The Bulgarian History Museum is a small but mighty museum that showcases the rich history of Bulgaria. With exhibits spanning various ages, including Roman and Greek relics, this museum is a treasure trove of Bulgarian artifacts. The highlight of the museum is the golden face mask on the third floor, which is truly breathtaking. While the museum lacks organization, especially on the ground floor where contemporary art is haphazardly placed among ancient items, the jewelry room upstairs offers a more organized and refreshing experience. However, be prepared for the rest of the museum to be quite hot, as there is no air conditioning. Despite its flaws, the museum is still worth a quick visit, as you can see everything in just an hour. The entry fee is 6 euros, and the museum can be explored in approximately 90 minutes. Although there is no AC or wifi, the detailed English information provided throughout the exhibitions is a valuable resource. Overall, the Bulgarian History Museum offers a pleasant and uncrowded atmosphere to immerse oneself in the history of the region.
Comment
26.07.23
Wendy
This museum has many treasures. The items are obviously amazing, but I do wish that the museum were more organized especially in the ground floor. It wasn’t categorized in any sort of order or theme that I could make sense of. And I’m bet.. Read more »ween the ancient items, it’s interspersed with contemporary art. While I absolutely support and love contemporary art, but it was out of place and seemly not related to the exhibition. The jewelry room upstairs however was a bit more organized and new. It was also the cooler room with AC. The rest of the museum was extremely hot. If you are in town, it’s still worth a quick visit. You can see everything in an hour.
13.07.23
Joe
Decent museum. 3 floors of exhibitions with detailed English information. Lots of historical relics here from many ages including Roman and Greek. The highlight is the golden face mask on the 3rd floor. Staff were efficient rather than friendly.
E.. Read more »ntry is 6 euros. Stay time approx 90 minutes. No AC or wifi
19.06.23
Charles
Small museum with an impressive exhibition of Bulgarian artifacts spanning the ages. A pleasant spot to soak in the history of the region without the crowds.
23.04.23
Lizzie
This former church certainly has a decent amount of Bulgarian artefacts throughout the ages. There are some really startlingly good things and a working knowledge of key historical (bronze, copper, Roman, Ottoman) will boost your enjoyment. Sadly, th.. Read more »e layout is a bit of a cluttered mess with no central concept or theme. There are similar bits generally blobbed together but no indication of order and certainly no time line. The English translations are often deeply entrenched in specialist language which can make them
hard to decipher. It’s a cool space and an interesting wander. Lots of artefacts from
most ancient civilisations that were in Bulgaria with a few exceptions. Would benefit from photos of finds and more engaging signage but glad I went. There are huge numbers of guards on phones.
16.04.23
Diana
Small but mighty museum that covers the long history of people living in this beautiful country! Incredible to see so many incredible artifacts up close and personal - explanations in English and friendly and helpful staff made this a can't miss.. Read more » when in Sofia.
23.03.23
brett
It's a small but nice museum. The entry was only 2lv for students when I was there in spring '23. The staff was very nice and the facilities quite nice. The museum was quite nice, but not very large and will only take around 30-90 minutes d.. Read more »epending on how much you study the objects. Most things are in English, but some of the longer texts are not. I'd highly recommend if you have some free time in Sofia and enjoy archeology or classical history.
09.02.23
Patrik
A very helpful museum for understanding particularly the Roman & Byzantine era. The room with the recent artifacts covering paleolithic, neolithic, copper & early bronze age was really illuminating. It's a smallish museum & some exhi.. Read more »bits are not well signed in English so keep that in mind. The video screens for engaging kids look great! but only in Bulgarian right now. Would choose this over National History museum because about half the content overlaps & Nat History museum is far away, even though that museum is more complete. But the archeological museum you can do in one day with many other astounding sites right nearby.
12.01.23
Philippe
Not a big museum but with some interesting pieces of history. I particularly liked the ornaments of furnitures and chariots, and the treasure room with all the equipments of warriors. All the items are concisely described and dated in a sufficient wa.. Read more »y.
12.10.22
Magnus
Excellent museum with art of interesting exhibitions. The information is limited but available in English. Don't forget to look up at the ceiling - the whitewash is peeling in some places, and you can see the origin decorations underneath (appar.. Read more »ently the building was originally a mosque). So the archaeological museum is an artifact in itself. Cost 10 lev.
20.08.22
Andrej
If you love archeology, this museum is a must do when in Sofia.
There're myriads of exhibits around 4 big rooms and one 2 story hall.
As a student, you get a great price of just 2 leva (1 euro).
11.08.22
Dorotea
Lovely museum for those who have historical knowledge and passion for archeology. For others and for kids it's a bit bland. Would be good to have a bit more of a story telling and some interactivity.
19.07.22
Martin
Highly recommend, its not that big, but the quality of exhibition is astonishing. It costs 5 euros per adult.
29.06.22
Hans
A must do, Once a mosque now full of Bulgaria’s treasures. Pro tip: Sofia’s museums are the best place to go to the bathroom or get out of the rain. 2 leva and you get to see some amazing things to boot.
27.06.22
Ivan
Lots of objects see but wished they had more information / stories being told. However upon entering I was introduced to the museum by a staff member who was extremely knowledgable and very welcoming. She deserves a lot of credit in enhancing the ex.. Read more »perience and is the reason this review got 5 stars.
26.05.22
Kevin
A bit more information would be nice but it was definitely worth it.
The security guy spontaneously gave us more information about something without asking. He did his very best trying to explain it in English. This was very appreciated.
08.05.22
Kseniya
The museum is quite small but has interesting exhibits. The most impressive is a golden mask from the Tracian tomb. It's not a "must" in Sofia. However if you have free time it's nice to visit the museum.
01.05.22
Milen
It is an awesome place which gives an opportunity to learn about the ancient history of Bulgaria. The price for the ticket compared with the size of the place and the knowledge is small. Great place to be visited by families or schools. I would recom.. Read more »mend to go there by publick transport.
17.04.22
Petar
Highly recommend visiting the museum if you're in Sofia. Staff is helpful. The permanent neolithic and antiquity exhibitions are excellent!
Themed temporary exhibitions are also quite interesting, e.g. the Thracian armaments display from April 2.. Read more »022 (some photos attached).
The only downside is that most descriptions are very short and provide no backstory. Unless you come prepared or consider yourself a history geek, you'll miss on a huge amount of info that makes the exhibits trully unique and fascinating.
09.02.22
Alex
The exhibition is small but diverse and focused. Some of the items can only be seen there.
29.01.22
Ettore
Really nice museum with many hidden treasures that explains Bulgaria's past. Organized and tidy, it’s a 30/45m visit.
25.09.21
Quinten
This museum has so many cool archeological objects on display from all over Bulgaria, definitely worth a visit! I recommend visiting this place on the last Sunday of the month, when entry is free :)
29.08.21
Drago
Excellent museum. Exhibits are really very well organized. Staff is extremely kind and helpful. We stayed there for more than 2 hours.
A Sofia-must-see, if you ask me!
12.08.21
Susan
Not to be missed! Another fabulous museum in the capital. I was here for hours exploring all the treasures. The actual treasury should not be missed. Accessed through a door on the balcony floor. Full of gold, jewelry and other precious artefact.. Read more »s.
Like most galleries and museums there is no cafe. Take water with you.
11.08.21
N
This museum is definitely worth your visit.
The entrance fee is actually lower than some of the other local attractions and there is a lot to see in this surprisingly large museum, the bottom floor is composed of 2 sides with larger artifacts and som.. Read more »e works of ancient Roman art like sculptures, mosaics and other works of marble in one side and more fine artifacts like helmets and tools on the other.
The second floor has a few side rooms which feature;
The pre-historic in a gorgeously organised room .
Ancient clay works like vases, plates etc.
And an old Bulgarian-centric room with old literature, jewellery and some legendary (in Bulgaria) Christian works of art.
If you have an interest in history this place will fulfill it.
20.07.21
Zey
Very nice museum, if they could restorate the domes instead of painting them white, it would be much better.
08.07.21
Daniel
Great archeological museum with priceless artifacts. Not a big collection, but a properly selected one. Even though price of 10 BGN is pretty expensive, I highly recommend a visit.
25.05.21
Alex
The exhibition is small but diverse and focuses. Some of the items can only be seen there.
17.05.21
Pierrick
Amazing museum with very unique pieces.
26.12.20
Mr.
Really interesting and worth visiting. I've already complained on the Ryanair services in the region. But thanks to their reluctance one can appreciate Bulgarian trains and buses, lol. Fortunately, it is possible to reach the city comfortably an.. Read more »d for little money.
15.10.20
Cristi
The museum is housed in a former mosque. There are 2 floors. The exhibits are wonderful and there is English information. We caught free entrance day.
12.08.20
Elena
The museum is well maintained, there are lots of artifacts from Roman and Greek period. We visited on a week day and it was not busy so we had really enjoyed at our own pace.Wearing mask is compulsory.
30.06.20
Victorv
An absolutely astounding collection of Roman-greco artifacts, well worth a lenghty visit!
09.04.20
Maria
This is a very interesting museum, with a vast amount of pieces and very detailed descriptions both in english and Bulgarian.
22.02.20
Ани
Very interesting artifacts with explanations in both Bulgarian and English - so suitable for tourists. The staff is friendly and if you are lucky, you might get a free entrance (for example on the National Liberation Day and other holidays). The hall.. Read more »s were well-maintained. I would recommend visiting this place and then combining it with the National Museum of Natural History which is just 5 minutes away.
29.01.20
Domina
Great artefacts, very helpful and friendly staff. Really pleasant experience and again great treasures inside.
06.10.19
Ivana
This archaeological museum is one of the better ones I have visited. The amazing old finds that are there can easily present the life in a nice detail since neolithic era to the well known middle ages. The preservation of the exhibited things is done.. Read more » in a great manner, following the proper explanation in different languages so every person that comes there to visit, being a tourist or not, can understand how old is and to which era does the artifact they are looking belongs to. Another beautiful thing is that sometimes the entrance to the museum is free so keep that in mind also if you intend to visit. We went in Saturday afternoon around 3pm and we got a nice surprise of free entrance. If you get hungry or thirsty after your visit, there is a nice and cozy restaurant right behind it. I definitely recommend to visit this amazing place!
31.08.19
Cristiana
Very interesting museum, that can be seen in a couple of hours but has a lot of beautiful archaeological pieces. It has the Prehistory Hall, that displays a collection of items dating from between 1,600,000 BC and 1,600 BC. It has the Treasury Hall t.. Read more »hat displays grave inventory and other treasures from the late Bronze Age to late Antiquity. It has a Main Hall that hosts a collection of diverse items ranging from ancient Thrace, Greece and Rome to the late Middle Ages. And it has a Medieval Section that includes a gallery of medieval books, woodwork, drawings, metal objects and other items characteristic of the era.
26.07.19
Flame
Lovely and quite. Staff is friendly although not everyone speaks English. There are adult, child, group, etc admission offers, so be sure you'll get fair price. Place closes around 17:30 but they do 10-15 promise if you're eager to explore... Read more » Be sure if they are pointing you something, it will be an interesting object or a helpful tip. There's no WC but place is small and your visit wouldn't take long. Souvenirs are nice, by the way ?
4.7 / 88
