Pernik

• The municipality lies between the mountains of Vitosha, Golo Bardo and Lyulin.
• The Underground Mining Museum is housed in two preserved tunnels from the “Old Mines” of 1891.
• Hiking trails lead from the Živata Voda spring to Bosnek, Kladnitsa and Chuypetlovo.
• Rudartsi has two outdoor pools with mineral water at 29°C.

The medieval Pernik Fortress is located on a rocky plateau in the southwestern part of Pernik. Archaeological finds show that a fortress already stood there in the 6th to 5th century BC. At the beginning of the 11th century, Krakra was the ruler of the fortress and the settlement of Pernik. The fortress offers a glimpse into the area's long history, whose periods differ markedly from its more recent mining history.

The Underground Mining Museum in Pernik is unique on the Balkan Peninsula. It is housed in two preserved tunnels of the first underground mine, known as the “Old Mines” of 1891. Together, the two tunnels are about 630 metres long. The museum presents more than a century of coal-mining history, from manual extraction to mechanised coal-mining complexes. For your visit, here are some practical details: the museum is open for visits every day, accepts groups of 3 to 20 people, and offers visits on the hour.

Duhla Cave has underground galleries with a total length of up to 18 kilometres, extending across seven main levels. Six underground rivers and streams flow through the cave. If you are interested in underground landscapes, Duhla is quite different from the historic mine tunnels in the museum.

There are also specific hiking routes above ground. Trails lead from the Živata Voda spring to Bosnek, Kladnitsa and Chuypetlovo. The spring near Bosnek is marked by a stone frog carved into the rock: water gushes from its nostrils. Another marked trail starts at Selimitsa Hut and leads to Cherni Vrah and the Ostritsa and Rudnicher huts. These routes offer different starting points to choose from; no distances or walking times are available for them.

Cultural stops include sites from different periods. The Thracian sanctuary in the Tsrkva district dates from the 2nd to 4th century and has been conserved and partly restored. Its finds include marble votive tablets and statuettes of the Thracian Horseman and healing deities; they are kept at the Pernik History Museum. The Monastery of Saint Nicholas lies east of Kladnitsa. Its monastery church has frescoes by Konstantin Gerov. The Church of Saint George in Studena dates from the 14th to 16th century.

Rudartsi, within the municipality of Pernik, has a spa centre with mineral water. There are also two outdoor pools with water at 29°C. Rudartsi has regular bus connections to Pernik and Sofia. This transport connection is a practical consideration if you include the village in your travel plans. For regional orientation, you can also visit the pages for Dragichevo, Liulin and Bosnek. Compare other destinations on the pages for Radomir, Zemen, Breznik, Kovachevtzi and Tran.

When can groups visit the Underground Mining Museum?

The museum is open for visits every day. It accepts groups of 3 to 20 people; visits are offered on the hour.

Which hiking trails are mentioned at Živata Voda and Selimitsa?

Hiking trails lead from Živata Voda to Bosnek, Kladnitsa and Chuypetlovo. A marked trail from Selimitsa Hut leads to Cherni Vrah and the Ostritsa and Rudnicher huts.

What mineral water facilities are there in Rudartsi?

Rudartsi has two outdoor pools with mineral water at 29°C. The village also has a spa centre with mineral water.

When was the Surva Festival held?

Since 2008, the International Festival of Masquerade Games Surva was held annually on the last Saturday and Sunday in January.

For the broader travel overview: Pernik Province.