National Museum of Military History

Lonely Planet review

Don't be put off by the rusting army trucks in the overgrown front yard - the National Museum of Military History is among the most interesting and best presented in Sofia. Displays over three floors tell the story of warfare in Bulgaria from the time of the Thracians onwards, with extensive labelling and information boards in English.

Most space goes to the period from the 1876 April Uprising through to WWI, with cases filled with weaponry, rebel flags and a seemingly endless parade of uniforms and personal belongings of soldiers. Among the more striking are the shaggy-fur flying costume, resembling a traditional Kuker outfit, worn by a Lt Simeon Petrov during the First Balkan War, and the pint-sized tunic of Nikola Kostov, a 10-year old WWI 'volunteer'. Exhibits from WWII and the communist period follow, with the final gallery concentrating on the Bulgarian army's current peace-keeping role within NATO. An additional ticket is required for the 4th-floor galleries, which hold a collection of foreign decorations awarded to Bulgarian leaders and, if you haven't had your fill, yet more uniforms and guns. The rear yard is home to an impressive assemblage of defunct, Soviet-made military hardware including Scud missile launchers, tanks and MiG fighters. Everything is labelled in English.