Tsarska Bistritsa Palace

Tsarska Bistritsa is a palace used by the rulers of the Third Bulgarian Kingdom. Situated above the resort of Borovets in the Rila Mountains, this historic site was built between 1898 and 1914 and served as a hunting lodge for Tsars Ferdinand I and Boris III. Its architecture combines the traditional Bulgarian National Revival style with European influences. The first wing, called the Old Palace, was completed in 1898 and contained several rooms, a study and bedrooms. Two further wings were later added to a design by architect Pencho Koychev, including a spacious drawing room, a dining room and an upper floor with bedrooms, boudoirs and a study. By 1914 the building was complete, forming an ensemble of palace buildings surrounded by a beautiful park through which the Musalenska Bistritsa River flows. The hunting section of Tsarska Bistritsa houses a large collection of hunting trophies, including animals from the hunting expeditions of Tsar Boris III and Princess Nadezhda. The spacious drawing room has a carved wooden ceiling made by craftsmen from Tryavna, Samokov and Koprivshtitsa. Authentic features survive in the palace, including tiled stoves, silk and cotton wallpaper and a huge portrait of Tsar Ferdinand's personal hunter, Hristo Markov. After 1945, Tsarska Bistritsa Palace was nationalised by Bulgaria's communist regime.

In 1989, following the democratic changes, Tsarska Bistritsa was restored to Simeon II, the son of Tsar Boris III. The palace is open to the general public.