Museum instead of a bath. There was a luxurious bath - it became an excellent museum, but there are many museums, and not a single bath

In Sofia, if someone does not know, there are hot thermal springs, on which they used to build baths. Gradually, all these baths were closed. The last most luxurious bathhouse, which stood in the very center of Sofia, was closed in the 80s of the last century. A couple of years ago in this bath opened the Museum of the History of Sofia.

Of course, the population was slightly shocked. Firstly, in the city there is not a single decent bath, but this one was just beautiful and everyone was waiting for a sort of Sofia sanduny to open there, and secondly, the mineral thermo bath did not disappear under the bath. It still hits from the fountains on the facade of the bathhouse and near the equipped source - and it is completely incomprehensible how the exhibits will be stored there in these conditions. The whole cultural community in one voice shouted that it was impossible to store pictures in the bath, but it did not help. Now there is a museum. And we must pay tribute, a very interesting and beautiful museum - I love it. I went here several times and advise everyone. But when you walk through the exhibition halls and feel that you are somehow humid hot, remember that you are in a bath.

The beautiful building of the Central Mineral Bath was built by architects P. Momchilov and J. Milanov, and the project was led by Austrian Friedrich Grünanger. The one that rebuilt the royal palace.

That is, since 1913, the bath worked like a bath. In the 80s the community decided to close it and the bath was empty, and in 2015 it turned into a museum.

The museum can be reached every day except Monday from ten in the morning until six in the evening. Twice a month there are free days. True, I can not say what, because earlier it was the 1st and 3rd Thursday of the month, and now they have been transferred to some other days.

The museum is quite interesting. All the exhibits here are absolutely authentic: these are the personal belongings of the Bulgarian kings, honorary citizens and great-great-great-Sophians, that is, household items of the inhabitants of the ancient Serdika fortress and Neolithic sites that were located in the Sofia basin many thousands of years ago.

Here you can look at the royal throne, the toys of his children, the royal car and the Viennese carriage with fake horses. There is a hall with old icons gathered around the monasteries that once formed the holy ring around Sofia - "Sveta Gora". These icons are exhibited in the hall where the pool remained - in other halls the pools were filled up.

The museum has convenient electronic information desk with the Russian language as well.

Vienna carriage Ferdinand I

Icons in the former pool

In general, the museum is very interesting and expensive in content, not by ticket. Tickets cost no more than 10 leva. I do not remember exactly, because the last two times I went to free days.

But still it is a pity that the baths in the city no longer exist. There are a lot of museums and they can occupy any room, but the Central Mineral Bath was such one.

Thank you for your time and attention.

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All photos in this blog are taken by me unless otherwise attributed.

With love from Bulgaria @varya-davydova

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