Buzludzha

#11 among destinations in Bulgaria

Top attraction, Historical place, View point, Memorial

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Photo details 1. Wikipedia / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Mark Ahsmann / URL • 2. Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Mark Ahsmann / URL • 3. Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Kennethving / URL • 4. Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Kennethving / URL • 5. Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Kennethving / URL • 6. Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0 / BeIT / URL • 7. Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Darcho83 / URL

Facts and practical information

Buzludzha, Bulgaria stands as a towering relic of the country's communist past, an imposing monument perched high on the Buzludzha peak in the Central Balkan Mountains. This saucer-shaped edifice, constructed in 1981, was envisioned as a grand memorial to the Bulgarian Communist Party and the socialist movement within the country.

The Buzludzha Monument, often referred to as the "Bulgarian UFO" for its otherworldly appearance, was originally built to commemorate the secret assembly of the Bulgarian Social Democratic Party in 1891, which eventually evolved into the Bulgarian Communist Party. With its vast, circular auditorium and towering 70-meter high tower, the structure was a bold testament to the power and ambition of Bulgaria's socialist regime.

In its heyday, Buzludzha was a buzzing hub of political activity and state-sponsored celebrations. Mosaics of communist iconography and slogans adorned the interior walls, while the exterior was marked by the hammer and sickle emblem. However, with the fall of communism in Bulgaria in 1989, the monument was abandoned and left to the mercy of the harsh mountain weather.

Local name: Хаджи Димитър Elevation: 4698 ftCoordinates: 42°44'9"N, 25°23'38"E

Location

връх Хаджи ДимитърШипка GabrovoBulgaria

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Day trips

Buzludzha – popular in the area (distance from the attraction)

Nearby attractions include: Etar Architectural-Ethnographic Complex, Shipka Monument, Sokolski Monastery, Thracian tomb Shushmanets.

5.6 miNW
Museum, History museum
Etar Architectural-Ethnographic Complex, Gabrovo
143 min walk • Nestled in the heart of Bulgaria, the Etar Architectural-Ethnographic Complex is a living museum that offers a unique glimpse into the country's rich cultural heritage. Situated near the city of Gabrovo, this open-air museum recreates the atmosphere of a traditional...
3.8 miW
Memorial
Shipka Monument, Shipka
96 min walk • The Shipka Monument stands as a proud beacon of Bulgarian history, perched atop Stoletov Peak near the town of Shipka. This grand edifice is a tribute to the heroic efforts of the Bulgarian and Russian soldiers who fought and died during the Battle of Shipka Pass, a...
5.1 miNW
Sacred and religious sites, Monastery
Sokolski Monastery, Nature Park Bulgarka
130 min walk • The Sokolski Monastery is a Bulgarian Orthodox monastery founded in 1833 and named after its founder Yosif Sokolski. It is located 15 km southwest of Gabrovo on the northern slopes of the Balkan Mountains in the Bulgarka Nature Park and is close to the Sokolovo cave.
3 miSW
Tomb
Thracian tomb Shushmanets, Shipka
78 min walk • The Thracian tomb at Shushmanets is a mound located in the Valley of the Thracian Rulers. It was built as a temple in the 4th century BC and later used as a tomb.
3.9 miSW
Museum, Tomb
Tomb of Seuthes III
101 min walk • The Tomb of Seuthes III is located near Kazanlak, Bulgaria. Seuthes III was the King of the Odrysian Kingdom of Thrace from c. 331 to c. 300 BC and founder of the nearby Thracian city of Seuthopolis. It is one of the most elaborate tombs in the Valley of the Thracian Rulers.
3.6 miSW
Church, Russian revival architecture
Shipka Memorial Church, Shipka
91 min walk • The Memorial Temple of the Birth of Christ, better known as the Shipka Memorial Church or Shipka Monastery is a Bulgarian Orthodox church built near the town of Shipka in Stara Planina between 1885 and 1902 to Antoniy Tomishko's design in the seventeenth-century Muscovite style, under the direction of architect Alexander Pomerantsev.
3.9 miSW
Museum, Tomb
Ostrusha mound
99 min walk • The Ostrusha mound is a Thracian burial tumulus near the Bulgarian town of Shipka. It was constructed in the middle of the 4th century BCE.
3.3 miSW
Museum, Tomb
Thracian tomb Griffins
83 min walk • The Thracian tomb Griffins, found in Bulgaria, has a façade decorated with plastic columns and with a pediment above them. The pediment`s ends are semi-palmettes, the lower leaves of which are elongated and look like heads of griffins.
4.5 miNW
Memorial
Shipka Pass, Nature Park Bulgarka
114 min walk • Shipka Pass is a scenic mountain pass through the Balkan Mountains in Bulgaria. It marks the border between Stara Zagora province and Gabrovo province. The pass connects the towns of Gabrovo and Kazanlak. The pass is part of the Bulgarka Nature Park. The pass is 13 km by road north of the small town of Shipka.
5 miSW
Tomb
Thracian tomb Golyama Arsenalka
127 min walk • Golyama Arsenalka mound is a Thracian burial tumulus with a subterranean stone building near the Bulgarian town of Shipka. It dates from the end of 5th century BCE. It is composed of a representative façade, a small antechamber and a domed chamber. The entrances have been closed with double stone doors.
3.2 miSW
Tomb
Thracian tomb Helvetia
82 min walk • The Thracian tomb "Helvetia" mound near Shipka, Bulgaria, was built in the middle of the 4th century BC.