Conference dates and venue
RRFM 2006 will take place from 30 April to 4 May in Sofia,
the Bulgarian capital.
Sofia, “Always growing, never aging”
Sofia has changed names several times in history.
Between the 12th and the 14th century,
the town was eventually named after Saint Sofia, the patron
saint of the cathedral. It has been called Sofia ever since.
Much later, in 1900, the council adopted a poetic city motto:
“Always growing, never aging”.
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Situated in the heart of the Balkan Peninsula
at the crossroads of Trans-European routes, Sofia offers
a rich cultural heritage to visitors.
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The famous Thracian treasures are on display
in the National History Museum. There is an impressive range
of beautiful churches such as the Alexander Nevski Cathedral
with its gilded domes; the St George Rotunda Church, the
city’s most prominent landmark built in Roman times;
and the 13th century Bojana Church part of the
UNESCO world heritage. The only remaining mosque in Sofia,
the Banja Bashi Mosque built in 1576, recalls that Bulgaria
was under Ottoman rule for five centuries up until 1878.
Peace and quiet can be enjoyed in the parks of the city,
of which the nicest is the City Park endowed with a beautiful
fountain and café terraces.
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The nearby Vitosha mountains, less than
10 kilometres away from the city centre, are a popular destination
for day trips.
For more information, please check the official Sofia website:
www.sofia.bg.
Practicalities
Sofia is not directly connected with all major
cities so it might be necessary to travel via other cities,
which increases travel time.
There is a one hour time difference with Bulgaria,
ahead of Western European time. The local currency is the Bulgarian
lev (plural: leva), roughly twice the value of the Euro.
The Bulgarian language uses the Cyrillic alphabet,
which is a source of great national pride since it is directly
based on the Old-Bulgarian alphabet. It is useful to memorize
the letters before travelling to Bulgaria in order to be able
to read street signs and restaurant names. |
