National Historical Museum

Sofia, Bulgaria

The National Historical Museum in Sofia is Bulgaria's largest museum. It was founded in 1973. A new representative exhibition was opened in the building of the Court of Justice on 2 March 1984, to commemorate the 13th centenary of the Bulgarian state. The museum was moved in 2000 to one of the major buildings in the complex serving as official residence of the President, Vice President and Government of the Republic of Bulgaria., and currently contains over 650,000 objects connected to archaeology, fine arts, history and ethnography, although only 10% of them are permanently exhibited.

The museum includes a cloakroom, cafe, library and souvenir shop. It undertakes professional conservation and restoration of historical monuments, authenticity investigations and expert valuation. Its collections comprise materials dating from prehistoric ages till the present.

Major excavated exhibits include Valchitran Treasure, Dabene Treasure, Rogozen Treasure (part) and Panagyurishte Treasure (either replicas or the real objects).

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Founded: 1973
Category: Museums in Bulgaria

Rating

4.6/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Dmitry Erokhin (2 years ago)
This is a very cool museum, the best in Bulgaria. Have very huge collection and interesting building, you will not be disappointed
Good Earth (2 years ago)
Good description of artifacts in English and Bulgarian. Bus 304 Nim last stop is in front or Bus 2 across the street. The skeleton on the wall have perfect strong teeths.
Lavaniya Das (2 years ago)
A must visit in Sofia. Take Bus 2 to the museum as it is uphill. A beautiful setting with amazing architecture. Not all exhibits have an English translation but you will still learn a lot about the history of Bulgaria. If you visit when there is good weather, do sit in the outdoor cafe and soak in the views.
Evelin Iliev (2 years ago)
This was my first visit to the museum. Somehow I expected more but still I was fascinated from all the exhibits. You can feel the history at this place. In my opinion, there too many stones and columns from Roman times. Unfortunately, some of the most important exhibits are copies. The interior needs to be refurbished and put into the modern age - otherwise communism can be felt from every corner. ? Toilets are clean but old. There's a small café on the 2nd floor, hall 3. Prices there are fair but cash only. Regular entry fee for the museum is 12 BGN, paid with a Revolut card. In general, the museum with the adjacent park at the foothill of Vitosha mountain is a great place for groups and families. Highly recommend it.
Christopher Fung (2 years ago)
This is an excellent museum with all periods of Bulgarian history and culture. I was fortunate that so much of the commentary is in English. I was impressed by the Greek and Roman exhibits and much of the Bulgarian history through the ages, the beautiful costumes and dress and the interesting link with the Saxe Coburgs and the British Royal family, especially Prinxe Albert and Victoria. The architecture is very interesting and so many relics available to see. I highly recommend it.
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