Description of the attraction
Vrana Palace is the residence of the monarchs of Bulgaria, located in the vicinity of Sofia. The residence includes a park, a two-storey hunting lodge and the palace itself, which freely combines elements of several historical styles (from Art Nouveau to French classicism), but Venetian-Dalmatian motives prevail. It is noteworthy that the furniture and paneling in one of the palace halls are made of Karelian birch, which was presented to the Bulgarian rulers by Alexander III.
The first owner of the land near Sofia was Tsar Ferdinand I, who acquired it in 1898. The two-storey hunting lodge was built in 1904, and from 1909 to 1914 the main palace was under construction. In 1906, the construction of all kinds of outbuildings for the future farm began. Since 1912, the farm has been officially renamed Vrana Palace.
In 1918, the residence passed from Ferdinand to Boris III, who set up the government headquarters in the palace in connection with the coup d'état in June 1923.
During the Second World War, the palace was seriously damaged by massive Allied bombing, but was rebuilt in a short time as the renovated residence of Georgiy Dimitrov. It is known that the body of the second Tsar of Bulgaria, Boris III, was secretly reburied in the palace park. After another change of power and the fall of the communist regime, the king's heart was exhumed and transferred this time to the Rila Monastery.
In 1998, according to the decision of the Constitutional Court, the palace was ordered to be returned to Simeon of Saxoburggot, the former king. Since 2002, Simeon has occupied a hunting lodge, which was once built by his grandfather Ferdinand I.
Vrana Park contains more than 400 plant species on its territory and is considered a recognized masterpiece of Bulgarian landscape architecture. Such eminent masters as Kraus, Georgiev, Shakht worked on the landscape of the park. There is a lake and several Rock Gardens in the park.
Description added:
Index 06.10.2014
King Ferdinand, known for his love of nature and especially birds, decided to name the palace after the first bird to descend on the roof. According to legend, a flock of crows sat on the roof of the village, and since then the palace has received the name Vrana (in Bulgarian it is translated as "raven").
