Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria. It is situated in the Sofia Valley at the foot of the Vitosha mountain, in the western part of the country. The city is built west of the Iskar river and has many mineral springs, such as the Sofia Central Mineral Baths. It has a humid continental climate.
Sofia is the 14th-largest city in the European Union. It is surrounded by mountains such as Vitosha to the south, Lyulin to the west, and the Balkan Mountains to the north. It is the third highest European capital after Andorra la Vella and Madrid. Sofia is home to several universities, cultural institutions and commercial companies. The city has been described as the “triangle of religious tolerance”. This is because three temples of three major world religions—Christianity, Islam and Judaism are situated close together: St.Nedelya Church, Banya Bashi Mosque and Sofia Synagogue. This triangle was recently expanded to a “square” and includes the Catholic Cathedral of St Joseph
The city is known for its 49 mineral and thermal springs. Artificial and dam lakes were built in the twentieth century.
