Transportation guide. Location: Western Bulgaria. Population: 1,200,000. Ethnic Mix: 90% Bulgarian, 10% Romanian Religion: 95% Bulgarian Orthodox, 5% Muslim, Jewish and other Time zone: GMT + 2 (GMT + 3 from last Sunday in March to last Sunday in October). Electricity: 220 volts AC, 50Hz; round two-pin or three-pin plugs are in use. Average January temp.: - 2C (28.5F). Average July temp.: 22C (71.5F). Annual rainfall: 645mm (25.4 inches). Sofia has a history that goes back thousands of years. Through the centuries, many nations have inhabited it and added to its rich and diverse history. Numerous Neolithic villages have been discovered in the area, while a chalocolithic settlement has been recently discovered in the very center of modern Sofia. The Thracian Serdi tribe settled here in the 7th century BC and gave the first recorded name of Sofia -- Serdica. The Byzantines called it Triaditsa and the Slavs - Sredets. The modern city of Sofia was named in the 14th century after the basilica St. Sofia. (In Greek, the word sofia means wisdom.) In the 3rd century AD, the Romans built strong walls around Serdica, their capital of Inner Dacia and an important stopping point on the Roman road from Naisus (present Nish, Yugoslavia) to Constantinople Today there are many archaeological sites in Sofia, that display the city's diverse history - the castle gates and towers of Serdica, public buildings and streets thousands of years old. A large part of the ancient city of Serdica is underneath important modern buildings. The ancient city council (bulefteris) is hidden under the Sheraton hotel, while a number of basilicas are below the Hall of Justice. The Roman thermal baths are under the Sofia Mineral Baths and a Roman residence with elaborate mosaics is below the Rila hotel. After the Hun invasion in 441 AD, the town was rebuilt by the Byzantines. The Slavs gave Sredets a key role in the First Bulgarian Empire, then in 1018 the Byzantines retook Triaditsa. At the end of the 12th century, the Bulgarians returned and Sredets became a major trading center of the Second Bulgarian Empire. The Turks captured Sofia in 1382 and made it the center of the Rumelian beylerbeyship. The city declined during the feudal unrest of the 19th century, but with the establishment of the Third Bulgarian Empire in 1879, Sofia once again became the capital of Bulgaria. The city's image rapidly changed from its Oriental roots, to reflect its new European tone. Today many streets, buildings, parks preserve the architectural style from the turn of the century. Between 1879 and 1939, the population of Sofia grew from 20 000 to 300 000. Today, Sofia is home to over 1 250 000 people. TRANSPORTATION GUIDE. Sofia International Airport Tel. + 359 2 937 22 11 / 937 22 12 Sofia international airport, 10 km east of the city center, is a small place with limited facilities. The arrivals hall boasts a caf, care-hire counters, an ATM and a 24-hour exchange bureau. By taxi: If things are busy you can pre-book a taxi in the arrivals hall. The fare shouldnt cost more than 10-15 lv. By bus: Bus a?? 84 runs daily service between the airport and Orlov most, on the eastern fringes the city center, departing roughly every 10-15 min. between 05:00 and 23:00. Tickets cost 0.70 lv. and can be bought from the kiosk by the bus stop or directly from the driver. You also have to punch a separate ticket for each bulky piece of luggage otherwise you will be fined 7 lv. for each item. Central RailWay Station Knyaginya Maria Luiza Blvd. Tel. +359 2 931 11 11 Sofias Central Station (open 05:00-24:00) is 20-minute walk north of the city center. Facilities include left-luggage, money exchange kiosks, ATMs, bars and fast-food outlets. There are coin-operated left-luggage lockers in the basement and a left-luggage office just off the eastern side of the main ticket hall (open 06:00-23:00). Getting to town By tram: The cheapest way of getting to town is to hop on tram a?? 1 or 7.By taxi: Arriving by bus Central Bus Station Knyaginya Maria Luiza Blvd. Tel. +359 2 0900 21 000 Most international and domestic buses arrive at the spanking new Central Bus Station, 200 m east of the Central Railway station. It include plenty of shops and cafes, a pharmacy and ATM. There is a 24-hour left-luggage office in the main ticket hall. Getting to town By tram: The cheapest way of getting to town is to hop on tram a?? 1 or 7. Trams, Bus and Trolleybus. Sofia is covered by interlocking network of trams, buses and trolleybuses, with services running from about 05:00-23:30. Single-journey tickets cost 0.70 lv. and can be bought from street kiosks or from the driver. Once on board each ticket must be validated by punching it. A strip of 10 tickets cost 6 lv. Passes (valid for one day, five days or one month) are also available, but they can only be bought from kiosks at major stops, not from the driver. Note that in case of using bundle of tickets you have to keep and carry with you the last ticket. Minibus / Route taxis Several popular cross-town routes are operated by minibuses. Rather than being limited to specific stops, they can be hailed at any point along their route, and will drop passengers off on request. Tickets can be bought only from the minibus driver. Metro A single metro line runs from Sedika station in the city center to the western suburb of Lyulin. Tickets are different from those used in trams and buses, and can only be purchased from ticket counters in the underground stations themselves. Taxis All legal and registered taxi cabs must be yellow, and operate by meter. Rates per km (between 0.49-0.59 leva), any starting and call-out charges must by law be displayed on the windows. Dispatchers and drivers usually speak only Bulgarian, so you may need someone to help you order one by phone, and you should learn how to name your destination. Remember that they will give you a 3 digit number of the taxi which will come to pick you up. The city also offers many places of special interest. As one of the oldest capital cities in Europe, it blends its past and present in a remarkable architectural style. Historic landmarks include the 10th-century Boyana Church (one of the UNESCO World Heritage protected sites), the Alexander Nevski Cathedral (one of the world's largest Orthodox churches), the Rotonda of St. George, The Banya Bashi Mosque, The Sofia Synagogue and the early Byzantine Church of St. Sophia. More modern architecture is represented by the Bulgarian National Opera and Ballet, the Ivan Vazov National Theatre, The Sts. Kilril and Metodii National Library, the Rakovski St theatre district, Slaveykov Square's outdoor book market, and the NDK, which is Southeastern Europe's largest cultural and congressional centre. There are 16 universities in the city, among them Sofia University, founded in 1888. Sofia is the see of an Eastern Orthodox and of a Roman Catholic diocese. Boyana Church 1-3 Boyansko ezero Str. Tel. 959 09 39 Open: 09:30-17:30. Alexander Nevski Cathedral Alexander Nevski Sq. Rotonda of St. George 2 Sveta Nedelya Sq. Open 09:00-17:00. Sofia Synagogue Ekzarh Yosif Str. Tel. 983 12 73 Open 09:00-17:00 Sat. 09:00-13:00 Closed Sun. Church of St. Sofia Alexander Nevski Sq. Open 09:00-18:00. Sofia houses numerous museums, notably the National Historical Museum, the Bulgarian Natural History Museum, the Earth and Men Museum, the Ethnographic Museum, the Military History Museum, the National Polytechnical Museum and the National Archaeological Museum. In addition, there are the Sofia City Art Gallery, the National Art Gallery, the Bulgarian National Gallery of Foreign Art, the Icon Gallery as well as numerous private art galleries. National Historical Museum Boyana, 16 Vitoshko lale Str. Tel. 955 76 04 Open 9:30-15:30 Natural History Museum 1 Tsar Osvoboditel Blvd. Tel. 987 41 95 Open 10:00-18:00 Earth and Men Museum 4 Cherni vruh Blvd. Tel. 865 66 39 Open 10:00-18:00 Etnographic Museum Alexander Batenberg...

THE WAY WE SUPPORT YOUR BUSINESS. Hall Dimensions Capacities. Audio-Visual Equipment. HALL DIMENSIONS CAPACITIES. Request for Proposal. Room Dimensions and Capacities. Room descriptions: Crystal Palace Boutique Hotel offers conference and banqueting facilities that can cater for every type of event, whether it is a private party, business conference, product launch or presentation, providing excellent service and professional approach. Our flexible meeting and event facilities are presented by 2 conference halls in size to accommodate up to 60 people in the style of your choice and a banqueting room with total capacity up to 40 people. They feature fine decoration and comfortable sitting and can offer catering options for business events and unforgettable private functions. The foyer, adjacent to the conference halls, provides function space for coffee breaks and accommodates up to 35 people. Conference Halls: The hotel's conference halls are one of the finest venues in town. They are the perfect choice for your conferences, presentations and press conferences. Their total area of 105.5 square metres, with a maximum seating capacity of 60 guests, may be divided into two smaller halls, gathering up to 15-40 people. Furnished with professional lighting gear, the conference halls can be supplemented with modern audio-visual and interpreting equipment, installations for live radio and television transmissions. Its spacious foyer may also be used as a pre-function area. CRYSTAL Hall is available for use by small groups. It can accommodate small business meetings, board meetings, training courses, press conferences. SHIPKA Hall is the ultimate solution for small and medium-sized meetings and is ideal for board meetings, seminars, training, recruitment and press conferences. Breakfast Banqueting Salon is a flexible room which can be combined to accommodate a maximum of 40 guests for smaller events; private lunch, dinner or reception. AUDIO-VISUAL EQUIPMENT. The success of your function depends on modern equipment and highly qualified staff asistance. Crystal Palace Boutique Hotel provides you the very best including: Multifunctional chairs. Whireless Internet and Telephone in all halls. Air-conditioned venue. Central sound amplifier. 220 V / 50 Hz power supply. Light intensity control. Wall outlets with a maximum output of 1000 watts. Equipment for simultaneous interpretation. Multimedia projector. TV / Video / Audio equipment / DVD. Professional audio-visual equipment. Selection of Microphones: on Stand, Wireless, Hook-on. Selection of Screens. Interpretation (upon request). Photographer (upon request). Flower arrangements (upon request)

 Guest rooms have air conditioning
 Luggage storage
 Breakfast may be served in the room
 Central situation
 Clothes dry cleaning
 Conference and meeting room
 Credit cards accepted
 Dinner may be served in the room
 Lift
 Facsimile services
 Fitness hall
 Garage places
 Hairdryer
 Heating
 Access to internet
 Jacuzzi tub
 Laundry services/washing machine
 Licensed bar
 Fully stocked mini bar
 Smoke-free guest rooms
 Around-the-clock recetpion
 Parking lot
 Restaurant
 Around-the-clock room service
 Safe deposit box
 Sauna
 Private/Ensuite bathroom
 Solarium
 Phone at reception
 Phones in rooms
 TV sets in rooms
 Patio, summer terrace
 Common room with a TV set