The Land of The Rila Mountains & Monastery,

& The Sveta Nedelya Cathedral

 Information on Relocating to Bulgaria

• The capital city of Bulgaria is Sofia with about 1.4 million people. The political centre is also in Sofia. Bulgaria is a Parliamentary Democracy.

• Languages: Bulgarian is the official language and the Cyrillic alphabet is used. Bulgaria is the only EU nation to use it. Turkish and Macedonian are amongst the minority languages. English, German, French and Russian are spoken in major tourist resorts and hotels. The TV programs are in Bulgarian, but cable TV and satellite subscription services offer programming in foreign languages such as English, French, and German.

• Population: The population is about 7.5 million people - 83.6% are Bulgarian, 9.5% Turk, 4.6% Roma, 2.3% other (including Macedonian, Armenian, Tatar, Circassian).

• Expat areas: Popular areas for the Expat community is Sofia.

• Housing: The availability of accommodation is mostly in apartment buildings. Detached and semi-detached houses are also available, mainly in the suburbs. Commuting means 3-6 miles from suburbia to downtown. Rents are moderate. The highest are in the capital city of Sofia. Furnished and unfurnished flats are rented for one year or longer.

• Cost of housing: Varies from area to area and the size of the house or apartment you'll pay anything from US$ 300 - US$ 2.600 for an apartment and US$ 3000 and higher for a house. The local currency is Lev (BGL).

• Schools: The Anglo-American School of Sofia offers instruction in English for pre-K through grade 8. Currently, children in grades 9-12 attend the American College of Sofia, a high-standard, selective Bulgarian school with instruction in English. In 2005, The Anglo-American School of Sofia plans to begin offering grades 9-10, and they plan to offer grades 11-12 for the 2006 school year. Upon request, we will furnish you with information regarding a possible waiting lists, etc. There are also smaller French and German schools.

• Transportation: Public transportation in Sofia consists primarily of a network of buses, trolley buses and trams, which, while fairly reliable, are not modern or comfortable in general. The metro is still being constructed and currently has 7 km of functioning lines. Taxis are available, but be sure the taxis has the oval disk in the window required by law, that the driver starts the meter, and that the meter does not run unusually fast. The country is served by airports, train stations, and sea ports and harbors. There are 35,000 km of highways, including 324 km of expressways.

• Bank: The banks are open Monday-Friday from 9.00 am - 4.00 pm.

• Shopping: Is generally done from Monday-Friday from 10.00 am - 8.00 pm. Saturday from 10.00 am – 2.00 pm.

• Climate: Varies according to altitude. Summers are warmest with some rainfall, with the south feeling the influence of the Mediterranean. Winters are cold with snow. It rains frequently during spring and autumn.

• Culture: Smoking: Bulgarian restaurants, cafes, nightclubs etc have zones for smokers and non-smokers. Many of the cities and resorts have been undergoing construction booms galore, tempting buyers from Western Europe with relatively cheap property. There is no smoking in public places. Most large cinemas show films with their original soundtracks and sub-title them. The same applies to rented videocassettes. However, films for children are usually dubbed. Toilet facilities, though better than a decade ago, can still be rather shocking, especially in older establishments and outside the larger cities. Most modern petrol stations, restaurants, hotels and bars have acceptable facilities, but elsewhere you may be encounter a hole in the floor with no toilet paper. Always carry tissues with you. Places often charge for the use of toilet facilities, typically 20 - 50 stotinki.

• Public holidays: January 1st-New Year’s Day; March 3rd-National Day (Day of Liberation); Good Friday - Easter Monday-(dates varies); May 1st-Labour Day; May 6th-St George’s Day (Day of Bulgarian Army); May 24th-St Cyril and Methodius Day (Day of Culture and Literacy); September 6th-The Unification of Bulgaria; September 22nd-Independence Day; November 1st-Day of the Spiritual Leaders of Bulgaria; December 24th-26th-Christmas Day.