Visiting Museums on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast

Art, archaeology, history, literature - find out about the museums on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast...

Museums on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast include a large number of archaeological museums. There is also a selection of ethnographic, maritime, science, art and history museums.

Visiting Museums

The Bulgarian Black Sea Coast museums are often closed on Mondays and may close over the weekend during the winter months. Entry fees vary and discounts may be available for pensioners and children. Entry to some museums is free on a specific day in the week.

Museums on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast

There are a great many museums and monuments in the region, here are just a few:

Burgas

The Archaeological Museum Burgas houses a number of objects found during archaeological excavations in the region including a Megalith tomb (dolmen) dating back to 3000 BC. Stone anchors, axe heads and knives dating back ten thousand years, Bronze Age pottery and gold jewellery are also on display.

The Natural History Museum displays objects relating to the fauna, flora and geography of Burgas. Visitors can find out about the measures that are in place to preserve some of the endangered species and natural sites in the region.

The Ethnographic Museum displays unique crafts, rites and rituals and presents interesting facts of the Bulgarian ethnology.

The Historical Museum in Burgas presents the historical past of the Burgas region.

The Petko Zadgorski Art Gallery houses an important collection of paintings, sculptures and graphics by famous Bulgarian artists and by contemporary artists from Burgas. One of the highlights of the collection is a selection of icons from the region of Strandzha. The works are on display in a former Jewish synagogue, now a cultural monument.

  • Petko Zadgorski Art Gallery
    At    : 24 Metropolit Simeon St., Burgas 8000
    Tel: 056 842 169

Dobrich

The Regional Museum of History has artefacts and gold objects from 6000 BC to today.

  • Regional Museum of History
    At    : 4 General Gourko St., Dobrich
    Tel: 058 282 13

Nessebar

The Nessebar Achaeological Museum has a collection of artefacts found during excavations on the Nessebar peninsula and its waters. Stone anchors from the 12th to the 9th century BC highlighting the rich marine life in Messambria and pottery from the Thracian period are on display in one of the museum's halls. Also on show is gold jewellery from the Messembria necropolis, gold coins and icons from Nessebar's churches.

  • Nessebar Achaeological Museum
    At    : 2a Mesembriya St., Nessebar
    Tel: 0554 46 019

Shumen

The Regional Museum of History exhibits artefacts found in the mediaeval cities of Veliki Preslav and Pliska. The museum is divided into different themed halls; pre-history, antiquity, Middle Ages, the Bulgarian National Revival and Christian Culture.

  • Regional Museum of History
    At    : 17 Slavianski Bd., 9700 Shumen
    Tel: 054 57 410
    email

Sozopol

The Sozopol Archaeological Museum houses a collection of anchors, amphorae and pottery with some vases dating back as far as the 5th century BC. Terracotta figurines from Apollonia's necropolis and painted ceramics from Greece are also on display.

  • Sozopol Archaeological Museum
    At    : 2, square Han Krum, Sozopol
    Tel: 0550 22 26

Varna

The Ethnographic Museum is home to exhibitions highlighting the different occupations of the local population through the ages including farming, bee keeping, wine-growing, handicrafts and fishing. National costumes are also on display. A library is open to the public with books and magazines on Bulgarian folklore and ethnography.

  • Ethnographic Museum (in Bulgarian)
    At: 22 ul Panagurishte, Varna 9000
    Tel: 052 630 588
    Open: from 10:00-17:00 except Mondays

The Museum of Archaeology houses collections from prehistoric, Thracian, Ancient Greek and Ancient Roman history as well as objects from the Ottoman rule, mediaeval Bulgaria, the Byzantine Empires and the Bulgarian National Revival. Over 100,000 artefacts are on display including a huge collection of gold objects and jewellery, excavated in 1972 in the Varna necropolis and dating back to 4400-4200 BC.

  • Museum of Archaeology
    At    : 41 Maria Louisa Bd, Varna 9000
    Tel: 052 681 011
    Open: from 10:00-17:00 except Mondays

The National Naval Museum has over 70,000 objects on display showcasing the history of the Bulgarian naval fleet and of commercial shipping. As well as original ancient anchors, figure heads, sailors' uniforms, cannons, military hardware and flags, visitors can view the Cor Caroli yacht used in the 70s by the Bulgarian sailor on a solitary round the world trip. At the entrance of the museum is the torpedo boat Druzhki, responsible for the Bulgarian navy's only victory during the first Balkan War, in the conflict over the Turkish cruise ship Hamidie.

  • National Naval Museum
    At    : 2 Bd Primorski, Varna 9000
    Tel: 052 632 018
    Open: from 10:00-17:00 except Sundays and Mondays

Yambol

The Yambol Museum of History features a collection of prehistoric objects dating back to the 6th century BC, a collection of coins and an ethnographical section with national costumes, weapons, art and jewellery.

  • Yambol Museum of History
    At    : 2 White Sea St., Yambol 8600
    Tel: 046 662 736