Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2024 All Rights Reserved

7 unusual must-see museums in Bulgaria

Photo: Submarine Museum Slava

If you are curious and want to know more about Bulgaria in addition to the usual tourist clichés, we recommend visiting a few museums that will surprise you and will enrich your knowledge about Bulgarian traditions and cultural heritage.

Museum of yogurt in the village of Studen Izvor


A unique museum is dedicated to Bulgarian yogurt, which is famous all over the world. The museum is situated in a 200-year-old house in the native village of Dr. Stamen Grigorov, who in 1905 first described Lactobacillus bulgaricus - the bacterium used in the production of traditional healthy and low-calorie dairy products.

Donkey Museum in the village of Gurkovo


The idea for its creation is related to the donkey cart rally held in the 70s of the XX century. Visitors can see authentic objects related to the donkey, which used to be a major helper in the agricultural work of our predecessors. A stuffed donkey welcomes the guests at the entrance.

The Red Flat in Sofia


Welcome to the times of late socialism in the 80s of the twentieth century! In an apartment-museum downtown Sofia one can find themselves in a different reality and see what a typical home inhabited by the average Bulgarian family back in the times of socialism looked like. Everything here is meticulously selected to the smallest detail. One sees the typical old TV, the tablecloths and old telephone, as well as the gloomy looking furniture. The museum has been a hit among foreign tourists.

Pliocene Park Museum near the village of Dorkovo


From the outside the museum building looks like an ancient beehive. Inside you will meet face to face with an impressive mastodon in real size, which looks like it is alive. Visitors go 5 million years back in time to the late Pliocene era. The bones found near Dorkovo date back to that time. Visitors can see bones from saber-toothed tigers, prehistoric rhinos and other interesting species that went extinct long time ago.

Underground Mining Museum in Pernik


The Museum of Mining is part of an underground gallery with a length of 630 m, where coal was mined between 1891 and 1966. Visitors put on safety helmets before entering the old mine. One can see different types of mine locomotives and railway equipment, authentic mining tools, telephones, etc.

Wine Museum near the city of Pleven


A cave in Kaylaka Park is the location of a cozy cellar where you can taste different varieties of Bulgarian wine. The museum's wine collection includes wines aged between 30 and 90 years. The collection also contains 6,000 bottles of newer wines from all over the country.

Submarine museum in town of Beloslav


"Slava" is the name of the last Bulgarian submarine, which has been turned into a museum. Crews used to carry out combat training and participate in international exercises on board the submarine. In addition to the officers' cabins and the control room, visitors can see a surgical table with instruments for performing operations.

English: Alexander Markov

Photos: bulgariatravel.org, library, redflatsofia.com, museumpernik.com, Wine Museum - Pleven, Submarine Museum Slava


Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

EUR 1.5 billion expected in revenue from tourism during the winter season

Revenues from tourism during the winter season will increase by 30% compared to 2019, and by 15% compared to last season, mostly because of inflation and the increased level of tourist offers, said Rumen Draganov, Director of the Institute for..

published on 12/5/24 10:39 AM
Evtim Miloshev

Tourism Minister Evtim Miloshev expects a 5% increase in the number of tourists during the winter season

Caretaker Minister of Tourism Evtim Miloshev expressed optimism about the winter season, saying he expects a 5% increase in the number of tourist visits. “If all goes well and the if the weather is with us,” he added. 1.3 million tourists are..

published on 12/5/24 9:03 AM

Snow-covered slopes in Borovets, Bansko and Pamporovo before start of the new season

The ski runs in the three major winter resorts of Bulgaria - Borovets, Bansko and Pamporovo, are well covered with snow before the official start of the season, BGNES reports. The 2024/2025 season will open in Borovets on December 15. A good base of..

published on 12/3/24 12:08 PM