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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


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