100 Tourist Sites of Bulgaria

Movement to promote tourism in Bulgaria March 2014 100 Tourist Sites of Bulgaria is a Bulgarian national movement established in 1966 to promote tourism among Bulgaria's most significant cultural, historic, and natural landmarks. As part of this program, sites of cultural and historical significance have been selected, ranging from historic places and monuments to archaeological and architectural sanctuaries, museums, monasteries, as well as national parks, mountain peaks and other geological phenomena. Each of the chosen landmarks has its own individual seal, which is stamped onto pages of an official passport-like booklet issued by the Bulgarian Tourist Union (BTU). A booklet can be purchased at any tourist union center or on location at any of the sites and it costs a symbolic 1 lev. The booklet comes with a separate map which includes a list of the sites, their addresses and working hours. The maximum number of collectible stamps per booklet is 100 and, contrary to the movement's title, the exact number of official sites exceeds the number 100. Rewarding A reward scheme has been developed to encourage collection of as many stamps as possible. Depending on the number of stamps collected, participants may receive bronze, silver or gold badges. 25 stamps earn bronze, 50 stamps earn silver and 100 stamps (a complete booklet) earn gold. The National Organizational Committee of the BTU holds an annual lottery for the previous year's badge earners every August. Prizes include domestic and overseas excursions, bicycles, tents, sleeping bags, and other travel-related items. Some landmarks in the original program highlighted Bulgaria's Communist government, which collapsed on November 10, 1989. In 2003 the BTU removed many of these sites from the official list. Both the original and current lists appear below. The list has since seen minor changes in 2007, 2008 and 2009. Program Participants A variety of organizations and institutions participated in developing and promoting the 100 Tourist Sites of Bulgaria. These include: The Bulgarian Tourist Union The Ministry of Education and Science of Bulgaria The Ministry of Culture of Bulgaria The Bulgarian State Agency for Youth and Sports The Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church The Ministry of Environment and Water of Bulgaria The Union of Bulgarian Motorists The Bulgarian Red Cross The Bulgarian National Radio Bulgarian National Television One hundred national tourist sites right|thumb|200px|4. A view of Melnik and its sand pyramids right|thumb|200px|6. Malko Tarnovo – centre of the Ilinden-Preobrazhenie Uprising – Museum of History right|thumb|200px|7. The fortifications at the entrance of Nesebar right|thumb|200px|11. Veliko Tarnovo, capital of the Second Bulgarian Empire between 1185 and 1393 right|thumb|200px|13. The medieval Bulgarian fortress of Baba Vida in Vidin right|thumb|200px|15. Belogradchik Rocks right|thumb|200px|24. The medieval fortress on Kaliakra headland right|thumb|200px|29. Seven Rila Lakes in the Rila mountains right|thumb|200px|33. Saeva Dupka Cave in the Balkan Mountains right|thumb|200px|41. Plovdiv Roman theatre right|thumb|200px|45. Hristo Botev's house in Kalofer right|thumb|200px|47. The Bachkovo Monastery right|thumb|200px|58. Boyana Church right|thumb|200px|58. National Museum of History right|thumb|200px|71. The 6th century Saint Sofia Church in Sofia right|thumb|200px|74. Stone river in Vitosha right|thumb|200px|85. The Wonderful Bridges right|thumb|200px|91. Thracian Tomb of Kazanlak right|thumb|200px|96. Pliska, the first Bulgarian capital between 681 and 893 Bansko — Velyanov House,http://visit-bansko.bg/en/what-to-see/museums/item/3949-house-of-velyan Velyanov House 2016-11-30 2022-05-24 https://web.archive.org/web/20220524192103/https://www.visit-bansko.bg/en/what-to-see/museums/item/3949-house-of-velyan dead Neofit Rilski Museum,http://visit-bansko.bg/en/what-to-see/museums/item/3953-house-museum-%E2%80%9Cneofit-rilski%E2%80%9D House-museum "Neofit Rilski" 2016-11-30 2022-01-20 https://web.archive.org/web/20220120193859/https://visit-bansko.bg/en/what-to-see/museums/item/3953-house-museum-%E2%80%9Cneofit-rilski%E2%80%9D dead Nikola Vaptsarov Museum,http://visit-bansko.bg/en/what-to-see/museums/item/3952-house-museum-of-nikola-vaptsarov House-museum of Nikola Vaptsarov 2016-11-30 2022-06-26 https://web.archive.org/web/20220626225839/https://visit-bansko.bg/en/what-to-see/museums/item/3952-house-museum-of-nikola-vaptsarov dead Permanent Icon Exhibition "Bansko Art School".http://visit-bansko.bg/en/what-to-see/museums/item/3951-permanent-exhibition-of-bansko-art-school Permanent Icon Exhibition 2016-11-30 2022-06-26 https://web.archive.org/web/20220626235109/https://visit-bansko.bg/en/what-to-see/museums/item/3951-permanent-exhibition-of-bansko-art-school dead a Bansko- Holy Trinity ChurchHoly Trinity Church of Bansko Pirin mountain — Vihren Peak Dobarsko village — Church of Theodore Tyro and Theodore StratilatesTheodore Stratilates Church Melnik — Historical Museum of Melnik,Historical Museum of Melnik Kordopulov House, 4a Rozhen Monastery. Petrich — Rupite Protected Area including St. Petka Church,St. Petka Church 5a Samuil's Fortress National Park Museum, 5b Heraclea Sintica ancient Greek city. Nesebar —Nesebar Archaeological Museum 6a Pomorie – Salt Museum, Pomorie, 6bLake Pomorie Burgas – Cathedral of Saints Cyril and Methodius, Poda Protected Area, '7a Aytos rock formation "Three brothers" Malko Tarnovo — Petrova Niva Site, Museum of History 8a. Sozopol — Archaeological Museum Varna — Museum of History and the Maritime Museum Devnya — Museum of Mosaics Veliko Tarnovo — Tsarevets archaeological reserve, Museum of History, Arbanasi architectural reserve Svishtov — Aleko Konstantinov's House Vidin — Konaka Museum (Museum of History) and Baba Vida Fortress Magura Cave Belogradchik – Museum of History, Belogradchik Rocks. (Formerly also: Belogradchik Fortress) Vratsa — Ledenika Cave, Regional Museum of History 16a. Mezdra (added in the 2010s) – Kaleto archaeological complex Mount Okolchitsa — the place of Hristo Botev's death Kozloduy — Radetzky steamship-museum, Monument of Hristo Botev Gabrovo — Etar Architectural-Ethnographic Complex, Museum of Education, Uzana locality, House of Humour and Satire Bozhentsi village — Architectural and historical reserve Tryavna — Museum of the Wood-Carving and Ethnographical Arts Dryanovo — Dryanovo Monastery, Kolyu Ficheto Museum, Bacho Kiro Cave Dobrich — House of Yordan Yovkov, Art Gallery Balchik — Palace complex 24a. University Botanic Garden 24b. Kavarna — Kaliakra Headland, Kaliakra Archaeological reserve Kardzhali — Ruins of Perperikon, Monastery of John the Precursor (Св. Йоан Предтеча)25a. Regional Museum of History Kyustendil — Vladimir Dimitrov Art Gallery, House of Dimitar Peshev, Medieval Church of St George museum, regional historical museum Blagoevgrad (added in the 2010s) – Varosha Quarter, regional historical museum 27a. Ruen Peak in Osogovo Mountain Rila Monastery Skakavitsa Chalet and the Seven Rila Lakes Lovech — Vasil Levski Museum, Kakrina Inn 30a. Karlukovo (added in the 2010s) – National cave house 30b. Devetaki – Devetashka cave Troyan — Natural History Museum at Cherni Osam, Troyan Monastery, Museum of Folk Arts Teteven — Museum of History Brestnitsa village — Saeva Dupka Cave Berkovitsa — Museum of Ethnography, House of Ivan Vasov. (Formerly also: Kom Peak) Pazardzhik — Church of Virgin Mary, House of Stanislav Dospevski, Regional Museum of History Panagyurishte — Oborishte locality, House of Rayna Knyaginya Peshtera — Snezhanka Cave, Peristera Fortress Batak — Museum of History Tran — the Gorge on the Jerma River 39a. Pernik (added in the 2010s) – Underground mining museum Pleven — St George the Conqueror Chapel Mausoleum, Pleven Panorama, Regional Museum of History Plovdiv — Roman theatre, Ethnography Museum, Museum of History. (Formerly also: Old Plovdiv architectural reserve, St. Konstantin and Elena Church) Perushtitsa — Museum of History Sopot — the Nunnery, House of Ivan Vazov Karlovo — Vasil Levski National Museum, Museum of History Kalofer — Hristo Botev National Museum Sandanski (added in the 2010s) – Episcopal Basilica, Archaeological Museum 46a.The Botev Peak Asenovgrad — The Bachkovo Monastery, Asenova krepost fortress, Museum of History Razgrad — Abrittus Archaeological reserve Isperih — Museum of History, Sboryanovo museum of history and archaeology, the Thracian town of Chelis and Demir Baba Tekke at Sveshtari village. (Formerly also: Thracian Tomb) Ruse — House of Zahari Stoyanov, Pantheon of National Revival Heroes Silistra — Museum of History, Medcidi Tabi fortress Srebarna Nature Reserve Tutrakan — Military Tomb Memorial Complex, Museum of Danube Fishing and Boat-Making. Sliven — House of Hadzhi Dimitar, National Textile Museum, Art Gallery Velingrad (added in the 2010s) – Museum of History. (The Sinite Kamani Natural park and Karandila Chalet previously occupied this position.) Kotel — Georgi Sava Rakovski's Pantheon and the Museum of Famous People of the Bulgarian Revival Age, Natural History Museum Zheravna village — House of Yordan Yovkov. (Formerly also: Architecture and Ethnography Reserve) Sofia — The National Museum of History 58a. Boyana Church National Museum Sofia — Alexander Nevsky Cathedral 59a. (added in the 2010s) National Museum of Military History Elena (added in the 2010s) – House of Hilarion of Makariopolis, Daskalolivnitsa historical complex. (The National Church Museum of History and Archaeology in Sofia previously occupied this position.) Sofia — Earth and Man National Museum 61a. National Palace of Culture Sofia — National Gallery for Foreign Art, maintained by the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences 62a. National Art Gallery Etropole — Museum of History, Clocktower, Monastery of the Holy Trinity Krestevic, Sredna Gora (added in the 2010s) — Buntovna Commemorative Tourist Complex Sofia — National Museum of Natural History maintained by the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences Sofia — Museum of the History of Sport located inside the Vasil Levski National Stadium 66a. Sofia Zoo 66b. (added in the 2010s) National Anthropological Museum maintained by the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences Starosel village — Thracian tomb 67a. Hisarya — Archaeological Museum Sofia — Institute of Archaeology and Museum maintained by the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences 68a. (added in the 2010s) National Polytechnical Museum Chiprovtsi (added in the 2010s) – Museum of History, Chiprovtsi Monastery Bratsigovo — Town Museum of History Chirpan — House Museum of Peyo Yavorov, Nikola Manev Art Gallery, St. Athanasius monastery in Zlatna Livada village. (The St. Sophia Temple formerly occupied this position.) Haskovo (added in the 2010s) – Virgin Mary monument, Aleksandrovo tomb and museum centre. (The Sofia Synagogue occupied this position prior to 2007.)72a. (added in the 2010s) Mezek – Medieval fortress, Thracian domed tomb. 72b. (added in the 2010s) Ivaylovgrad – Villa Armira, Municipal historical museum. Dimitrovgrad — History Museum, the House of Penyo Penev, Giordano Bruno observatory Vitosha (added in the 2010s) — Aleko Chalet. 74a. Cherni Vrah Koprivshtitsa — Archaeology and History Reserve Nova Zagora (added in the 2010s) – Karanova Mogila museum. (Bogdan Peak at Sredna Gora formerly occupied this position.) Klisura — Museum of History Osenovlag village — Seven Altars Monastery Samokov — Museum of History, the Nunnery. 79a. Belchin village (added in the 2010s) – Tsar Mali Town. Rila — Musala Peak Botevgrad — the Clocktower. (Slivnitsa town cemetery occupied this position prior to 2005.) Skravena village — monument at St. Nikolai Monastery to the members of Hristo Botev's detachment Smolyan — Museum of History. (Uhlovitsa Cave formerly occupied this position.) 83a. Smolyan Planetarium 83b. Momchilovtsi village Pamporovo — Uhlovitsa Cave, Snezhanka Peak Rhodope Mountains – Golyam Perelik Peak, The Wonderful Bridges Zlatograd — Ethnography Complex Rhodope Mountains – Shiroka Laka village archaeological reserve 87a. Madan, Smolyan Province – Rhodope Crystal Hall, Sharenka Cave Rhodope Mountains – Trigrad Gorge. (Formerly also: the Devil's Throat Cave) Rhodope Mountains – Yagodinska cave, Buynovo gorge Stara Zagora – the Neolithic Houses Museum, the Stara Zagora Defenders Memorial Complex, Museum of History. (Formerly also: the Roman Forum of Augusta Traiana) Kazanlak – Chudomir Art and Literature Museum, Thracian Tomb of Kazanlak Shipka town — Shipka Memorial Church Shipka Pass — Shipka Memorial Shumen — Shumen Fortress Historical and Archaeological Reserve, Founders of Bulgaria Monument, Regional Museum of History Shumen — Tombul Mosque Pliska — Archaeological Reserve Pliska, Great Basilica, Pliska Madara — Madara Rider Veliki Preslav – National Historical and Archaeological Reserve Yambol — the ancient town of Kabile, Museum of History Elhovo — Museum of Ethnography References External links Official website of the Bulgarian Tourist Union - 100 Sites (in Bulgarian) Category:Tourism in Bulgaria Category:Lists of tourist attractions in Bulgaria