Must-see attractions in Bulgaria

  • Thracian Tomb of Sveshtari in Isperih, Bulgaria - A UNESCO World Heritage Site; Shutterstock ID 517225078; full: 65050; gl: 65050; netsuite: POI; your: Erin Lenczycki
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    Thracian Tomb of Sveshtari

    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…

  • Archaeological Museum

    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…

  • Tsarevets fortress, Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria, Europe

    Tsarevets Fortress

    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…

  • Frescos in the entrance to Bachkovo Monastery

    Bachkovo Monastery

    Plovdiv & Southern Mountains

    About 30km south of Plovdiv stands the magnificent Bachkovo Monastery, founded in 1083. Most of the complex dates from the 17th century onwards, with the…

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    Aleksander Nevski Cathedral

    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…

  • Dryanovo Monastery

    Bulgaria

    A history of destruction and revolution, as dramatic as its cliff-backed location, entices visitors to Dryanovo Monastery. Originally founded in the early…

  • The ancient theatre of Philippopolis.

    Roman Amphitheatre

    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…

  • 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…

  • Emen Canyon

    Bulgaria

    Thrashing beneath lofty limestone cliffs, the Negovanka River has sculpted deep creeks and pretty waterfalls in this captivating nature reserve, 22km west…

  • Sokolski Monastery

    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 …

  • Archaeological Museum

    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,…

  • Sveta Sofia Church

    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…

  • Daskalov House

    Bulgaria

    As well as faithfully representing 19th-century design styles within its walls, Daskalov House contains the fascinating Museum of Woodcarving and Icon…

  • Red Church

    Plovdiv & Southern Mountains

    The rust-red ruin of a late Roman church creates an enigmatic silhouette in the fragrant meadowlands outside Perushtitsa, 20km southwest of Plovdiv. The…

  • Belogradchik rocks Fortress Landmark, Bulgaria mountain, Europe
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Beauty In Nature, Belogradchik, Bulgaria, Cloud, Famous Place, Fort, Landscape, Mountain, Rock, Rock Formation, Sky, Sunlight, Surrounding Wall, Tourist, Travel, Tree

    Belogradchik Rocks

    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…

  • Kaleto fortress Belogradchik rocks Belogradchik Bulgaria

    Kaleto Fortress

    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…

  • Bulgaria, Sofia, Boyana Church

    Boyana Church

    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…

  • Columns of the Thracian sanctuary of Starosel - Bulgaria

    Archaeological Museum

    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…

  • Buzludzha Monument

    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…

  • Nativity Memorial Church

    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…

  • Poda Conservation Centre

    Burgas

    Four lakes surrounding Burgas (Pomoriysko, Atanasovsko, Mandrensko and Burgasko) comprise 9500 hectares and represent the largest wetland system in…

  • Cherven Fortress

    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…

  • Church of Rozhdestvo Bogorodichno

    Plovdiv & Southern Mountains

    The highlight of Rila Monastery is this magnificent church, built from 1834 to 1837, with distinctive black-and-white archways and three yellow-painted…

  • Oslekov House

    Bulgaria

    With its triple-arched entrance and interior restored in shades from scarlet to sapphire blue, Oslekov House is arguably the most beautifully restored…

  • Historical Museum

    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…

  • Historical Museum

    Plovdiv & Southern Mountains

    Larger and much better presented than many of Bulgaria's regional museums, this multifloor exhibition space preens from a steep hill behind Smolyan's…

  • St Anastasia Island

    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…

  • Covered Bridge

    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…

  • Magura Cave

    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…

  • Roman Thermae

    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…

  • Historical Museum

    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…

  • Nativity Church

    Bulgaria

    The five chambers in Arbanasi's oldest surviving church are covered in kaleidoscopic frescoes (dating between 1632 and 1649), featuring a pantheon of…

  • Balabanov House

    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…

  • Orlova Chuka Cave

    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…

  • Primorski Park

    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…

  • Sveta Troitsa Church

    Bansko

    Surrounded by 1m thick stone walls, this 19th-century church has the air of a fortress. By contrast, the interior is a multicolour marvel with flower…

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