Bulgaria
The highlight at this Unesco-protected Thracian settlement is a nearly perfectly preserved three-chamber burial tomb from about 300 BC. The high quality…
Must-see attractions in Bulgaria
Varna
Exhibits at this vast museum, the best of its kind in Bulgaria, include 6000-year-old bangles, necklaces and earrings said to be the oldest worked gold…
Veliko Târnovo
The inescapable symbol of Veliko Târnovo, this reconstructed fortress dominates the skyline and is one of Bulgaria’s most beloved monuments. The former…
Sofia
One of the symbols not just of Sofia but of Bulgaria itself, this massive, awe-inspiring church was built between 1882 and 1912 in memory of the 200,000…
Etâr Ethnographic Open-Air Museum
Bulgaria
If ambling down cobbled lanes with a stick of halva in hand sounds like an agreeable foray into Bulgaria's past, a day in Etâr will delight. Nearly 50…
Bulgaria
A history of destruction and revolution, as dramatic as its cliff-backed location, entices visitors to Dryanovo Monastery. Originally founded in the early…
Plovdiv
Plovdiv’s magnificent 2nd-century AD amphitheatre, built during the reign of Emperor Trajan, was uncovered during a freak landslide in 1972. It once held…
Summer Palace of Queen Marie & Botanical Gardens
Black Sea Coast
At the far western end of the seafront, this palace was completed in 1926 by King Ferdinand of Romania for his English wife, Queen Marie, when Balchik was…
Founders of the Bulgarian State Monument
Bulgaria
Visible within a 30km radius, this tremendous Soviet-era monument was opened in 1981 to commemorate the First Bulgarian Empire’s 1300th anniversary…
Bulgaria
Thrashing beneath lofty limestone cliffs, the Negovanka River has sculpted deep creeks and pretty waterfalls in this captivating nature reserve, 22km west…
Bulgaria
A sky-blue church, posing against forested valleys, is the centrepiece of this 1833 monastery. What began as a humble wooden church outside Sokola Cave …
Bulgaria
The Archaeological Museum houses an impressive array of locally excavated Roman and Slavic artefacts, housed on two floors and helpfully signposted in…
National Exhibition of Crafts & Arts
Bulgaria
Somewhere between an open-air museum and a shoppers' paradise, this handicrafts complex exhibits marvellous examples of traditional Bulgarian woodcarving,…
Sofia
Sveta Sofia is one of the capital's oldest churches, and gave the city its name. A subterranean museum houses an ancient necropolis, with 56 tombs and the…
Bulgaria
As well as faithfully representing 19th-century design styles within its walls, Daskalov House contains the fascinating Museum of Woodcarving and Icon…
Bulgaria
The massive Belogradchik sandstone and limestone rock formations cover an area of around 90 sq km and tower over the town. The rocks, standing up to 200m…
Bulgaria
Almost blending in with the surrounding rocks, the Kaleto Fortress was originally built by the Romans and later expanded by the Byzantines, Bulgarians and…
Sofia
Tiny 13th-century Boyana Church is included on Unesco’s World Heritage list and its 90 murals are among the very finest examples of Bulgarian medieval…
Sofia
Housed in a former mosque built in 1496, this museum displays a wealth of Thracian, Roman and medieval artefacts. Highlights include a mosaic floor from…
Bulgaria
The concrete UFO looming over Shipka Pass is central Bulgaria's most peculiar sight. This former assembly hall slid into disrepair after the fall of…
Bulgaria
A magenta-and-white ice-cream cone of a church glows above tumbledown Shipka village, its golden onion domes glittering from thick woodlands. Part of…
Burgas
Four lakes surrounding Burgas (Pomoriysko, Atanasovsko, Mandrensko and Burgasko) comprise 9500 hectares and represent the largest wetland system in…
Bulgaria
Just outside the village of Cherven, about 30km south of Ruse, are the remains of a remarkably intact 6th-century hilltop citadel. Several streets, towers…
Bulgaria
With its triple-arched entrance and interior restored in shades from scarlet to sapphire blue, Oslekov House is arguably the most beautifully restored…
Bulgaria
This regional historical museum traces the history of the town and surrounding area from Thracian and Roman times through to the 19th century. The pride…
Burgas
This small volcanic island makes for a fun day of exploring. The island, which has served as a religious retreat, a prison and pirate bait (according to…
Bulgaria
A touch of Florence in the heart of Bulgaria, this covered bridge is the only such structure in the Balkans. Renowned Bulgarian architect Kolyu Ficheto…
Bulgaria
One of the largest caves in Bulgaria, with a total length of about 3km, the Magura is known for the size of its stalagmites and stalactites, as well as…
Varna
The well-preserved ruins of Varna's 2nd-century-AD Roman Thermae are the largest in Bulgaria and the fourth-largest of their kind in Europe. Visitors are…
Black Sea Coast
The diverse collection here includes valuable remnants from excavations carried out at the nearby Kibela (Cybele) Temple (referred to at the museum as the…
Bulgaria
The five chambers in Arbanasi's oldest surviving church are covered in kaleidoscopic frescoes (dating between 1632 and 1649), featuring a pantheon of…
Plovdiv
One of Plovdiv's most beautiful Bulgarian National Revival–era mansions, Balabanov House is an enjoyable way to experience old town nostalgia as well as…
Bulgaria
Lying 2km from Peplina village, the country's second-longest cave is accessible for around 3km of its length. Visitors pass through several chambers, the…
Varna
Established in 1878, this large and attractive green space, overlooking the sea, stretches for about 8km and is said to be the largest of its kind in…
Roman Fortress of Sexaginta Prista
Ruse
Archaeological work is ongoing at this former Roman fortress at a high point along the Danube. Research attests to some 2000 years of continued military…
Bulgaria
This well-done museum in Srebârna village presents a good overview in English of birdlife and other fauna around Lake Srebârna and should be a first port…
Sofia
Built in the 4th century AD, this tiny red-brick church is Sofia's oldest preserved building. The murals inside were painted between the 10th and 14th…
Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin
Varna
Varna's cathedral (1886) is topped with golden onion domes. Note the murals (painted in 1950) and colourful stained-glass windows, though you'll have to…
Bulgaria
Despite its enigmatic name, there's little more than a bluish haze hanging over this rubbly nature park. But these hills have revolutionary history:…
Sofia
If you wondered where all those unwanted statues of Lenin ended up, you'll find some here, along with the red star from atop Sofia's Party House. There's…
