Vrana Palace

Overview

Vrana palace, also known as Vranya is a royal palace with a park on the outskirts of Sofia, where in the past, the Royal Family has spent most of the time. Before the Liberation of Bulgaria, Vrana was a farm owned by the Ottoman governor of Sofia, Osman Pasha.

Knyaz Ferdinand bought the property in 1898. Known for his passion for ornithology, he decided to name the farm after the first bird to perch on the roof. The palace was perched by a flock of crows, so it was given the name Vrana (Crow).

The property consists of 950 decares park, 1000 decares farm, and two buildings. The first was built in 1904 as a two-story hunting lodge, designed by the Austrian architect Wolf. The second building - the new palace, was built between 1909 and 1912. The purchase of the land for the park and the farm, as well as for the construction of both buildings was paid for with personal funds of Knyaz Ferdinand and a personal loan of 3 million gold francs granted to him by the Russian Emperor Nicholas II in 1911-12.

The main building features carved ceilings, oak paneling, built-in metal lamellae, and ceramics from Delft. The best-preserved is the Karelian hall, a gift from the Russian Tsar Alexander III. Its table, the chairs, and the splendid dressing table were made of Karelian birch. An old Schindler elevator is still in operation.

The main building was severely damaged by a World War II bomb attack but has since been rebuilt. After the referendum on abolishing the Monarchy, held by the communists in 1946, the Palace became a home residence to the Bulgarian communist leaders.

After the fall of communism, Vrana was returned to Tsar Simeon II and his sister Maria Louisa of Bulgaria. In 1998 the park was donated by Tsar Simeon II to the Municipality of Sofia on the condition to be open to all Bulgarians.

Since 2013, Vrana Park Museum is open to visitors on Saturdays and Sundays from 10 am to 4 pm, and a guided tour starts every half hour.

More than 400 plant species can be seen in the park. It has been declared a national cultural monument.