See our list of 5 interesting dark tourism locations in Bulgaria:
1. Buzludzha Monument
The international ranking of the “33 most beautiful abandoned places in the world” features this iconic site, attracting thousands of tourists every year. In 1981, workers erected the concrete structure and topped it with a 70-meter pylon, displaying two five-pointed red stars. Resembling a flying saucer perched on a mountain peak, the monument now crumbles as it waits for restoration through an international project.
2. Concentration Camp on Persin Island
During Bulgaria’s communist regime, the authorities sent over 8,000 people—mainly members of the intelligentsia—to a concentration camp on Persin Island, where many lost their lives. Stalin personally donated a pontoon bridge that still connects the town of Belene to the island. Visitors can explore the haunting remains of the “labor-educational camp” as the regime once called it.
3. Submerged church of Zhrebchevo
Bulgaria constructed nearly 3,000 dams during the socialist period, submerging hundreds of settlements with rich histories and beautiful architecture. One of them, the village of Zapalnya, now exists only in memory, except for its partially submerged church, St. Ivan Rilski. The church still rises from the waters in the Rose Valley, recalling the village that once thrived there.
4. Marble Lake near Brezovo
This abandoned marble extraction pit in the Sredna Gora region has transformed into a stunning lake with a light blue-green hue and a surface as smooth as glass. Rainwater gradually filled the pit to a depth of 20 meters. Now, the lake attracts dark tourism enthusiasts and seekers of unique, picturesque landscapes.
5. The village of Gorno Lukovo
Bulgaria offers countless treasures for fans of dark tourism, including deserted villages with ivy-covered stone houses and old churches. One such place is Gorno Lukovo in the Eastern Rhodopes, where time seems to have stopped. Depopulation began during the socialist era as residents moved to nearby cities in search of work, leaving the village in a serene, frozen state.