Places slecnave Wants to Go

Founded in the 4th-century, the town of Pernik plays host to the Surva Carnival⁠—a magnificent display of masked Kukeri dancers.

Rebuilt several decades ago, its striking murals prevent it from being reconsecrated as a church.

A vast Communist-era exhibition space in the Bulgarian capital.

Not far from a popular beach, an unfinished, abandoned mansion for Bulgaria's last communist dictator.

These natural cliffs look like they are a part of an old castle complex.

A mysterious tunnel hidden in the shadows of a colorful, historic sanctuary.

This massive stone and steel monument remembers a century-old battle that cost thousands of lives and nearly destroyed the city.

"Holy Wisdom" overlooks the city that became its namesake.

"Unity, Creativity, Beauty."

A mountain pass in Bulgaria's Balkan Mountains was the site of four historic battles.

A gigantic statue of a Russian soldier watches over the ancient city of Plovdiv, a prominent reminder of the Soviet period in Bulgaria.

Ruins of an early Roman Christian church dating back to the 4th to 5th centuries.

Mysterious standing stone formations looks like a petrified forest.

Eastern Bloc nostalgia, anybody?

The remarkably well-preserved final resting place of a powerful ancient Thracian king.

Outstanding, eerie frescoes and decorations fill this 19th-century monastery.

This once-grandiose behemoth of a monument from the socialist era now sits quiet and closed up.

The site of many battles and tragedies, including the 40 maidens who leapt into the sea.

A striking symbol of the Bulgarian capital.

The second-largest Jewish temple in Bulgaria was deserted after World War II, seized by the communist government and then abandoned again.

UNESCO-protected ancient burial ground.

A collection of art from Bulgaria's time as a communist state.

A spectacular Bulgarian cave resembling a devil's head with a waterfall rushing down its throat.

An ancient Thracian city where fire rituals were practiced on the largest cult altar in Southeast Europe.