Bulgaria’s thriving capital city, Sofia, lies in the western part of the country at the foot of the Vitosha Mountain. The 2000-year-old metropolis is filled with contrasting architecture reflecting Greek, Roman, Ottoman and Soviet occupation. Bulgaria offers a wonderland of magnificent heritage sites. The Ancient Serdica Complex excavation site displays fragments of the original 4th-century Roman city; the Archaeological Museum is filled with Thracian, Roman and medieval artefacts; and the Sofia History Museum is set in spectacular former Turkish Mineral Baths.

Sofia is abundant in modern jewels, too: plenty of contemporary galleries, clubs, restaurants, spas and parks are on offer. This is a unique European capital in being just a short bus ride away from exquisite nature: the exhilarating ski slopes, gorgeous hiking trails and abundant wildlife of the grand Mount Vitosha.