Top 10 Historical places to visit in Bulgaria

Bulgaria being the amazing country that it is, I decided to make a list of the 10 favorite places we visited during our road trip. Keep in my mind that i'm a history enthusiast and this list reflects that.

10)Pliska, 
Founded by Khan Asparukh, it became the capital of the first Bulgarian Empire in 681 AD until it was replaced for the nearby Preslav in 893 AD.
The place itself is in ruins being destroyed twice by Byzantine troops, however enough remains to give you an idea of the city's structure in long bygone days. Make sure you don't miss the Great Basilica, which lies just outside the walled city of Pliska, it's a great location to make some pictures!

The Great Basilica

9)Kaleto Fortress,
On top of the alien looking Belogradchick rocks in Bulgaria's extreme northwest we find the unique-looking Kaleto Fortress. Initially build by the Romans for its excellent defensive values, it was later expanded by the Byzantines, Bulgar's and Ottomans. It was mainly used by the Ottomans to suppress local revolts. Due to its remoteness we found it a very tranquil place to visit.

Kaleto Fortress 

8)Varna
Situated on the Black Sea coast, Varna was founded under the name Odessos by Greek colonists in 585BC. It grew into a trading center and remained so under Roman,Byzantine and Ottoman rule. Somewhat known for the important battle that took place in 1444 AD when the Ottomans decisively defeated the Christian coalition and consequently secured their European holdings.
Visit the park-museum Vladislav Varnenchick to learn more about the battle. It lies just outside the City center so a car or public transport might be needed.
If you have the time visit the Archeological museum, it has a ton of Thracian treasure items and is probably the best museum in Bulgaria. I wrote about it in my Thrace article.
The Roman Thermae, the Cathedral of Assumption and the Primorski Park are also great places to include in your visit.

The park-museum Vladislav Varnenchick

7)Nezebar
One of the few places I visited in Bulgaria that was touristy due to many people from Sunny Beach taking a day-trip by boat to explore this cozy little town.
Founded by Greek colonists under the name Mesumbria in 512BC, its main attraction is probably the beautiful Byzantine churches scattered around the peninsula. I said probably because if you are into gift shops you will most likely have the time of your life since there are about a thousand of them, and yes they all sell the same stuff. That being said Nezebar is a great place to take a stroll, see some churches and have a bite to eat whilst enjoying the ocean view.
Half a day should be plenty of time to see everything.

6)Boyana Church
Some eight kilometers south of Sophia's City center, we entered the peaceful Boyana suburb. Known for its rich inhabitants, it boasts one amazing attraction, the 13th-Century Boyana Church. I was in awe entering this modest sized church. Its murals are truly the pinnacle of Bulgarian medieval artwork and have not seen its equal anywhere else. Pictures are strictly forbidden and you can't stay longer than 10 minutes inside the church. Unless you bought another ticket, then you could go in again for 10 minutes...:) No, but seriously, I was contemplating going in a second time, I cannot recommend this place enough.

Boyana Church entrance

5)Svetshari Tomb
This one is a bit off the beaten track, a stunning 3th century B.C. Getae tomb that was discovered in 1982. The tomb has many unique features including high relief sculpted female figures in the main chamber. You can only visit the area with a guide, you have limited visiting time inside the tomb and taking pictures is strictly forbidden. Strict but fair, they really try to keep the tomb in the best possible condition. Our guide spoke excellent English and was very insightful. If I could only visit one tomb in Bulgaria it would definitely be this one.

Pictures are strictly forbidden so I took this picture from http://videlei.com, thanks Videlei!

4)Shipka Monument

Counting down to number 4, the Shipka Monument is located on the peak of the Mt Stoletov and is a symbol of Bulgarian national pride. The aforementioned Mt Stoletov needs to be tamed before the visit can begin so please proceed to the stairs and start climbing the 1000 steps.

If you don’t feel like doing 1000 steps(yellow belly!) you can continue to follow the road by car until you're almost at the summit. The peak of the Mt Stoletov is dominated by the 32m-high Freedom Monument. This impressive monument was built to commemorate the Russian & Bulgarian soldiers who died during the Battle of Shipka Pass. No love for the Turkish soldiers it would seem, maybe because of the 300-year long Ottoman repression, who knows. I wrote an article about the Battle of Shipa Pass if you're looking for more information.

Shipka Monument

3)Fortress of Veliko Tarnova

The seat of power during the second Bulgarian Empire, the city breathes medieval history at every turn. In 1185 AD the brothers Asen and Petâr organised a rebellion against the weakening Byzantine Empire and established Veliko Tarnova as their capital. It was captured by the Ottomans in 1393 and lost its importance during Ottoman rule. The fortress was destroyed during its capture and wasn't rebuilt until the independence of Bulgaria.

Explore the Royal Palace, Execution Rock and Baldwin's Tower. Being named after its unfortunate resident Baldwin I of Flanders, who after sacking Constantinople and becoming Emperor of the Latin Empire in the 4th crusade, was captured in battle by the Bulgar's and spend his last days in captivity.
Take your time visiting because this castle has many stories to tell! The Asenovtsi Park, surrounded by the Yantra River merits a visit as well. It boasts an enormous statue of the founders Ases en Pêtar and their successors.

Veliko Tarnova landscape with view on the Asenovtsi Park

2)Plovdiv
The oldest remains of settlements found  in Plovdiv date from 7000 BC, making Plovdiv the oldest continuously inhabited city of Europe. In about 5000 BC the Thracians settled here, establishing a fortress in today's old town. The settlement was captured by Philips II, father of Alexander the Great who gave the city the name Philippolis. In 46 AD Plovdiv was annexed by the Roman Empire who built the beautiful streets, aqueducts and buildings that we can still admire today. You can also spot many houses in the colorful Bulgarian National Revival Style of the 1850's, often build by Plovdiv's wealthy merchants.
Plovdiv's odd mix of Roman streets and Bulgarian Revival architecture matches matches perfectly together. Walking the old roman streets really makes you feel like your back in ancient times.
The Roman Amphitheater is a sight so see, I could hardly believe the mint condition it was in, especially considering it was unearthed and rediscovered due to a landslide.
Other sites that are worth a visit are:
-Nebet Tepe, the 7000 year old ruins of the Thracian Fortress.
-The Archaeological Museum, features some impressive Thracian treasures.
-Regional History Museum, centered around the 1876 April uprising.
-Church of Sveti Konstantin & Elena
-Stadium of Philippopolis, the 2nd century Roman stadium
-Dzhumaya Mosque

The Roman Amphitheater

Plovdiv is an amazing city and deserving of its second place on our list, just like Veliko Tarnova it breathes history. Now let's continue to our favorite place in Bulgaria...

1)The Rila Monastery
High in the desolate Rila Mountains, we find the remote Rila Monastery. The Monastery was built by the disciples of the hermit St Ivan of Rila(876-946AD).
During the following centuries the magnificent Monastery became an important place for both the Eastern Orthodox church and the Bulgarian culture. The Monastery itself is still fully functional with monks living inside the walls. I recommend spending a night here, while the rooms are spartan, it's quite the spiritual experience.
I wrote an article on spending a night in the Rila Monastery with some extra information surrounding the visit, definitely go for it if you have the chance!

The Rila Monastery with a view of the Rila Mountains in the background

Thanks for reading my top 10 Historical places in Bulgaria, I hope you enjoyed it. Don't hesitate to contact me if you're visiting Bulgaria and you need some information about historical places to visit! Feel free to recommend me other countries to visit, I'm always planning my next destination:)