Must-see attractions in Bulgaria

  • Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

    Sofia

    This monument is located on the southern side of Sveta Sofia Church, facing the Aleksander Nevski Church. It's marked by an eternal flame meant to…

  • Dobrudzha and the Sea Museum

    Black Sea Coast

    This small exhibition on marine life, as well as some ancient coins, is situated in a restored Turkish bathhouse (hamam) going back to the 16th century…

  • Danov House

    Plovdiv

    Dedicated to renowned writer and publisher Hristo Danov and several other Bulgarian authors, Danov House contains a re-creation of a bookshop and a…

  • Oborishte Park

    Sofia

    This attractive park, with its fountains, lovely rose beds, cafes and popcorn vendors, is especially popular with young families, and there are some…

  • Sveti Antoni Church

    Pirin Mountains

    This 19th-century church, signposted from Melnik's main road, is dedicated to the patron saint of the sick. In the unenlightened past, the mentally ill…

  • Sveta Varvara Church

    Pirin Mountains

    This 15th-century church, situated just below Kordopulov House, has retained its walls and floor. It's little more than an enigmatic ruin these days, but…

  • Sv Cyril & Methodius Cathedral

    Burgas

    Completed in 1907, the city’s main church boasts an especially fine, intricately carved iconostasis and colourful murals. It was closed in 2016 to undergo…

  • Regional History Museum

    Pirin Mountains

    Located near the Varosha old quarter, this regional museum exhibits roughly 160,000 religious relics, archaeological artefacts and traditional costumes,…

  • Museum of African and Asian Art

    Bulgaria

    Take a break from 19th-century Bulgarian splendour at this museum-gallery displaying more than 200 artworks from China, India and several African…

  • Historical Museum

    Pirin Mountains

    Up a steep cobbled lane, en route to Kordopulov House, the tiny two-room Historical Museum features traditional costumes, ancient ceramics and jewellery,…

  • Bolyaskata Kâshta

    Pirin Mountains

    The 10th-century Bolyaskata Kâshta, one of Bulgaria’s oldest homes, is ruined except for some partially standing walls. You can peer in and enjoy great…

  • City Hall

    Ruse

    Ruse's city hall is a hulking brutalist building from the mid-1980s and typical of communist-era public architecture. Local residents sometimes refer to…

  • Church of Sveti Georgi

    Bulgaria

    At the northern end of ul Angel Kânchev, off the roundabout, stands Sveti Georgi Church (completed in 1852). A pale yellow bell tower tops its stone frame…

  • Roman Mosaic

    Bulgaria

    Built on the grid of an ancient Roman city, Stara Zagora has yielded some amazing discoveries. One of the most impressive is a 4th- to 5th-century…

  • Soviet Army Monument

    Burgas

    Standing sentinel over pl Troikata is this towering Red Army memorial. Comprising a column surmounted by a saluting Russian soldier and figurative panels,…

  • National Assembly

    Sofia

    This imposing neoclassical palace houses the Bulgarian parliament and dates from the 1880s. It's normally closed to the public. Its likeness is traced on…

  • Drinking Fountains

    Sofia

    Bulgarians queue here throughout the day to fill plastic bottles from the taps of around a dozen fountains, situated in the open air just next to the…

  • Surp Hach Armenian Church

    Burgas

    This church dates from 1853 and was built by the city's then-Armenian residents. There's a monument to the slaughter of Armenians in the years following…

  • Lions Bridge

    Sofia

    This late 19th-century landmark bridge, flanked by four large lions, crosses the Vladaya River and connects the northern edge of the city centre with the…

  • Church of Sveti Tsar Boris-Mikhail

    Black Sea Coast

    The Church of Sveti Tsar Boris-Mikhail is dedicated to the former king. The church is on ul Hristo Botev, one block north of the centre near the…

  • St John Aliturgetos Church

    Black Sea Coast

    Overlooking the harbour to the south, this earthquake-battered building is set on a cliff and provides a picturesque setting for summertime concerts.

  • Stantsionna Gradina

    Bulgaria

    With its weeping willows, sculptures and pond, this small park just north of the train station is a pleasant place to linger while awaiting a train.

  • Open Market

    Bulgaria

    Kazanlâk’s pazar (open market) is a dusty, all-purpose place selling food, electronics and clothing on most weekdays. Watch your wallet.

  • Vasil Levski Memorial

    Sofia

    A sombre monument, in the middle of a busy road, dates from 1895 and marks the spot where Bulgarian national hero Vasil Levski was hanged in 1873.

  • Church of Sveti Nikolai

    Veliko Târnovo

    Up in Varosha, the Church of Sveti Nikolai was built in 1879, and time hasn't been kind to the weather-beaten church. Opening times are irregular.

  • Kursum Mosque

    Bulgaria

    At the northern end of ul Vasil Levski, a small park contains the disused and closed Kursum Mosque, built in 1485 during the Ottoman occupation.

  • Roman Forum

    Plovdiv

    Just down the steps at the overpass near pl Tsentralen, ruins of the Roman Forum are still being excavated; peer over the fence along the road.

  • Archangels Michael & Gabriel Church

    Black Sea Coast

    This 13th-century ruin shows off some beautiful exterior decoration. The arches of the church are underscored by striking green-glazed plates.

  • Church of the Assumption

    Veliko Târnovo

    Across from Forty Martyrs Church is the tiny Church of the Assumption, built in 1923 over a ruined 14th-century church. It's usually closed.

  • Art Gallery

    Bulgaria

    Passing the square beyond the bridge brings you to the small art gallery, with rotating exhibitions of local and other Bulgarian artists.

  • Slavova Krepost

    Pirin Mountains

    Survey the ruined walls of this 13th-century fortress, reachable via a short, steep climb from the eastern end of Melnik's main road.

  • Philippopolis Art Gallery

    Plovdiv

    This small private gallery, attached to Philippopolis restaurant, features exhibitions of 19th- and 20th-century Bulgarian art.

  • Park Loven Dom

    Pirin Mountains

    There are admirable views of the town from lofty Park Loven Dom, which spreads south from Blagoevgrad's Varosha quarter.

  • Sveti Nikola Church

    Bulgaria

    Facing the History Museum, the pale-pink bell tower of Sveti Nikola Church (1847) is a landmark for Karlovo's old town.

  • Turkish Baths

    Pirin Mountains

    Admire the exterior of a Turkish bathhouse, built in the 19th century, before the Mehana Mencheva Kâshta tavern.

  • Sveta Bogoroditsa Monastery

    Bulgaria

    The church at this silver-domed working monastery in Arbanasi houses a purportedly miracle-working icon of Mary.

  • Town Gate

    Black Sea Coast

    The town gate leads to the old town. The well-preserved fortification walls here date from the 5th century AD.

  • Bezisten

    Bulgaria

    Around 200m northeast of Shumen's mosque sulk the remains of a late-16th-century Turkish covered market.

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