Established in 1957, the National Polytechnic Museum in Sofia stands as one of Bulgaria’s oldest institutions of its kind. Since 1992, it has found its home in the current building, dedicated to the search, preservation, and exploration of movable cultural values within the realm of technology. The museum meticulously examines the evolution of technology and industry in Bulgarian lands.
Among the fascinating exhibits is a 1952 Messerschmitt car, capturing attention with its unique design. This two-seater vehicle opens like an airplane, featuring seats arranged in a fighter plane cabin style—one behind the other. Another standout is the impeccably restored and operational Ford Model T from the late 1920s, offering a glimpse into automotive history.
The National Polytechnic Museum houses one of the country’s richest collections focused on time measurement. Notable items include watches once owned by the royal family, including a particularly intriguing timepiece owned by King Ferdinand (1861-1948), where the hand remains stationary, while the disk-shaped dial moves.
Individual showcases highlight various types of production that thrived in Bulgaria across different eras, encompassing glass production, rose production, chocolate and confectionery manufacturing, and more. A captivating exhibit delves into household appliances that revolutionized the work of Bulgarian housewives, featuring a vibrating Bulgarian washing machine, a vacuum cleaner, a hand-held ice cream machine, and various other intriguing objects.
The museum’s computing technology section traces the development of calculators from ancient devices to the Bulgarian ELKA electronic calculator from the late 1960s. Impressive collections of typewriters, cameras, radios, televisions, and gramophones showcase the technological evolution of communication and entertainment.
A highlight among the museum’s treasures is a glass vessel containing the first experimentally obtained crystals of the element Germanium. Stoycho Karavelov, a pioneering mining engineer in Bulgaria, received them as a token of gratitude from the renowned chemist Clemens Winkler, the discoverer of Germanium.
For young minds, the Polytechnic Museum offers a physics demonstration room, featuring old devices and demonstration tools that provide a visual introduction to science. Through its diverse exhibits, the National Polytechnic Museum in Sofia serves as a captivating exploration of Bulgaria’s technological and industrial heritage.
Prices:
Adults: BGN 6.00
Pupils, students, pensioners: BGN 2.00.
Saturday family ticket: BGN 10.00.
Preschool children: Free
People with special needs (with 1 companion): Free
ICOM members: Free
Talk for children and students up to 10 years old: BGN 10.00.
Overview talk: BGN 25.00.
Conversation in English: BGN 35.00.
Work time:
Monday – Saturday:
9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
The box office is open until 4:30 p.m.
