The Museum of Mining in Pernik is unique for Bulgaria and is a wonderful example of a traditional activity in the region — coal mining. Located in an actual mine that functioned up until 1966, the museum offers to introduce its guests to the history of coal mining in a typical mine. Thirty exhibition chambers present different stages and methods of coal mining practiced in Pernik and the surrounding region.
The Historical Museum, whose first exposition was opened in 1937, is located in the reconstructed building of the former courthouse. The museum's collection contains over 15 000 original items from all historical periods, with a natural focus on the Middle Ages, the period of Ottoman rule and the Bulgarian National Revival.
RHM-Pernik focuses on general history and stores over 60 000 movable cultural valuables in its collection, all discovered in the region. Its exhibition presents numerous collections, among which prehistoric ceramics, urban life, votive plates of the Thracian Horseman, collection of icons, numismatic collection, ethnographic fabrics, Busintsi ceramics, weapons.
RHM-Sofia, or the Museum of Sofia History, is located in the magnificent restored building of the Central Municipal Mineral Bath. Its permanent exposition is presented in eight halls with a total area of 2300 square meters and includes exhibits covering a period of more than eight thousand years – from the Neolithic period to the 1940s. The focus is on some of the most important moments in the town's history — its establishment as capital in 1879 and the decades leading to the beginning of the 1912 - 1918 wars.
While visiting Kyustendil, do not forget to visit the Art Gallery named after possibly the most loved Bulgarian artist Vladimir Dimitrov – Maistora (the Master). The gallery holds the main and largest collection of over 1300 unique works by the Master, arranged in a permanent exhibition.
The rich heritage of all 8000 years of human presence in the Kyustendil region is collected, researched and presented in the Regional Museum of History in Kyustendil. Of course, the ancient and medieval heritage is an important focus, but an equally large part of the exhibition is dedicated to the period of Ottoman rule and the Bulgarian Revival, with some of the exhibits being organised in monument building of the culture from this period.
Among the dozens of galleries in the region, the National Gallery stands out — the largest art museum in Bulgaria with over 41,000 works of art, including paintings, sculptures, graphics, decorative and contemporary art. The Gallery unites halls for temporary exhibitions in the Palace, the Museum of Christian Art in the crypt of St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Museum of Socialist Art, Sofia Arsenal – Museum of Contemporary Art, house museums of notable Bulgarian artists.
Founded to preserve Prince Ferdinand's personal collections of birds, mammals and butterflies, today the National Museum of Natural History presents rich exhibits of the living and non-living nature from Bulgaria and the world. The museum's exhibits occupy 4 floors with 15 halls and consist of minerals, rocks, fossils and plants, extinct animal species and more. In recent years, the exhibs have been expanded with dioramas depicting the living world of the Arctic, Africa, Asia and South America.
If there is one place that tells of Bulgaria's military glory in an engaging way, then that place would undoubtedly be the National Museum of Military History and it is no wonder it's the favourite of children. Behind the museum gates, on over 45 acres of outdoor and indoor area, 28 000 objects are displayed in a thematic and chronological plan — weapons and combat equipment, medals and uniforms — a real wonderland for the little and not so little visitors.
Located in the heart of Sofia and in the building of the former Buyuk Mosque, the National Archaeological Museum presents unique objects from the Thracian, Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, Bulgarian, and Ottoman culture. All of the opulence, rare finds and treasures from Thracian times are breathtaking — the Valchitran Gold Treasure, the bronze head-portrait of Odrysian ruler Seuthes III, the golden mask of a Thracian ruler and a number of other masterpieces of the ancient jewellery art.
The Tran area includes several protected areas with rare and endemic plants and animals that are of interest both to scientists, as well as photographers and wildlife enthusiasts. The most popular landmark, the Erma River Gorge, attracts the most tourists and thanks to the 13 km long Tran eco-trail, it connects with the other gorge — the breathtaking Yablanitsa River Gorge.
Dragoman Marsh Karst Complex is the newest wetland in the country and the largest natural karst wetland in Bulgaria infrastructure the marsh is for everyone who loves nature and its sounds. About 2 or 3 hours is absolutely enough for one to enjoy it's beauty, both from high up in the watchtower for birds, as well as on the wooden pathways through the marsh.
One of the most visited landmarks of Kyustendil is the ancient medieval Hisarlaka Fortress. Located on the hill of the same name overlooking the town, the fortress was originally built in the 4th century and was in continuous use all the way until the 15th century when it was destroyed by the Ottoman conquerors. Today, part of the fortress wall has been restored and integrated in a magnificent way into the overall design of Hisarlaka Forest Park — a beautiful park with infrastructure for tourism, recreation, and sport.
In the 1st century AD, on the site of today's Kyustendil, the "spring town" was founded — Ulpia Pautalia. On 3000 square meters – an enormous area for the time — the Romans built an asclepieion (medical centre). The remains of it — thermae, balneological equipment and other premises — now fall within the Pautalia – Velbazhd Architectural and Archaeological Reserve. The reserve also includes dozens of other antiquities from later eras — parts of the fortress wall of the medieval Bulgarian town of Velbazhd, examples of Ottoman architecture and monuments of the Bulgarian Revival.
The Largo is the historical centre of Sofia, where thousands of years of history are layered on a very small area — the exposed remains of ancient Serdika, significant Ottoman and Revival era monuments, architectural masterpieces of the early 20th century, the "Triangle of Power" of modern-day Bulgaria.
Containing more than 650 000 cultural monuments and an enormous archaeological and historical archive, the National Museum of History is the national treasure trove. It contains parts of the Varna Treasure with the oldest processed gold in Europe, the famous Panagyur Gold Treasure, ruler seals and belongings of Bulgarian tsars, dozens of remarkable works of fine art, a rich ethnographic collection from all over the country.
In 1924, a magnificent five-aisled cross-domed basilica in neo-Byzantine style was consecrated — the largest religious temple in Bulgaria. The impressive architecture is complemented by magnificent mural paintings, while the gilded domes of the temple are visible from afar and over the years have become one of the city's symbols.
Vitosha captivates with its proximity and accessibility, the numerous tourism opportunities, natural landmarks and preserved landscapes. Asphalt roads lead to and into the mountain, there are regular bus lines, cableway transport, more than 40 lodges and small hotels and over 10 huts have been built, while preserving places and landmarks such as Boyana Church (a UNESCO site), Zlatnite Mostove (the Golden Bridges), Kamen Del peak, the stone rivers, the longest cave in Bulgaria — Duhlata, the unique globeflower, etc.
The Boyana Church is the little jewel with which the Bulgarian creative genius has contributed to the world's treasures. In 1259, an unknown Bulgarian builder has painted the chapel and created a masterpiece — the murals were ahead of their time with their Renaissance character. They impress with their elegance, expressiveness and true-to-life nature and their extraordinary value provoked UNESCO to declare Boyana Church a World Heritage Site.
Botevgrad's symbol, its Clock Tower, was built in 1866. Its 30 metre high body makes it the highest National Revival clock tower in Bulgaria, while its facade makes it stand out from the rest with its characteristic cornices. In addition to the clock mechanism, the tower also has a bell, the ringing of which today marks the town's festive moments.
The oldest church in Sofia and the oldest building preserved to its very roof in the city in general. Specialists date it to the early 4th century and it was probably one of the most beautiful structures in the so-called "Constantine district" of Serdika – Sredets, where the palace of Emperor Constantine the Great was situated. In its 1700 years of existence, the Rotunda retained its religious function – martyrion, baptistery, Orthodox temple, metropolitan church, mosque, and even for a short while — a temporary mausoleum of Prince Alexander Battenberg.
