100 Tourist Sites of Bulgaria
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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)
- Bansko — Velyanov House,[1] Neofit Rilski Museum,[2] Nikola Vaptsarov Museum,[3] Permanent Icon Exhibition,[4] Holy Trinity Church[5]
- Pirin — Vihren Peak
- Dobarsko village — Church of Theodore Tyro and Theodore Stratilates[6]
- Melnik — Historical Museum of Melnik,[7] Kordopulov House, Rozhen Monastery
- Petrich — Rupite Protected Area including St. Petka Church,[8] Samuil's Fortress National Park Museum
- Nesebar — Architectural Reserve, Archaeological Museum
6a. Pomorie – Museum of Salt, Lake Pomorie - Burgas – Cathedral of Saints Cyril and Methodius, Poda Protected Area
- 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 architectural 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
- Vratsa — Ledenika Cave, Regional Museum of History
16a. Mezdra – 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 – 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 – 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 – Underground mining museum - Pleven — St George the Conqueror Chapel Mausoleum, Pleven Panorama, Regional Museum of History
- Plovdiv — Roman Amphitheatre, Old Plovdiv architecture reserve, Ethnography Museum, Museum of History, St. Konstantin and Elena Church
- Perushtitsa — Museum of History
- Sopot — the Nunnery, House of Ivan Vazov
- Karlovo — Vasil Levski National Museum
- Kalofer — Hristo Botev National Museum
- The Botev Peak
- Asenovgrad — The Bachkovo Monastery, Asenova krepost fortress
- Razgrad — Abrittus Archaeological reserve
- Isperih — Museum of History, Sboryanovo museum of history and archaeology, Thracian Tomb, the Thracian town of Chelis, Demir Baba Tekke — Sveshtari village
- Rousse — 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
- Sinite Kamani Natural park, Karandila Hut
- Kotel — Georgi Sava Rakovski’s Panteon and the Museum of Famous People of the Bulgarian Revival Age, Natural Sciences Museum
- Zheravna village — Architecture and Ethnography Reserve, The House of Yordan Yovkov
- Sofia — The National Museum of History, Boyana Church National Museum
- Sofia — Alexander Nevsky Cathedral
- Sofia — National Church Museum of History and Archaeology of the Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church
- Sofia — National Palace of Culture
- Sofia — National Art Gallery, Institute of Ethnography and Museum maintained by the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
- Etropole — Museum of History, Clocktower, Monastery of the Holy Trinity
- Sofia — Earth and Man National Museum
- Sofia — National Museum of Natural Science maintained by the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
- Sofia — Museum of the History of Sport located inside the Vasil Levski National Stadium
- Hisarya — Starosel village — Thracian Temple
- Sofia — Institute of Archaeology and Museum maintained by the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
- Sofia — the Zoo
- Bratsigovo — Town Museum of History
- Sofia — St. Sophia Temple
- 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.)
- Dimitrovgrad — History Museum, the House of Penyo Penev.
- Vitosha — Cherni Vrah
- Koprivshtitsa — Archaeology and History Reserve
- Sredna Gora — Bogdan Peak
- Klisura — Museum of History
- Osenovlag village — Seven Altars Monastery
- Samokov — Museum of History, the Nunnery
- Rila — Musala Peak
- Botevgrad — the Clocktower. (Slivnitsa town cemetery occupied this position prior to 2005.)
- Skravena village — St. Nikolai Monastery, Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Ossuary of the members of Hristo Botev's detachment
- Smolyan — Smolyan Planetarium, Museum of History. (Uhlovitsa Cave has been removed from this position.)
- Pamporovo — Uhlovitsa Cave, Snezhanka Peak
- Rhodope Mountains – Golyam Perelik Peak, The Wonderful Bridges
- Zlatograd — Ethnography Complex
- Shiroka Laka village
- Trigrad Gorge, the Devil's Throat Cave
- Yagodinska cave, Buynovo gorge
- Stara Zagora – the Neolithic Houses, the Roman Forum of Augusta Traiana, the Stara Zagora Defenders Memorial Complex, Museum of History
- Kazanlak – Chudomir Art and Literature Museum, Thracian Tomb of Kazanlak
- Shipka town — Shipka Memorial Church
- Shipka Pass — Shipka Memorial
- Shumen — Shumen Fortress, Reserve of Architecture and History, Founders of Bulgaria Monument, the local Museum of History
- Shumen — Tombul Mosque
- Pliska — Archaeological Reserve
- Madara — Archaeological Reserve
- Veliki Preslav – National Reserve of History and Architecture
- Yambol — the Ancient town of Kabile, Museum of History
- Elhovo — Museum of Ethnography
1966–1989
List of the 100 Tourist Sites of Bulgaria from 1966 to November 10, 1989:
- Bansko — the Nikola Vaptsarov Museum
- Pirin — the Vihren Peak.
- Melnik — the local Museum of History.
- Burgas — the Petrochemical Plant.
- Nesebar — Sunny Beach Holiday Resort.
- Sozopol — the local Museum of History.
- Varna — the Aladzha Monastery.
- Varna — the Naval Museum and the Museum of Friendship among Nations.
- Pobiti Kamani.
- Kamchiya River mouth – The Divers Monument.
- Vidin — the Baba Vida Fortress.
- Rabisha village – The Magura Cave.
- Belogradchik — The Belogradchik Fortress and rocks.
- Vratsa — regional historical museum.
- The Ledenika Cave.
- Kozloduy — the monument of Hristo Botev.
- Okolchitsa — the place of Hristo Botev’s death.
- Veliko Tarnovo — Museum of History, Tsarevets, Preobrazhenski Monastery.
- Svishtov — Aleko Konstantinov’s House, the place where the Russian army crossed the Danube river.
- Gabrovo — Mitko Palauzov’s House.
- Gabrovo — Etar Architectural-Ethnographic Complex.
- Dryanovo Monastery and Bacho Kiro Cave.
- Tryavna — Museum of wood-carving.
- The Balkan Mountains — Partisan Hut.
- Kyustendil — regional museum of history, the Vladimir Dimitrov - Maistora Art Gallery.
- The Rila Monastery.
- Rila — the Seven Rila Lakes.
- Kardzhali — The Lead & Zinc plant, the Kardzhali Dam.
- Lovech — The Museum and Monument of Vasil Levski.
- Troyan Monastery.
- Teteven —Museum of History.
- Kostina Area – Monument of Georgi Benkovski.
- Golyam Izvor (Lovech Province) – The First Regional Revolutionary Committee in Bulgaria Museum.
- Brestnitsa village – Saeva Dupka Cave.
- Kakrina — Kakrina Inn Museum.
- Berkovitsa — the House of Ivan Vazov.
- Petrohan – Cascade and Monument of Georgi Dimitrov and Vasil Kolarov.
- Pazardzhik — Stanislav Dospevski Art Gallery.
- Mihaylovgrad – Museum of the September 1923 Uprising.
- Batak — Museum of History.
- Batak – Teheran Partisans’ Camp.
- Velingrad — the House of Vela Peeva.
- Bratsigovo — Museum of History.
- Peshtera — Peshtera water power-station.
- Panagyurishte — Museum of History.
- Panagyurishte — the Oborishte Area.
- Pernik — Regional Museum of History.
- Kovachevtsi, Pernik Province – the House of Georgi Dimitrov.
- Slishovtsi village – Partisans' ossuary.
- Pleven — Military Museum, Kaylaka Park.
- Plovdiv — Museum of Archaeology and Ethnography.
- Perushtitsa — Local Museum of History.
- Kalofer — the House of Hristo Botev.
- Karlovo — the House of Vasil Levski.
- Sopot — the House of Ivan Vazov.
- Klisura — Museum of History.
- The Balkan Mountains — Botev Peak.
- Hisarya – Local Museum of History.
- Bachkovo village — Bachkovo Monastery, Asen's Fortress.
- Sredna Gora — Buntovna Commemorative Tourist Complex.
- Razgrad — Abrittus Archaeological reserve.
- Rousse — Tonka Obretenova’s House, Giurgiu-Rousse Friendship Bridge.
- Silistra — Regional Museum of History.
- Sliven — the House of Hadzhi Dimitar, the Art Gallery.
- Kotel — History Museum.
- Zheravna village — Architecture and Ethnography Reserve.
- Karanovo — Karanovo tell.
- Sofia — Museum of the Revolutionary Movement.
- Sofia — Dimitar Blagoev’s House.
- Sofia – Georgi Dimitrov Museum.
- Sofia — Museum of Ethnography, Museum of Archaeology.
- Sofia — Museum of the Bulgarian-Soviet Friendship.
- Sofia — National Art Gallery, Alexander Nevsky Cathedral and the Crypt.
- Vitosha — Cherni Vrah.
- Kremikovtzi – the Metallurgic Plant.
- Samokov — History Museum.
- Rila — Musala Peak.
- Koprivshtitsa — The Houses of Lyuben Karavelov, Todor Kableshkov, Georgi Benkovski, Yako Dorosiev, Dimcho Debelyanov, the Oslekov House.
- Sredna Gora — Bogdan Peak.
- Zherkovo Area – Museum and Monument of Chavdartsi.
- The Balkan Mountains — Chavdar Hut.
- Smolyan — Regional historical museum, the Smolyan Lakes.
- the Rhodope Mountains — Pamporovo Holiday Resort.
- the Rhodope Mountains — Persenk Peak, the Wonderful Bridges.
- Stara Zagora — Regional Museum of History, Lenin Park.
- Kazanlak — Museum of History, Thracian Tomb of Kazanlak.
- Shipka Peak — Shipka Memorial.
- The Balkan Mountains — Buzludzha Park-Museum.
- The Balkan Mountains — Stoletov Peak, Monument of Liberty.
- Maritsa-Iztok Energy Complex, Komsomolska Steam-Power Plant.
- Balchik — The Castle, Albena Holiday resort.
- Kavarna — Kaliakra headland.
- Yastrebino village — Monument of the 18 Partisans and their supporters.
- Dimitrovgrad — Museum of the socialistic construction, Nitric Fertilizers Plant.
- Shumen — Regional Museum of History, House of Vasil Kolarov.
- Madara — Museum of Archaeology and Madara Rider.
- Pliska — Museum of Archaeology.
- Preslav — Museum of Archaeology, Patleyna.
- Yambol — Regional Museum of History.
- A model co-operative farm of choice.