• We are pleased to announce that our academic sessions will take place in Grand Hotel Millennium Sofia

  and we have negotiated preferential rates for our group in this hotel.

Should you wish to book your accommodation in this hotel please follow the below registration link:

BOOK YOUR ROOM HERE

Preferential rates only apply to a certain number of rooms so make sure you book your accommodation at the earliest.

Reservation conditions available at the booking link

The event will take place in Grand Hotel Millennium Sofia.

• Address: Ivan Vazov, Vitosha Blvd 89B, 1463 Sofia, Bulgaria

Grand Hotel Millenium is the preferred venue for international events. The hotel has 30 floors, 10 bars, restaurants and loungers, SPA, and an amazing 360? view from the rooftop terrace of OZONE bar (where we are hosting our reception dinner at Thursday evening). It is located 5 minutes walking distance from Sofia’s heart. You could easily enjoy a walk around the National Palace of culture and Vitosha boulevard where most shops, bars, and restaurants are located.

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

• Transfer from the airport 

Sofia airport has two terminals. Currently only Wizzair flights use Terminal 1. All other flights land and take off from Terminal 2. There is a direct metro line 4 from Terminal 2, located just outside of the airport, to the city center (Serdika station). It will take about 30 minutes. From Serdika you could either walk to Grand Hotel Millenium through the city center (most of the route is a walking zone so a great way to look around) for about 25 min., or switch to metro line 2, direction Lozenets/Vitosha and get down at the next station National Palace of Culture (exit at the National Palace) – note that changing lines may take about 10-12 minutes depending on train schedules. From there you need to walk 6-8 min. to the Grand Millenium.

Taxis are well organized at the airport. “Yellow taxi” is available outside the airport and there is staff navigating the arrivals to the cars and making sure that unauthorized taxi service is not present. You could also download the Yellow taxi app for further usage within Sofia. A taxi from the airport to Grand Hotel Millenium should take about 20 min or a few more with heavy traffic, price would be EUR 10-15 per direction.

There is also a new "luxury" taxi service – “Volt”, it is about 30% more expensive but offers a more enjoyable ride in high-end BMWs and Mercedeses.

Some Taxi services (such as Yellow) accept credit card payments (generally take POS payment), but it should be confirmed with the driver.

Avoid taking random taxi services especially without checking their tariff labels (available on the car).

Uber/Bolt is not currently operating in Bulgaria.

• Transportation in Sofia

The city center is covered by the metro lines reaching long-distance regions as well. You can enter the metro by directly tapping your debit/credit card. A single use ticket is EURO 0.80. Metro lines work from 05:00 to 24:00 but Google maps can show accurate routes and times. Trams and buses are also widely available and can be paid for with a debit/credit card directly on the tram/bus. We would suggest several taxi services as some scams still occur with foreigners. There are also car, bicycle, moped, and scooter rental apps.

• Coffee and restaurants

The center of Sofia (heading from Grand Hotel Millenium towards Serdika metro station) has plenty of choices for good coffee, bites, dishes, desserts and drinks. Most of the streets crossing Vitosha boulevard have also some hidden gems, including craft shops, small galleries, escape rooms, extraordinary bars, etc.

Some suggestions for local experiences:

 - Taste: “banitsa”:

It is a traditional breakfast here. You could google for “Sofiiska banitsa”, there a lot of them in the center. If you are really searching for a peculiar taste, combine with our drink “boza” (non-alcoholic beverage made from wheat, usually sweetened). Rakia museum is located close to Grand Millenium – check it to taste different types of rakia, our national spirit which could be very strong (up to 90 degrees).

 - Bulgarian yoghurt is worldwide known. It is produced by inserting the indigenous bacteria Lactobacillus bulgaricus (discovered in 1905) into the milk for fermentation. You could find it in each supermarket or often offered as a dessert in restaurants flavored with some jams. If you mix it with salt and water, you will get the drinkable version “airan/ayrian” widely accompanying banitsa for breakfast (and also often taken as a medicine for hangover).

 - Learn: we have daily Sofia free tours which are highly rated. You could check online

• See on your own

Sofia center offers some amazing historical sites. The Rotunda Church of St. George is believed to be the oldest surviving building in Sofia. The Patriarchal Cathedral St. Alexander Nevski is the largest orthodox church on the Balkan peninsula. There are remains of an ancient Amphitheater just next to Serdika metro station (Arena di Serdica).

The National Palace of Culture is at 5 min. walking distance from the Grand Hotel Millenium. It hosts large concerts, fairs, and other events. It also has many smaller halls for theaters, stand-up shows, etc. A park and fountains surround the place making it one of the preferable spots for leisure time in Sofia.

The Ivan Vazov National Theatre is one of the most magnificent buildings in Sofia, right next to is there is a city garden and the Sofia gallery.

For a relaxed walk, you can explore Graf Ignatiev Street or Tsar Shishman Street if you’d like to experience Sofia’s lively urban atmosphere, or head to Borisova gradina and South Park for expansive green spaces and peaceful park walks.

• Shopping

We are famous for our rose oil products. There are vast rose gardens and rose-picking in spring is a unique experience in some regions of Bulgaria.

There are many souvenirs decorated by the Bulgarian shevitsa:

Symbolic, and traditional folk embroidery applied to Bulgarian national costumes, textiles, and garments. They often put in on t-shirts, dolls, or toys. A traditional spice blend is sharena sol ("colourful salt") very widely used for example on a toast with butter.

Bulgaria is getting more and more attractive wine destination. We have many wineries and variety of sorts cultivated in the different regions. Sofia bars and wineries offer wine tastings on a daily basis. La Maison De Katarzyna could be an excellent place in the center to explore some delightful local wines.

• Currency and payment

Bulgaria adopted the euro in January 2026. All stores and services take euro and almost all of them take POS payments. However, some cash should be available for souvenirs and small purchases.

• Safety:

The City center is generally very safe, however, there are some areas that should be avoided at night – we will provide a list.
 

• Nighttime entertainment

Night clubs are very popular and many work all night or until 4-5 in the morning. A lot of them change styles throughout the night.

• Cultural considerations and other tips

 - The head nod – A head shake (side to side) means "yes". A nod (up and down) means "no". When communicating with foreigners however, Bulgarians could change these movements to make it even more confusing

 - Bulgarians can be perceived as direct/blunt in conversation, which is not meant to be rude.

 - Tips or services charges are not usually included in bill. Tipping is not expected but a 5-10% tip is customary in restaurants.

 - Smoking is forbidden in closed off spaces, but many restaurants offer gardens or outside spaces for smokers. It is allowed in the streets.

 - Tap water is in general drinkable unless the building is too old and the pipes system is not properly working.

 - Prices in Sofia are comparable to non-western European cities. You could expect some more expensive prices at tourist places. A usual main dish in a restaurant in the center would be EUR 12-15 (no drinks included).

 - Be mindful of your belongings in crowded spaces. Sofia is generally safe but stick to the lively regions. 112 is the common EU number for emergencies.

 - “Hello” in Bulgarian is “zdravei” (literally “be healthy”). We have the similar word “nazdrave” both for “cheers” and “bless you”. “Thanks” is “blagodarya” (literally “I give you good”) but most people would use the French “Merci”. Our language is Slavic, with many similarities to Polish, Slovak and Serbian. We have also assumed a lot of Turkish words because of the Ottoman empire’s long-standing dominion in the region.
We boast with very fast internet having great coverage.

 - Bulgaria is a member of the European union and the Schengen area. Visa information could be found here.

 - The airport is not big so there is no need to plan extra time upon leaving especially for the Schengen passengers. However, sometimes waiting for check-in could take more time, but the staff will usually help in putting some order and prioritize the soonest leaving.
Sofia time zone is UTC+02:00. The beginning of October is usually still pleasant and sunny but not hot, with cooler evenings. However, weather could surprise us – October 2025 arrived with snow. Be sure to check the forecast close to arrival.
Electricity voltage is 220V and electrical outlets are 2 round pins (standard European Type C and Type F compatible).

•  If you have extra day or two in Bulgaria

  - Visit Plovdiv (second largest city in Bulgaria, about 1.30-2 h. by car from Sofia). Strolling in the Old Town:

It is like stepping into a living museum where thousands of years of history unfold along cobbled streets and colorful hillside houses. Be sure to check if the Plovdiv amphitheater is hosting a concert at the time – it is a remarkable evening experience. Otherwise, finish the day at the Kapana quarter – an artistic part of the center with lots of choices to taste, see, hear, and feel.

 - If you prefer something even more unique, head for Koprivshtitsa town, about 2 hours from Sofia.

The town offers a journey back to 19th-century Bulgaria. Koprivshtitsa played a key role in the 1876 April Uprising against Ottoman rule. The first shot of the uprising was fired here, and many revolutionary leaders were born in the town.

 - There are plenty of choices for wine lovers who could combine tasting with nature, ancient temples or SPA procedures. Starosel complex is a 2 hours and 20 minutes travel from Sofia. The wine is amazing, the food is great, the SPA is huge (including procedures with wine), peacocks are walking in the complex and breathtaking mountain views are surrounding you.

 - Regular trips are organized to the Rila Monastery founded by saint John of Rila, or the Seven Rila Lakes located at the highest mountain on the Balkan peninsula.  

 - Sapareva banya is a small town reachable in one hour from Sofia. It has the hottest geyser in the Balkan peninsula (103 degrees) and mineral water spa resorts, surrounded by mountains, forests, eco-paths, waterfalls.

 - If you refer to keep it close, Dragalevtsi monastery or Boyana church (part of the UNESCO heritage) in Vitosha mountain are also quite interesting places to visit. Lake Pancharevo is a preferred choice for nature’s lovers especially in autumn during the foliage.

 - Also, for fans of heavy metal and deep rock – Deep Purple are having a concert in Sofia on September 29th. Tickets are available here.
 

The personal data that you communicate to us shall be processed by the International Association Of Young Lawyers (AIJA), with its registered office at Avenue de Tervueren 231, 1150 Brussels, Belgium (Tel: +32 2 347 33 34 - office@aija.com), in accordance with Act No. 78-17 of January 6, 1978 relating to data, files and freedoms and Regulation No. 2016/679 on data protection, as of its entry into force on May 25, 2018.

Your data will be managed by AIJA's General Services, Events and Accounts Section:

• For the purpose of administering your registration for the event and your on-site access to the event;
• In order to pay for the selected services - your bank details will be deleted after receipt of your payment;
• In order to communicate information messages from AIJA.

To the extent necessary for the execution of their respective tasks, our subcontractors in charge of our seminar organisation, our IT infrastructure, our management, the production and maintenance of our website and extranet, are likely to gain access to your data from time to time. Their servers are located in the European Union.

Data relating to your participation in the event shall be stored for a period of 10 years. We are obliged to archive billing data until the end of the period required for our tax and accounting obligations, i.e. for 7 full tax years.

We shall store your contact information to keep you informed until you ask us to stop. You have the right to access your data and have it corrected if necessary.