About the Place
Park Vrana is located outside the Sofia city life but hides many secrets and stories about dramatic moments of Bulgarian history. The estate Vrana was created in 1899 on the site of a former Ottoman homestead. The idea was to create an intimate family residence of Bulgarian monarchs, beginning with Tzar Ferdinand I that ruled the country after the Liberation of Ottoman rule in 1878. Ferdinand I was the person who bought the homestead and the lands around to create this unique place for him and his heritage. The residence became the main and favourite home of the last Bulgarian monarchs.
Nowadays Vrana still keeps the spirit of something intimate, very personal, created not only for official needs but mostly by personal interest and passion. Those of Tzar Ferdinand. The monarch was famous for his passion for botany and ornithology and the enormous diversity of plants in the park is due to his great interest. In the process of building the park thousands of plants were brought in Sofia from all over the world.
Currently, in the park can be seen 821 botanical species, some of the very rare and as old as the park itself.
Today, the park is open for visitors and in autumn is hosting the Sofia lights festival creating a magical visual reality in the park.