The Botanical Garden is located at the foot of Vitosha Mountain. Easily accessible by car or public transport, the garden offers a peaceful, beautiful but also educational experience for the lovers of all that is green.
The present-day Garden is an heir of the Royal Botanical Garden which functioned more than a century ago and was located in the center of Sofia. The Royal Botanical Garden was created by botanic professor Dr. Stefan Georgiev. On the opening day a European oak tree was planted in the garden and Bulgarian tsar Ferdinand himself put a golden coin in its roots. In 1947 the garden became part of the Bulgarian Academy of Science and in 1968 it was moved away from the center, between the districts of Boyana and Dragalevtsi.
It spans over a territory of 5000 square meters and houses over 2500 plant species both outdoors and in greenhouses. The huge number of species equals more than 1% of the planet’s plant diversity.
It’s divided into six sections. In the greenhouses you can see a multitude of tropical plants such as orchids, palms or cactuses. The garden’s overall tropical and subtropical collection is the largest on the Balkan Peninsula. The Rosarium contains over 40 species of rose bushes. The Mediterranean section includes interesting plants from countries like Greece and Italy. The so called Alpineum familiarizes the visitor with plant species which grow in the inhospitable conditions of the high mountains. The so called Pharmacy Garden presents plants used in the medical and beauty industry and promotes sustainable practices such as composting. Finally, “Granny’s Garden”, which is targeted mainly to kids, shows us the way that food goes before reaching our tables.
The Botanical Garden is located on number 22 on the Sofia ring road (Okolovrasten pat, 22). You can reach it by car or by buses 111 and 64 (Kinotsentar bus stop). From March till October it’s open from 10:00 till 16:00. In the winter the opening times are shortened to 15:00. The entrance fee is 2 leva.
