From ancient treasures and prehistoric pottery to 19th century documents: this museum presents Bulgaria's past in a nutshell

This museum has one of the most imposing locations of all in Bulgaria: in the former residence of dictator Todor Zhivkov in the Boyana neighbourhood. Its dim halls are filled with millennia-old artefacts, gold treasures such as that from Panagyurishte, and traces of the glory of mediaeval Bulgaria. The museum also has an intriguing collection from the National Revival period, along with clothes and a lot of paraphernalia that represent the so-called Third Bulgarian Kingdom that existed between 1878 and 1944, including the first Bulgarian Constitution.

The outstanding experience here owes to the fact that beautiful Mount Vitosha looms over the museum and is visible from some of its halls, and the building is an example of the Brutalist architecture of Bulgaria of the 1970s.

Visit for:

• Panagyurishte gold treasure
• A collection of ornate traditional Bulgarian costumes and jewellery
• Bulgaria's first Constitution
• The 1908 decree that declared Bulgaria an independent country
• The bell from the Parliament that gave the signal that Bulgaria had become a Communist People's Republic, in 1946
• Exhibition dedicated to the Bulgarian research base on Antarctica
• Impressive collection of rare coins minted between the 6th century BC and the 19th century AD

https://historymuseum.org