Property in Sofia

Skiing in Sofia
Vitosha mountain has become very much a part of Sofia owing to its accessibility by means of cabin lifts. Cherni Vrah, the highest point, gives wonderful views over the whole region. The winter ski-resort of Aleko lies at 1,868m altitude and the ski season lasts from December until late spring.The beautiful scenery makes the whole area attractive throughout the year. It is possible to take a 20-minutetaxi ride from the centre of Sofia to the start of the ski lift.The ride to the top of Vitosha takes about another 2omins, so you can be skiing within an hour of leaving the centre.


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Places of Interest in Sofia

Alexander Nevski Memorial Church was completed in 1912 in honour of the Russian casualties of the 1877-8 War of Liberation from Ottoman rule.This gold-domed cathedral is the finest piece of architecture on the Balkans. Craftsmen and artists from six countries worked on the five-aisle church for 30 years and created masterpieces of icons, frescoes, murals and huge chandeliers. Italian marble was used for the interior decoration, and Egyptian alabaster, Brazilian onyx, gold and mosaic embody the spirit of the finest eastern Orthodox traditions.There is a superb collection of icons in the crypt.


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History of the city of Sofia

The city of Sofia is one of the oldest cities in Europe. ‘Sofia’ is in fact the city’s fifth name-after Serdica, Ulpia Serdica, Sredetz and Triaditza. There is data on Serdica’s existence 5,000 years ago, and the earliest written evidence for residents on the lands of Serdica date back to the middle of the first millennium bc.’ Serdica’ (the emphasis being on the first syllable) is the oldest-known name of the town; it originates from ‘Serdi’- one of the 22 Thracian tribes that formed the numerous Thracian people.


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Sofia – Bulgaria

Sofia, Bulgaria’s capital city, is situated in the central-western part of Bulgaria. According to the official data the population of Sofia is about 1.5 million people, but it is estimated that it actually exceeds two million. Sofia is the crossroads of important international routes from western Europe to Istanbul via Belgrade, and from Greece and Macedonia to the Commonwealth of Independent States. There are daily connections to a number of Balkan and European cities.

Sofia has the largest expatriate community in Bulgaria, with foreign compass, diplomatic missions and the headquarters of large Bulgarian companies jostling for space. It is the only region in the country where there has been a large population increase in recent years, as people have migrated from the smaller towns and cities to find work in the capital. Sofia also has the highest Property prices in Bulgaria.


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Rural Areas around Rousse

One of the joys of Rousse is that you are never far from the countryside, and you can get there quickly on roads free of traffic jams. The rural areas around the town are reminiscent of southern England, with rolling hills, scatterings of deciduous forest and wheatfields dotted with tranquil villages. However, fields of sunflowers and vineyards add a more exotic touch than one would find in Sussex. Traditional farmers who use horses and carts co-exist alongside modern farms and brand-new Massey Ferguson tractors.

About 20km south of Rousse is the picturesque nature reserve of Roussenski Lom. Its name comes from the Roussenski Lorn river, which forms a tributary of the Danube


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The Danube Valley and the town of Rousse

Everything that was to happen later in life had already happened in Rousse.
Elias Canetti, Nobel Prize winner

Rousse is a modern city of 120,000 people and is one of the most important cultural and economic centres in Bulgaria. This is the most European of cities in Bulgaria, both in terms of its architecture and its outward-looking stance.

Though Rousse suffered from economic setbacks after the Changes in the 1990s, it is getting back on its feet through new investment and the interest of domestic and foreign investors. In recent years the historic centre was given a complete facelift by the EU’s Beautiful Bulgaria Project (led by a British urban planner). This trend of renewal is continuing with private investors and new businesses, which are injecting fresh dynamism into the town.


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Property in Veliko Turnovo

Prices in Veliko Turnovo are increasing, and reflect the region’s ever-increasing popularity. Currently the shell price is on average €600 per square metre for new apartments in the city (without heating, kitchen, bathrooms, flooring, lighting and so on). But prices vary, reflecting the wide range of housing stock and their condition. Older apartments can be picked up for €40,000, with prices increasing to over €100,000 for older houses. In the surrounding villages older houses start from €20,000 for those in need of extensive renovation and can cost up to €100,000 for finished homes.


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Veliko Turnovo Area

Veliko Turnovo Location
The region of VelikoTurnovo is located in the centre of Bulgaria and slightly north. It lies within the foothills of the Stara Planina mountains and is regally set on four hills on the banks of the River Yantra.The distances to the main cities in Bulgaria are: 220km to Sofia; 220km to Varna on the Black Sea; 230km to Bourgas (the second-biggest coastal city); 130km to Plovdiv; and 110km to Rousse on the River Danube.


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Veliko Turnovo and the Stara Planina Mountains

Central Rural Areas

Just a few years ago, the first wave of foreign buyers was pretty much restricted to tourist hots pots such as the coast and the ski resorts. Nowadays there is not a corner of rural Bulgaria where a British person has not bought a house. It would be impossible to give details of all the country’s rural regions, and this book focuses on the most popular and up-and-coming areas. It includes the inland region of Veliko Turnovo and the Stara Planina mountains; the town and its surroundings have become the most popular area for inland property – and prices have reacted accordingly.


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Borovets – Bulgaria

Ski Facilities in Borovets

Borovets is an alpine-type resort and provides very good conditions for winter sports such as skiing (both day and night), snowboarding, cross-country skiing, ski jumping, biathlon and skidoo. Thereareski runs for beginners, intermediate and advanced skiers designed with international markings and multilingual signs. Pistes are maintained to a high standard.The resort is a regular host of sports competitions: it has twice hosted World Cup competitions in alpine skiing and its biathlon track is one of the best in Europe. Borovets has developed into a modern ski resort of a high class, and has luxury hotels, restaurants, clubs, shops and a good choice of pistes and lifts.


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