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National Palace of Culture (1 Bulgaria Square, Sofia) — The National Palace of Culture (NPC) abbreviated in Bulgarian as NDK is the largest multifunctional congress, conference, convention and exhibition center in Southeastern Europe.  The NPC contains 15 multifunctional halls, 55 premises for meetings, with total capacity of more than 8,000 seats and more than 15,000 square meters of exhibition area. Among them, Hall 1 is the largest one and the most representative hall in the complex. Its area is 11,000 square meters and is equipped with stationary arm-chairs. Its total capacity is 3,692 seats.

Many famous opera singers and classical artists have performed here – ranging from international names like José Carreras, Riccardo Muti, and Andrea Bocelli, to Bulgarian singers like Veselina Katsarova, Kaludi Kaludov, and Krasimira Stoyanova.  See the NPC website for info on upcoming events:   www.ndk.bg

National Museum of Natural History (1 Tsar Osvoboditel Blvd, Sofia) — The National Museum of Natural History (NMNHS) has a history of more than one hundred and twenty years. It is the oldest museum in Bulgaria and the oldest and richest among the natural history museums on the Balkan Peninsula.  s the only national institution directly engaged with the preservation of scientific collections of live and non-live nature from Bulgaria and the world. The study of biodiversity, environmental protection and the evolution of organisms are the museum’s major priorities.

Consequently, the main task of NMNHS is the all-around study of the fauna, flora, fossils, minerals and rocks of Bulgaria and other countries. It develops the following scientific areas: taxonomy, faunistics, zoogeography and ecology of arachnids, myriapods, insects and all classes of vertebrates; taxonomy of fossil mammals, birds and brachiopods; floristics; mineralogy. Some of the areas have priority as a result of which NMNHS has become the national centre of biospeleology, archaeozoology and paleontology of vertebrates and of bat studies. Insect studies are also highly developed.  Admission:  4 BGN (adult), 2 BGN (students & seniors), 1 BGN (children under 6 and the disabled).  Hours:  10:00 am – 6:00 pm (daily).

National Museum of Military History (92 Cherkovna Street, Sofia) – this is a state museum, which is a structure of the Ministry of Defense (respectively the Ministry of War and the Ministry of National Defense).  The museum has existed under various names and subordinate to various institutions since 1 August 1914 (in practice since 4 July 1916).  It investigates, preserves, processes scientifically and popularizes cultural valuables connected with the national and European military history.  There are over 1 million artifacts – related to Bulgarian and other European militaries.  Admission:  8 BGN (adult), 6 BGN (soldiers), 2 BGN (students & seniors), 10 BGN (family),  free for children up to 7 years.   Free admission for all every last Wednesday of the month.  Hours:  10:00 am – 6:00 pm (Wednesday – Sunday).

National History Museum (16 Vitoshko lale Street, Sofia) — founded in 1973, the National Museum of History in Sofia contains more than 680,000 exhibits and is one of the largest history museums on the Balkans.  The aim of the museum is to provide a comprehensive view on Bulgarian history from the prehistory to present, in as broad a European context as possible.  Admission:  10 BGN (adult), 1 BGN (students and children under 7).  Hours:  9:00 am – 5:30 pm (winter), 9:30 am – 6:00 pm (summer).

National Gallery for Foreign Art (#1, 19 February Street, Sofia) — the National Gallery for Foreign Art in Sofia is the only one of its kind in the Balkans. The Gallery holds over 10,000 museum items – graphic works, paintings, sculptures, fine arts.I  The Gallery is unique with the character of its collection – the art of distant lands, of exotic tribes and nations, of old and new ages coexists with the modern European tendencies, with traditional and religious pictorial principles in the chronological span of a millennium.  Admission:  6 BGN (adult), 3 BGN (students & seniors).  Hours:  11:00 am – 6:00 pm (daily).

National Art Gallery (1 Alexander I Square, Sofia) – locally known as “the Bulgarian Louvre”, the National Art Gallery houses over 50,000 pieces of Bulgarian art. It is located on Battenberg Square in the capital city of Sofia, occupying most of the historic and imposing edifice of the former royal palace of Bulgaria.  Admission:   6 BGN (adult), 3 BGN (students & seniors).  Hours:  10:00 am – 6:00 pm (closed on Monday).

National Academy of Art (1 Shipka Street, Sofia) — today the former Drawing School is called National Academy of Art, which till this very day is still considered to be the most prestigious Bulgarian institution for training professional artists in the field of fine and applied arts, design, conservation and restoration and history and theory of art.

Museum of Sofia University (15 Tsar Osvoboditel Blvd., Sofia) — The St. Clement of Ohrid University of Sofia (or Sofia University) is the oldest higher education institution in Bulgaria, founded on 1 October 1888. The university’s edifice was constructed between 1924 and 1934 with the financial support of the brothers Evlogi Georgiev and Hristo Georgiev, whose sculptures are now featured on its façade, and has an area of 18,624 m² and a total of 324 premises.  Free admission.  Hours:  2:00 pm – 5:00 pm (Tuesday & Thursday).

Monument of Bulgarian Volunteers (Aleksander Nevsky Square, Sofia) — The monument of the Bulgarian volunteer units (so called “opulchentsi”) who fought with the Russian Army against Ottoman Turkey in the Bulgarian Liberation War of 1877-78 is located behind the Military Club. It is a seven-meter high bronze monument – a copy of the famous painting of Jaroslav Veshin “The Samara Flag” (1911).

East Gate of Serdica Ruins (2 Dondukov Blvd., Sofia) — In the underpass between the Council of Ministers and the Presidency go downstairs and you will see the remains from the East Gate of Serdica. Here you will walk on an original Roman street, covered by large stone plates.

According to the archeologists the street was lastly repaired in the 6th century.  The gate was defended by two triangular towers – one at each of its sides. From here one of the most important Roman roads – Via Diagonalis or Via Militaris continued south-eastwards to the city of Philippopolis (present-day Plovdiv).  In the underpass you should see the plan of Roman Serdica, hanging on the wall against the remains of the gate. From it you can receive a better orientation what you have seen from the ancient city and what is remaining to see.