You can find a large part of the diverse plant wealth of the Balkans in the Botanical Garden of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. Over the years it has had several relocations. Initially it was located in Knyazheska Garden in the centre of Sofia, then it moved to the Hladilnika district and in the late 1960s it settled in its current location – at the foot of Vitosha Mountain.

We recommend you drop by the Botanical Garden if you want to experience rare species of vegetation and naturally take some cool photos. The place is usually peaceful and you will have enough time to get acquainted with over 4500 species of higher plants, which is 1% of their diversity in the world. There’s also an established Rescue Centre for plant confiscation.

If you’re lucky on your visit, you might hit one of the themed exhibitions, like the roses one in summer which is the most famous. In spring, there is a collection of woody plants from Asia, and in winter, live Christmas trees are available for sale.

The garden is also used for educational purposes. The collections serve as a base for training students from Sofia University, Forestry University, New Bulgarian University and Thracian University in the courses of Botanics, Ecology, Arboriculture and Floriculture, with separate practical classes.

Whether you visit it for educational purposes or just to enjoy the beauty of Sofia’s green system, it doesn’t matter, the garden will impress you with its variety of vegetation and peaceful atmosphere.