After months of traveling through Russia and Eastern Europe, I figured I had seen my fair share of Soviet Ghosts. And then I arrived in Bulgaria.
If Communist architecture is your thing – and isn’t it everybody’s thing? – then Bulgaria is your place. I constantly found myself whipping my head around to stare at old sculptures and monuments as we drove through the countryside, but we didn’t take the time to stop for photos, because we were on our way to the biggest, baddest monument of all: Buzludzha monument.
A 3 hour drive from Sofia towards the Bulgarian mountains, and 1.5 hours outside of Veliko Tarnovo, the Buzludzha monument was built high up on a mountain in 1981 to commemorate the creation of the Bulgarian Socialist movement in 1891.
Buzludzha monument proudly stood as Bulgaria’s Communist headquarters, considered by many to be one of communism’s greatest architectural icons. The monument’s glory years were short-lived, however, as after a political shift in 1989 Buzludzha was discarded by the government and left abandoned.
Well, almost abandoned.
Dan, Matt and I visited on a Sunday – on Dan’s birthday, in fact! – and judging from the small group of cars at the bottom of the monument I would have thought we were visiting a tourist attraction rather than an abandoned building. But of course it is a tourist attraction – just look at it! The UFO-like monument sits imposingly on top of a hill, complete with a tower embellished with that infamous red star.
After walking around the sci-fi movie set Buzludzha and taking a bunch of photos, I turned to walk back down to our car but Matt stopped me and pointed to a small hole in one of the walls.
Apparently we were going inside.
Climbing up into the building was difficult enough to make me feeling like an Adventurer, but not too difficult for those two kids behind me to get inside with a little help from their parents. Because of its damaged roof Buzludzha has been closed to the public, but that doesn’t seem to deter most people. Of course not, because seeing the inside is the best part.
A little Googling showed me that this is what the inside of the Buzludzha monument used to look like:
And today?
Much like at Sarajevo’s abandoned Olympic bobsled track, I found it hard to really picture Buzludzha at its prime. Apparently a whole lot can change in a couple of decades.
Walking through the monument is certainly eerie, but sharing the place with a dozen or so other tourists definitely took the edge off. Until Matt pulled out some flashlights and announced that we were climbing up the tower.
Ugh, boys.
To get to the tower, we had to leave the main hall – and the comfort of the pack – and descend into the pitch black basement. 
^ Matt assured me that this is probably a joke
We eventually found the bottom of the tower – marked by the end of a ladder poking down into the basement, and then we started to climb. And after about ten minutes of climbing ladder after ladder, the tower filled with red light – we had made it to the star!
And then, finally, the top. It would have been a relief if I hadn’t been even more terrified for the climb down back into the darkness. At least there were pretty views!
Now, officially I will tell anyone who wants to visit Buzludzha that they absolutely should go and see it, but that going inside is very dangerous and not worth the risk.
But unofficially, you totally have to climb the tower! It left me shaky for the rest of the day, but I’m also a huge scaredy cat so I’m sure anyone else would be just fine. Matt and Dan certainly were, and Dan even declared that exploring Buzlduzha was the coolest thing we did on our entire trip.
Would you climb Buzludzha?
Rachel says
Wow! This place looks unreal! Would I climb the tower? Hmmm, you think you’re a scaredy cat, I’m probably way more of one! But curiosity can be a fearless beast, maybe I would!
Silvia says
Haha curiosity is what got me up there!
Conor says
Oh wow!! I wish I knew about this place when we were travelling through Bulgaria, we were so close by!
Love abandoned Soviet architecture, found an awesome seaside resort in Georgia called Kobuleti that was full of creepy abandoned hotels.
You’ll have to check out Chernobyl next – it’s the most amazing place ever!!
Nick says
Ah! This makes me want to visit Buzludzha even more. I’m glad to hear they haven’t sealed off the sneaky entry hole yet!
Silvia says
It’s still there! It’s funny how it’s technically closed but everyone can still easily get in anyway.
Silvia says
Ooh Kobuleti sounds right up my alley! And I know Chernobyl is – I would love to check it out!
becky hutner says
This place is unreal! Reminds me of the headquarters in “Dr. Strangelove.” You are an intrepid explorer, Silvia!
Silvia says
Haha just like Dr. Strangelove!
Katya says
I would totally climb it! Even though I have very mixed feelings about abandoned Soviet Union monuments and landmarks. They make me feel sad and nostalgic, but rebellious at the same time.
Silvia says
I definitely know those feelings! It’s odd standing by Soviet monuments now and thinking about their history.
Justine says
Silvia! Stop posting posts about such cool abandoned, sci-fi-ish travel spots. I only arrived in Phnom Penh yesterday but I’m already thinking about leaving and heading to Bulgaria, and it’s all because of you! This is like my dream destination that I didn’t even know existed …
Silvia says
Justine, you NEED to go to Buzludzha – it’s so bizarre, as so much fun to explore!
Camille says
Oh I so would! I’m always looking for unique experiences on my travels, and this looks like one and a a half! I can’t decide if Buzludzha looks eerier in its current abandoned state or in its past glory…
Silvia says
It’s definitely a really unique experience visiting Buzludzha!
Dani says
Wow, we had no idea about this. I was in Sophia 10 years ago and never heard of this place or I would have been sneaking in too. Looks like I have to check this out on my trip back to the Balkans this winter/spring.
Thanks for this. We love learning about cool, obscure, historic places.
Silvia says
You will definitely have to check it out!
Norman says
Wow – you seemed to have had the picture perfect weather when visiting! I absolutly love exploring abandoned ruins. Plus, each time in Russia it is those communist buildings that kinda attract the lense of my camera the most! 🙂
Silvia says
We really were SO lucky with the weather in Bulgaria! And yes, I love those communist buildings too 🙂
Emma @ Adventures of a London Kiwi says
Wow, what an intriguing place!
PEIKA says
Must to see this!
Ones we had a scandal with my mother, because I wanted to go there. She promise me, she will bring me there, if I did not visit it, before I turn 30 years old. Of coure, I could not wait and I was there – it blows your mind!
Gregg says
Really digging the Gorillaz-esc graffiti in the third picture, glad to see pop culture on a former communist structure, the juxtaposition is just too spot on!