, mosques, and synagogues.

Landmarks include the parliament building, the state opera house, the former royal palace, the Church of St. George (4th-5th cent.), the Church of St. Sofia (6th-7th cent.), the Banya Bashi mosque (1474), and the Alexander Nevski Cathedral.