Bulgaria counts nine world heritage sites:
1. Old town of Nessebar
The old town of Nessebar is situated on a peninsula connected to the mainland by a narrow promontory. The old town is adorned with magnificent testimonies of medieval architecture.
A unique collection of many well-preserved medieval church buildings awaits you. The wall paintings, the beautiful facades of the churches, the white and red rows of columns and arches reflect the heyday of Byzantine church architecture. Also worth seeing are the houses from the Bulgarian Revival period with their wide stone walls on the ground floor and wooden upper floors.
2. Srebarna Biosphere Reserve
The nature reserve is located on the Danube, about 17 kilometers from Silistra. Srebarna is a 900-hectare swamp and lake area that has been declared a biosphere reserve. About 100 bird species nest here, some of which are threatened with extinction. The reserve, which consists mainly of reeds, may not be entered; however, there is an adjoining museum.
3. Rock relief of the "Rider of Madara"
This monumental relief is located 20 kilometers from the city of Shumen in northeastern Bulgaria. The "Rider of Madara" symbolizes the greatness of the ruler and the power of his state. The "Rider of Madara" was carved in almost lifelike size with a dog and a slain lion at a height of about 23 meters into a 100 meter high cliff and will adorn the Bulgarian euro coin in the future.
4. Ivanovo Rock Churches
The Ivanovo Rock Churches are 13th-century chapels, churches and monastic cells carved into rocks and built in caves. They are situated on the banks of the Rusenski Lom River. The frescoes of the rock churches are the most important in Bulgaria. They have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979.
5. Sveshtari Thracian tomb
The tomb is located near Razgrad in northern Bulgaria. It is said to be the last resting place of the Getian king Dromichaites from the first half of the 3rd century BC. act. The tomb was built from large blocks of stone. The frieze with ten stone ones
Female figures is a unique sculptural composition. The Thracian tomb has been a World Heritage Site since 1985.
6. Boyana Church
The church is eight kilometers southwest of Sofia city center. According to a well-preserved inscription, this church was built in 1259 thanks to a donation from the Bulgarian nobleman Kaloyan. Particularly famous are the wall paintings, which date from the 13th century and are characterized by a for
distinguish their time exceptional realism. The murals depict orthodox saints and secular people.
7. Rila Monastery
The Rila Monastery is located 120 kilometers southwest of Sofia. A visit to the monastery is one of the highlights of any trip to Bulgaria. Founded in the 10th century by the hermit Ivan Rilski, it is the oldest abbey in the country. The oldest building is the tower in the monastery courtyard; he
dates from the 14th century. It was donated by a feudal lord named Chreljo Dragoev. The Rila Monastery is considered a national shrine.
8. Kazanlak Thracian Tomb
The domed tomb from the Hellenistic period is located near Kazanlak and is shaped like a beehive. The tomb complex from the 4th century BC. BC served as a final resting place for a Thracian ruler. The actual death chamber is reached via a forecourt and a corridor two meters long. The burial dome is covered by murals.
9. Pirin National Park
The Pirin National Park, in the extreme southwest of Bulgaria, is home to 176 maars and the country's oldest conifer, the more than 1.300-year-old armored or snakeskin pine called Baykusheva Mura.
