Location

Sofia, Bulgaria’s capital lays in the very heart of the Balkans. A vibrant city of two million, Sofia has for millennia been at the cross roads between East and West. This is reflected in the city’s look, feel and people. Sofia enjoys fast-emerging entrepreneurial ecosystem underpinned by a tradition of strong technical talent. The city benefits from a concentrated mix of investors (in the form of angel, accelerators, seed and VC), broad education and training opportunities and a very lively social scene.

The opportunities offered by Sofia as a destination for innovative entrepreneurship are some of the hidden gems which the Balkan Venture Forum looked for to showcase.

Venue

The National Palace of Culture is one of Sofia’s most iconic landmarks. The colossal multifunctional space sits in the centre of the city and offers more than a dozen halls, the largest of which can accommodate over 4000 people. Hall 3, where the Balkan Venture Forum was held occupies the top floor of the palace with the adjoining hall 3.1 offering stunning panoramic views across all of Sofia (needless to say, there was a cocktail on the balcony).

Accommodation

We were proud to offer preferential rates to Balkan Venture Forum visitors at the following partner hotels:

		Grand Hotel Sofia The Grand Hotel Sofia is a landmark hotel in the absolute centre of Sofia. This prestigious five star hotel offers everything our guests could ask for (and hopefully a little more). It is located less than a 15 minute walk from the National Palace of Culture and immediately next to some of the best entertainment and shopping locations in the city.
		Central Park Hotel The Central Park Hotel is located immediately next to the National Palace of Culture making it an ideal choice for accommodation during your stay in Sofia. It offers quality rooms at a great rate and top class business facilities.

Transport

Sofia international airport receives daily flights from Europe’s major capitals from a host of leading airlines. Taxi’s in Sofia are plentiful and exceptionally cheap .. unless you only speak English!