Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
(ul Triaditsa; 20)
The Mineral Baths - also known as the Turkish Baths - was com-
pleted in 1913. Its elegant striped facade and ceramic decorations recall the designs of
Nesebâr's medieval churches. Following lengthy restoration, the building now hosts occa-
sional art exhibitions, advertised in
Programata
magazine.
National Polytechnic Museum
(ul Opalchenska 66; adult/student 5/2 lv; 9am-5pm Mon-Fri; 1, 5)
A treasure trove
for anyone interested in the history of technology, this low-key museum displays an in-
triguing (though not always well labelled) collection covering such subjects as photo-
graphy, radio and time measurement. Exhibits include atomic clocks, early movie camer-
as, mechanical pianos and a gleaming 1928 Ford Model A.
MUSEUM
AROUND PLOSHTAD BATTENBERG
Originally built as the headquarters of the Ottoman governor and his police force, it was at
the
Royal Palace
that Bulgaria's national hero, Vasil Levski, was tried and tortured before
his public execution in 1873. After the liberation the building was remodelled in Viennese
style and in 1887, apparently undeterred by its grisly recent past, Prince Alexander Bat-
tenberg moved in and it became the official residence of Bulgaria's royal family until the
communist takeover. These days it provides a grand setting for the National Art Gallery
and the Ethnographical Museum. There are gardens at the back of the palace, with a num-
ber of statues and a pleasant little cafe, Toba & Co.
National Art Gallery
(pl Battenberg, Royal Palace; adult/student 6/3 lv; 10am-6pm Tue-Sun; 20)
This
gallery holds one of the country's most important collections of Bulgarian art, with sever-
al galleries full of mainly 19th- and 20th-century paintings. All the big names are repres-
ented, including the ubiquitous Vladimir Dimitrov, whose orange, Madonna-like
Har-
vester
hangs in the former music room. Upstairs, a warren of corridors and small rooms
forms a display space for Bulgarian sculpture.
GALLERY
Ethnographical Museum
(pl Battenberg, Royal Palace; adult/student 3/1 lv; 10am-4pm Tue-Sun; 20)
Dis-
plays on regional costumes, crafts and folklore are spread over two floors of the palace,
MUSEUM
