National Museum of Natural History

The National Museum of Natural History has been functioning for more than one hundred and twenty years. It is the oldest functioning museum in Bulgaria and the oldest and richest among the natural history museums on the Balkan Peninsula.

The National Museum of Natural History is the only state institution directly engaged with the preservation of specimens 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 top priorities.

Consequently, the main task of The National Museum of Natural History is the all-around study of the fauna, flora, fossils, minerals and rocks of Bulgaria and other countries. It shines the following scientific areas: taxonomy, faunistics, zoogeography and ecology of arachnids, myriapods, insects and all classes of vertebrates; taxonomy of extinct mammals, birds and brachiopods; floristics; mineralogy. Some of the fields have a higher priority, as a result of which, the National Museum of Natural History has become the national centre of biospeleology, archaeozoology and palaeontology of vertebrates and of bat studies. Insect studies are also highly developed.

There are many ways to reach the National Museum of Natural History, as it is located in the heart of Sofia. The building of the museum is on a walking distance of several subway, bus, trolley bus and tramway stops.