Shumen offers different ways to explore cultural history and nature: the fortress on a rocky hill west of the city, historic houses and museums each provide a different perspective. There are also trails on the Shumen Plateau and Biserna Cave. When looking for a holiday apartment, it is worth first considering whether you mainly want to explore the city, the plateau or historic sites.
Fortress and Plateau
Shumen Fortress lies about 3 kilometres west of Shumen. Steep slopes and strong walls protect it on three sides. Its history of use spans Thracian fortified settlements dating from the 5th to the 2nd century BCE, Roman and Byzantine fortifications, and its role as a major urban centre of the Second Bulgarian Empire in the 12th to 14th centuries. The fortress is an open-air museum. Trails from Kyoshkovete Park and a paved road lead there; nearby, there are meadows suitable for outdoor excursions. Trail and road conditions may change.
Shumen Plateau Nature Park covers 3,896 hectares and has been protected since 5 February 1980. Its conservation aims include plant and animal species, the plateau landscape, and places for recreation and tourism. Hiking trails connect natural and historical landmarks and are intended for active recreation and educational tourism. Visitor facilities include the Forest Labyrinth and the Forest School.
The Shumen Plateau Visitor Centre introduces the park’s walking and cycling routes, helps visitors find caves, rocks, monasteries and shelters, and offers bicycle rentals. These facilities may change over time. A special geological discovery is Biserna Cave: it is in the Kyoshkovete area, about 1 kilometre west of Shumen, at an altitude of 404 metres. The cave is approximately 3,000 metres long, of which 2,200 metres have been mapped. Its formations include stalactites, stalagmites and stalactones, as well as formations with names such as “The Castle”, “Beehive”, “Cacti”, “Throne” and “Ship”.
Historic Houses, Mosque and Museum Highlights
In Shumen’s Armenian quarter stands the Avsharyan House, a local cultural monument and one of the few surviving three-storey houses from the Bulgarian National Revival period. The Srebrova House was built in 1872. It represents traditional Bulgarian architecture of the late 19th century and houses an exhibition about Shumen’s ethnic communities. Both houses offer insights into different facets of the city’s history.
The Tombul Mosque was built in 1744 at the order of Sherif Halil Pasha. It is Bulgaria’s largest Muslim place of worship from the Ottoman period. The Regional History Museum covers topics ranging from Chalcolithic material and spiritual culture to Thracian culture and regional history, as well as archaeological and numismatic finds. Medieval “Stone Grandmothers” are also among the subjects on display.
Madara and the History of the Horseman
The Madara Reserve brings together archaeological monuments, natural landscapes and the Madara Horseman. Settlement remains there date from the 5th millennium BCE to the 15th century. The Horseman is carved into a 100-metre-high rock face near Madara. Inscriptions beside it recount events from the years 705 to 801; Madara was an important sacred site of the First Bulgarian Empire. UNESCO describes the relief as unique and without parallel in Europe. In the wider destination of Shumen Province, the Madara Horseman has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1979.
Other Interests and Practical Information
Those interested in winegrowing will find a winery 15 kilometres from Shumen that produces wine from the old Bulgarian grape variety Gergana. Its stated mission is to revive forgotten Bulgarian grape varieties. A different experience awaits at the Kabiuk Stud Farm in Konyovets, 13 kilometres from Shumen city centre: the grounds include a horse museum, the summer residence of Prince Alexander I of Battenberg, and a Bulgarian icon-painting gallery in a chapel. Visits to the stud farm are possible only with advance telephone reservations.
The Tourist Information Centre in Shumen provides information about attractions, excursions, accommodation, leisure ideas and cultural events, as well as tourist maps and information about guided city walks. City buses can be useful for reaching individual destinations: route 4 serves the Tombul Mosque, museums, the Avsharyan House and the Srebrova House. Route 61 goes to Kyoshkovete Park on the Shumen Plateau; routes 7 and 71 reach Divdyadovo, a starting point for hikes on the plateau. Bus routes and timetables may change; check the information locally. Shumen’s central bus station and railway station are next to each other. Daily train services run between Shumen and Madara, Varna and Sofia; here too, it is advisable to check the current timetable.
Cultural History in Shumen Province
Beyond the local destination, Shumen Province offers further historical landmarks. Pliska was the capital of the First Bulgarian Empire from 681 to 893. Following the Church and People’s Council of Preslav in 893, Veliki Preslav was declared the capital of the Bulgarian state. The National Historical and Archaeological Reserve of Veliki Preslav preserves the remains of numerous churches, monasteries, workshops, studios and palaces.
The “Founders of the Bulgarian State” Memorial Complex stands on a hill at an altitude of 450 metres and forms a visual centre for the Bulgarian antiquities of Pliska, Preslav, the Madara Horseman and Shumen Fortress. The complex depicts Bulgaria’s cultural and social development from the 7th to the 10th century. These regional themes complement the city’s museums and fortress history with further historical perspectives.
Discover more destinations: Madara, Venetz, Veliki Preslav, Kaspichan, Varbitza.
For the overview of the wider destination: Shumen Province.
