This is the place I paid a visit during summer. It’s wonderful and green and wild and fee and full of plants. Nope, not a botanical garden. it’s just the Park-Museum Vrana. The word ‘vrana’ , in Bulgarian actually means ‘crow’. Yup, those black, flying creatures, looking spooky and spreading the horror around just because of Game of Thrones and the Birds movie. Anyways, this place is better. In it’s own way.
The Vrana residence building which is basically, the old royal residence, is currently closed for restoration which can only leave the visitors trying to look through the windows and only see closed windows, etc. Rest is the park.
The park, itself, is somewhere, you would love to waste some time. Air is clean - something not so typical for the Bulgarian capital where the residence is located. It’s still possible, as you can see. Meh!
The entrance has a cashier and you can basically pay cash in BGN. Not sure how does the person there manage with the English. There are many signs in English, if that helps.
You can buy ice-cream during summer and very few sandwiches or other tidbits at the entrance. Please, remember to leave planting plastic bags all over the park. Recycle bins all over the place are wonderful pots you can use. I don’t even care about the rest.
This is another place where you can enjoy your time forgetting about the high heels and wear sneakers and trainers instead. Trust me, you simply don’t want to wear high heels here! Like, ever. Even brides, coming for wedding photo session wear low shoes most of the time. Rest is a risk.
Speaking of things you shouldn’t do - don’t promise your children that there will be a playground. Pokemons - yes, playground facilities - no. Take a ball, boomerang, picnic bad etc. There are benches where you can have a bite or load an Ingress portal or crash it. Then, that’s it. Unless you are nature appreciator and photographer. The ex-Bulgarian royals definitely had a taste for plants and nature because the park has many different trees, bushes, plants, rockery with plants. Some of the plants are not even growing in the Rila mountain. Point for the park I guess!
Flowers are wonderful and trust me, even the stables which, are under refurbishment at the moment, look great just because of the nearby flower garden.
Like every bigger park in Bulgaria, this one has a lake. Small but charming. It’s supposed to have water lyllies. Well, there were just a few back then. Hopefully, they will be more next year.
There’s no subway around here and unless you are using your own car or car hire, you can only get the 505 bus line. Directions and information is available online.
The information is in Bulgarian but Google Translate is doing well with the translation, as many of you know. Please, make sure that you have taken the appropriate time to visit, otherwise, you may get stuck there and spend the night under the open sky or just walk … it’s a long way to Sofia. Yup, it’s almost outside of the city!
For those who have already been here - feel free to share experience, stories or just a photo. 