100 Tourist Sites of Bulgaria

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.

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.

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

Sites (as of 2009)

4. A view of Melnik and its sand pyramids

6. Malko Tarnovo – centre of the Ilinden-Preobrazhenie Uprising – Museum of History

7. The fortifications at the entrance of Nesebar

11. Veliko Tarnovo, capital of the Second Bulgarian Empire between 1185 and 1393

13. The medieval Bulgarian fortress of Baba Vida in Vidin

15. Belogradchik Rocks

24. The medieval fortress on Kaliakra headland

29. Seven Rila Lakes in the Rila mountains

33. Saeva Dupka Cave in the Balkan Mountains

41. Plovdiv Roman theatre

45. Hristo Botev’s house in Kalofer

47. The Bachkovo Monastery

58. Boyana Church

58. National Museum of History

71. The 6th century Saint Sofia Church in Sofia

74. Stone river in Vitosha

85. The Wonderful Bridges

91. Thracian Tomb of Kazanlak

96. Pliska, the first Bulgarian capital between 681 and 893

1. Bansko — Velyanov House, Neofit Rilski Museum, Nikola Vaptsarov Museum, Permanent Icon Exhibition, Holy Trinity Church
2. Pirin — Vihren Peak
3. Dobarsko village — Church of Theodore Tyro and Theodore Stratilates
4. Melnik — Historical Museum of Melnik, Kordopulov House, Rozhen Monastery
5. Petrich — Rupite Protected Area including St. Petka Church, Samuil's Fortress National Park Museum
6. Nesebar — Architectural Reserve, Archaeological Museum
   6a. Pomorie – Museum of Salt, Lake Pomorie
7. Burgas – Cathedral of Saints Cyril and Methodius, Poda Protected Area
8. Malko Tarnovo — Petrova Niva Site, Museum of History
   8a. Sozopol — Archaeological Museum
9. Varna — Museum of History and the Maritime Museum
10. Devnya — Museum of Mosaics
11. Veliko Tarnovo — Tsarevets architectural reserve, Museum of History, Arbanasi architectural reserve
12. Svishtov — Aleko Konstantinov’s House
13. Vidin — Konaka Museum (Museum of History) and Baba Vida Fortress
14. Magura Cave
15. Belogradchik –  Museum of History, Belogradchik Rocks
16. Vratsa — Ledenika Cave, Regional Museum of History
    16a. Mezdra – Kaleto archaeological complex
17. Mount Okolchitsa — the place of Hristo Botev’s death
18. Kozloduy — Radetzky steamship-museum, Monument of Hristo Botev
19. Gabrovo — Etar Architectural-Ethnographic Complex, Museum of Education, Uzana locality, House of Humour and Satire
20. Bozhentsi village — Architectural and historical reserve
21. Tryavna — Museum of the Wood-Carving and Ethnographical Arts
22. Dryanovo — Dryanovo Monastery, Kolyu Ficheto Museum, Bacho Kiro Cave
23. Dobrich — House of Yordan Yovkov, Art Gallery
24. Balchik — Palace complex
    24a. University Botanic Garden
    24b. Kavarna — Kaliakra Headland, Kaliakra Archaeological reserve
25. Kardzhali — Ruins of Perperikon, Monastery of John the Precursor (Св. Йоан Предтеча)
    25a. Regional Museum of History
26. Kyustendil — Vladimir Dimitrov Art Gallery, House of Dimitar Peshev, Medieval Church of St George museum, regional historical museum
27. Blagoevgrad – Varosha Quarter, regional historical museum
    27a. Ruen Peak in Osogovo Mountain
28. Rila Monastery
29. Skakavitsa Chalet and the Seven Rila Lakes
30. Lovech — Vasil Levski Museum, Kakrina Inn
    30a. Karlukovo – National cave house
    30b. Devetaki – Devetashka cave
31. Troyan — Cherni Osam village — Natural Science Museum, Troyan Monastery.
32. Teteven — Museum of History
33. Brestnitsa village — Saeva Dupka Cave.
34. Berkovitsa — Kom Peak, Museum of Ethnography
35. Pazardzhik — Church of Virgin Mary, House of Stanislav Dospevski, Regional Museum of History
36. Panagyurishte — Oborishte locality, House of Rayna Knyaginya
37. Peshtera — Snezhanka Cave
38. Batak — Museum of History
39. Tran — the Gorge on the Jerma River
40. Pleven — St George the Conqueror Chapel Mausoleum, Pleven Panorama, Regional Museum of History
41. Plovdiv — Roman Amphitheatre, Old Plovdiv architecture reserve, Ethnography Museum, Museum of History, St. Konstantin and Elena Church
42. Perushtitsa — Museum of History
43. Sopot — the Nunnery, House of Ivan Vazov
44. Karlovo — Vasil Levski National Museum
45. Kalofer — Hristo Botev National Museum
46. The Botev Peak
47. Asenovgrad — The Bachkovo Monastery, Asenova krepost fortress
48. Razgrad — Abrittus Archaeological reserve
49. Isperih — Museum of History, Sboryanovo museum of history and archaeology, Thracian Tomb, the Thracian town of Chelis, Demir Baba Tekke — Sveshtari village
50. Rousse — House of Zahari Stoyanov, Pantheon of National Revival Heroes
51. Silistra — Museum of History, Medcidi Tabi fortress
52. Srebarna Nature Reserve
53. Tutrakan — Military Tomb Memorial Complex, Museum of Danube Fishing and Boat-Making.
54. Sliven — House of Hadzhi Dimitar, National Textile Museum
55. Sinite Kamani Natural park, Karandila Hut
56. Kotel — Georgi Sava Rakovski’s Panteon and the Museum of Famous People of the Bulgarian Revival Age, Natural Sciences Museum
57. Zheravna village — Architecture and Ethnography Reserve, The House of Yordan Yovkov
58. Sofia — The National Museum of History, Boyana Church National Museum
59. Sofia — Alexander Nevsky Cathedral
60. Sofia — National Church Museum of History and Archaeology of the Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church
61. Sofia — National Palace of Culture
62. Sofia — National Art Gallery, Institute of Ethnography and Museum maintained by the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
63. Etropole — Museum of History, Clocktower, Monastery of the Holy Trinity
64. Sofia — Earth and Man National Museum
65. Sofia — National Museum of Natural Science maintained by the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
66. Sofia — Museum of the History of Sport located inside the Vasil Levski National Stadium
67. Hisarya — Starosel village — Thracian Temple
68. Sofia — Institute of Archaeology and Museum maintained by the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
69. Sofia — the Zoo
70. Bratsigovo — Town Museum of History
71. Sofia — St. Sophia Temple
72. Chirpan — House Museum of Peyo Yavorov, Nikola Manev Art Gallery, St. Athanasius monastery in Zlatna Livada village. (The Sofia Synagogue occupied this position prior to 2007.)
73. Dimitrovgrad — History Museum, the House of Penyo Penev.
74. Vitosha — Cherni Vrah
75. Koprivshtitsa — Archaeology and History Reserve
76. Sredna Gora — Bogdan Peak
77. Klisura — Museum of History
78. Osenovlag village — Seven Altars Monastery
79. Samokov — Museum of History, the Nunnery
80. Rila — Musala Peak
81. Botevgrad — the Clocktower. (Slivnitsa town cemetery occupied this position prior to 2005.)
82. Skravena village — St. Nikolai Monastery, Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Ossuary of the members of Hristo Botev's detachment
83. Smolyan — Smolyan Planetarium, Museum of History. (Uhlovitsa Cave has been removed from this position.)
84. Pamporovo — Uhlovitsa Cave, Snezhanka Peak
85. Rhodope Mountains – Golyam Perelik Peak, The Wonderful Bridges
86. Zlatograd — Ethnography Complex
87. Shiroka Laka village
88. Trigrad Gorge, the Devil's Throat Cave
89. Yagodinska cave, Buynovo gorge
90. Stara Zagora – the Neolithic Houses, the Roman Forum of Augusta Traiana, the Stara Zagora Defenders Memorial Complex, Museum of History
91. Kazanlak – Chudomir Art and Literature Museum, Thracian Tomb of Kazanlak
92. Shipka town — Shipka Memorial Church
93. Shipka Pass — Shipka Memorial
94. Shumen — Shumen Fortress, Reserve of Architecture and History, Founders of Bulgaria Monument, the local Museum of History
95. Shumen — Tombul Mosque
96. Pliska — Archaeological Reserve
97. Madara — Archaeological Reserve
98. Veliki Preslav – National Reserve of History and Architecture
99. Yambol — the Ancient town of Kabile, Museum of History
100. Elhovo — Museum of Ethnography

1966–1989

List of the 100 Tourist Sites of Bulgaria from 1966 to November 10, 1989:

1. Bansko — the Nikola Vaptsarov Museum
2. Pirin — the Vihren Peak.
3. Melnik — the local Museum of History.
4. Burgas — the Petrochemical Plant.
5. Nesebar — Sunny Beach Holiday Resort.
6. Sozopol — the local Museum of History.
7. Varna — the Aladzha Monastery.
8. Varna — the Naval Museum and the Museum of Friendship among Nations.
9. Pobiti Kamani.
10. Kamchiya River mouth – The Divers Monument.
11. Vidin — the Baba Vida Fortress.
12. Rabisha village – The Magura Cave.
13. Belogradchik — The Belogradchik Fortress and rocks.
14. Vratsa — regional historical museum.
15. The Ledenika Cave.
16. Kozloduy — the monument of Hristo Botev.
17. Okolchitsa — the place of Hristo Botev’s death.
18. Veliko Tarnovo — Museum of History, Tsarevets, Preobrazhenski Monastery.
19. Svishtov — Aleko Konstantinov’s House, the place where the Russian army crossed the Danube river.
20. Gabrovo — Mitko Palauzov’s House.
21. Gabrovo — Etar Architectural-Ethnographic Complex.
22. Dryanovo Monastery and Bacho Kiro Cave.
23. Tryavna — Museum of wood-carving.
24. The Balkan Mountains — Partisan Hut.
25. Kyustendil — regional museum of history, the Vladimir Dimitrov - Maistora Art Gallery.
26. The Rila Monastery.
27. Rila — the Seven Rila Lakes.
28. Kardzhali — The Lead & Zinc plant, the Kardzhali Dam.
29. Lovech — The Museum and Monument of Vasil Levski.
30. Troyan Monastery.
31. Teteven —Museum of History.
32. Kostina Area – Monument of Georgi Benkovski.
33. Golyam Izvor (Lovech Province) – The First Regional Revolutionary Committee in Bulgaria Museum.
34. Brestnitsa village – Saeva Dupka Cave.
35. Kakrina — Kakrina Inn Museum.
36. Berkovitsa — the House of Ivan Vazov.
37. Petrohan – Cascade and Monument of Georgi Dimitrov and Vasil Kolarov.
38. Pazardzhik — Stanislav Dospevski Art Gallery.
39. Mihaylovgrad – Museum of the September 1923 Uprising.
40. Batak — Museum of History.
41. Batak – Teheran Partisans’ Camp.
42. Velingrad — the House of Vela Peeva.
43. Bratsigovo — Museum of History.
44. Peshtera — Peshtera water power-station.
45. Panagyurishte — Museum of History.
46. Panagyurishte — the Oborishte Area.
47. Pernik — Regional Museum of History.
48. Kovachevtsi, Pernik Province – the House of Georgi Dimitrov.
49. Slishovtsi village – Partisans' ossuary.
50. Pleven — Military Museum, Kaylaka Park.
51. Plovdiv — Museum of Archaeology and Ethnography.
52. Perushtitsa — Local Museum of History.
53. Kalofer — the House of Hristo Botev.
54. Karlovo — the House of Vasil Levski.
55. Sopot — the House of Ivan Vazov.
56. Klisura — Museum of History.
57. The Balkan Mountains — Botev Peak.
58. Hisarya – Local Museum of History.
59. Bachkovo village — Bachkovo Monastery, Asen's Fortress.
60. Sredna Gora — Buntovna Commemorative Tourist Complex.
61. Razgrad — Abrittus Archaeological reserve.
62. Rousse — Tonka Obretenova’s House, Giurgiu-Rousse Friendship Bridge.
63. Silistra — Regional Museum of History.
64. Sliven — the House of Hadzhi Dimitar, the Art Gallery.
65. Kotel — History Museum.
66. Zheravna village — Architecture and Ethnography Reserve.
67. Karanovo — Karanovo tell.
68. Sofia — Museum of the Revolutionary Movement.
69. Sofia — Dimitar Blagoev’s House.
70. Sofia – Georgi Dimitrov Museum.
71. Sofia — Museum of Ethnography, Museum of Archaeology.
72. Sofia — Museum of the Bulgarian-Soviet Friendship.
73. Sofia — National Art Gallery, Alexander Nevsky Cathedral and the Crypt.
74. Vitosha — Cherni Vrah.
75. Kremikovtzi – the Metallurgic Plant.
76. Samokov — History Museum.
77. Rila — Musala Peak.
78. Koprivshtitsa — The Houses of Lyuben Karavelov, Todor Kableshkov, Georgi Benkovski, Yako Dorosiev, Dimcho Debelyanov, the Oslekov House.
79. Sredna Gora — Bogdan Peak.
80. Zherkovo Area – Museum and Monument of Chavdartsi.
81. The Balkan Mountains — Chavdar Hut.
82. Smolyan — Regional historical museum, the Smolyan Lakes.
83. the Rhodope Mountains — Pamporovo Holiday Resort.
84. the Rhodope Mountains — Persenk Peak, the Wonderful Bridges.
85. Stara Zagora — Regional Museum of History, Lenin Park.
86. Kazanlak — Museum of History, Thracian Tomb of Kazanlak.
87. Shipka Peak — Shipka Memorial.
88. The Balkan Mountains — Buzludzha Park-Museum.
89. The Balkan Mountains — Stoletov Peak, Monument of Liberty.
90. Maritsa-Iztok Energy Complex, Komsomolska Steam-Power Plant.
91. Balchik — The Castle, Albena Holiday resort.
92. Kavarna — Kaliakra headland.
93. Yastrebino village — Monument of the 18 Partisans and their supporters.
94. Dimitrovgrad — Museum of the socialistic construction, Nitric Fertilizers Plant.
95. Shumen — Regional Museum of History, House of Vasil Kolarov.
96. Madara — Museum of Archaeology and Madara Rider.
97. Pliska — Museum of Archaeology.
98. Preslav — Museum of Archaeology, Patleyna.
99. Yambol — Regional Museum of History.
100. A model co-operative farm of choice.

External links

• Official website of the Bulgarian Tourist Union - 100 Sites (in Bulgarian)
• Video presentation of the list