MUSÉE TERRE ET HOMMES

In Cyrillic: Национален музей "Земята и хората". A beautiful, bright and spacious building, hall-like, houses this national museum Earth and Man dedicated to geology, which presents a rich collection of minerals, particularly notable for its giant crystals. These were donated to Bulgaria in 1987 by Ilyia Delev (1921-2012), a Bulgarian mineral collector who had made his fortune in Brazil. This enthusiast, doctor honoris causa of the University of Geology St. Ivan Rilski of Sofia, had also donated, previously, in 1983, 80 exceptional pieces to the Museum of Natural History of Paris. His wish was that the giant crystals should not be split up in order to make them visible in their entirety to future generations. Schedule a tour of the museum with a guide to learn the details of this amazing story. Alternatively, presentations of the collections in English enhance your visit. You will also learn what distinguishes Bulgaria in terms of its terrain and geology. The walk among the incredibly varied giant minerals from all continents illustrates the natural richness of our geology. Nothing to do with minerals: the museum offers its premises for cultural events - classical music concerts or exhibitions. A museum visit you can do without if you are short of time, unless, of course, you are a mineral enthusiast!