National Art Gallery, Sofia
The National Art Gallery in Bulgaria serves as the country's principal art institution, showcasing an extensive collection of over 50,000 Bulgarian artworks. Situated at Battenberg Square in the capital city of Sofia, this gallery occupies a significant portion of the historic former royal palace of Bulgaria. Its establishment dates back to 1934, and it relocated to the palace in 1946 following the monarchy's dissolution.
The royal palace, a prime example of Second Empire architectural style with hints of chateauesque design, was constructed in two phases. The first phase took place between 1880 and 1882, under the reign of Knyaz Alexander Battenberg, with the involvement of Austro-Hungarian architects led by Viktor Rumpelmayer.
The National Art Gallery not only showcases contemporary and National Revival art but also boasts Bulgaria's most extensive collection of medieval paintings. This collection includes more than four thousand icons, a collection of such quality and quantity that it rivals only the one found in the Benaki Museum, as stated by the gallery's director, Boris Danailov.
The royal palace, a prime example of Second Empire architectural style with hints of chateauesque design, was constructed in two phases. The first phase took place between 1880 and 1882, under the reign of Knyaz Alexander Battenberg, with the involvement of Austro-Hungarian architects led by Viktor Rumpelmayer.
The National Art Gallery not only showcases contemporary and National Revival art but also boasts Bulgaria's most extensive collection of medieval paintings. This collection includes more than four thousand icons, a collection of such quality and quantity that it rivals only the one found in the Benaki Museum, as stated by the gallery's director, Boris Danailov.
Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Sofia. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.
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National Art Gallery on Map
Sight Name: National Art Gallery
Sight Location: Sofia, Bulgaria (See walking tours in Sofia)
Sight Type: Museum/Gallery
Sight Location: Sofia, Bulgaria (See walking tours in Sofia)
Sight Type: Museum/Gallery
Walking Tours in Sofia, Bulgaria
Create Your Own Walk in Sofia
Creating your own self-guided walk in Sofia is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Communist Era Landmarks Walk
In the not-so-distant past Bulgaria was part of the Soviet-led Eastern Bloc. Today, this is one of the few countries where you can still find numerous relics of the Communist era manifested in monumental architectural landmarks. Concrete and metal were the main materials as a symbol of the industrialized nation, and the size was important too as a common architectural characteristic prescribed by... view more
Tour Duration: 3 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 6.6 Km or 4.1 Miles
Tour Duration: 3 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 6.6 Km or 4.1 Miles
Sofia Introduction Walking Tour
"Ever growing, never aging" This is the motto of Sofia, capital city of Bulgaria. Under different names, the area of Sofia has had a 7,000 year history. Organized settlements around the area's hot water springs existed as early as the third millennium BC. A Thracian state union there was raided by Philip II of Macedon in 339 BC.
The Celtic Serdi provided the name... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.6 Km or 1.6 Miles
The Celtic Serdi provided the name... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.6 Km or 1.6 Miles
Useful Travel Guides for Planning Your Trip
Sofia Shopping: 15 Things To Memorize Bulgaria By
Increasingly popular tourist destination in recent years, Bulgaria has opened up to the outer world, revealing colorful identity, manifested in rich craftsmanship, culinary and cultural traditions and history. The country's capital city Sofia is a lovely alloy of Eastern and Western European...