Visit the National Museum of Military History in Sofia, Bulgaria.

One of many museums to visit in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, is the National Museum of Military History. The museum is a few miles from the centre and very interesting for people interested in all things military. They have some fantastic exhibits that tell the story of the Bulgarian military, including the Balkan wars and both World Wars. The National Museum of Military History also covers the Cold War from when Bulgaria was part of the Warsaw Pact.

They established the military museum in 1916, and it has vast collections of weapons, uniforms, medals & documents. The highlight of my visit was their outside exhibits. Outside, they show large military equipment, including fighter jets, tanks and missile launchers.

These were fascinating to see up close and learn more about, especially after seeing much of this kit in the movies. Overall, the National Museum of Military History was a marvellous way to spend an afternoon.

Getting To The National Museum of Military History in Sofia

I found it pretty straightforward reaching the National Museum of Military History using a direct tram. Tram line 20 drops you near the Romanian Embassy, then it’s a short walk to the museum. If you’re in another part of Sofia, Google Maps is great for navigating. To use the trams in Sofia, you just need to tap on with a bank or credit card.

Entry to Museum

Outside the front of the museum, there are some fabulous bits of kit to see. It seemed you could peruse these without purchasing a ticket. Once you pass through the planes and other military equipment, there is an entrance and a ticket office.

You can choose a variety of options for entry. I opted for the entire experience, as I had the day to spare. Others might just want to stick to the outdoor exhibits to save time and cash. The outside areas were by far my favourite part of the visit. The total cost of entry for me was 20 lev, which is just under £10.

You can find out a full list of prices, concessions and opening hours on the museum’s website.

The External Exhibitions Including Tanks & Aircraft

What sold me on visiting was seeing the military equipment, mostly from the Cold War, in the outside exhibition. This included many warplanes I was familiar with from popular movies and video games in the 80s. I took lots of photos and enjoyed reading the data sheets about each item.

In a covered area outside, there was a selection of cannons from across the ages, including many from the Russo-Turkish War. There were lots of them, which is great for cannon aficionados.

The exhibits of the museum that caught my attention most were the warplanes outside. Growing up watching movies like Top Gun or Iron Eagle, to name a few, there were lots of Migs involved.

Migs also featured in early flight simulators on the PC, including on the F-16 and F-18. Thus, it was great to get up close and see one in the flesh.

The Mil Mi-24 is an attack helicopter that was widely used in the Eastern Bloc. It also featured in some video games I played when younger, including HIND from the mid-90s. This, again, was nice to see up close, and it looks terrifying from the front.

Another terrifying weapon of war is the tactical ballistic missiles and their launchers. The National Museum of Military History had a variety of these to see around the park.

Some looked pretty mobile and similar to personal carriers; others were pretty standalone.

There are also various models of tanks, which the Bulgarian army has used in different eras of history. This includes a variety of tanks, including the T-4 main battle tank and the Russian tanks, the T-34, T-55AM2 and T-72.

Another cool thing to see at the museum is the mobile bridges. These look rather impressive and rather useful for the military.

Internal Exhibitions About The Bulgarian military

The timeline of the Bulgarian military is a permanent exhibit near the ticket office and is rather fascinating. Especially to learn of the history of Bulgaria. The rest of the exhibits are in a multi-floored building, and the distinct exhibits blend into one. There was lots of information, including Roman and then Ottoman history, both World Wars and the Cold War era.

The museum also features the years since 1989 and the fall of the totalitarian communist regime. This includes Bulgaria becoming a member of NATO.

The museum tells the fascinating story of Bulgaria through the ages. They have lots of photo exhibits and information boards in Bulgarian and English. There are also some old videos playing as you pass through.

Many of the exhibits inside feature uniforms, weapons and medals used by the military.

The exhibits also included a vast collection of pistols and rifles used by the Bulgarian military. However, there were none I recognised from our visit to the shooting range.

Is The National Museum of Military History in Sofia Worth Visiting?

For those that enjoy history or seeing military artefacts, then this is a great attraction to visit in Sofia. The museum has lots of information and some magnificent things to see. It was quiet on my visit, and I nearly had the entire site to myself. The highlight for me was seeing some warplanes up close.

Unfortunately for Henry, they were not dog-friendly, so he had an afternoon with his mum. There were options for restaurants and other places for refreshments nearby. I enjoyed lunch out at Marry Win, a pleasant restaurant.