Discover Haskovo: Thracian Heritage and Kenana

A Thracian tomb near Alexandrovo, museums devoted to the region’s history and the expansive Kenana Park give Haskovo its varied character. Explore archaeological history and regional everyday culture, then turn your attention to paths and activities in the green spaces.

Thracian heritage near Alexandrovo

Around 20 kilometres east of Haskovo, near the village of Alexandrovo, lies the Thracian Tomb of Alexandrovo. It was discovered in 2000 and built in the second half of the 4th century BC as the burial place of an unknown wealthy Thracian ruler. The tomb is considered one of Bulgaria’s most significant archaeological discoveries.

The structure includes a 15-metre-long corridor, an eastern entrance, and rectangular and circular chambers. The wall paintings are unusually well preserved. In the circular chamber, they are arranged in six horizontal zones; most of the frescoes depict hunting scenes. The original tomb is not open to tourists. Right next to it, the Museum of Thracian Art in the Eastern Rhodopes houses an exact replica that visitors can enter.

The museum centre in Alexandrovo is open year-round, except Mondays. Guided tours and access for people with disabilities are available; the centre can be reached by road and public transport. Check opening hours and facilities before your visit.

Museums and regional history

The Haskovo Regional History Museum preserves more than 120,000 movable cultural artefacts and presents permanent and thematic exhibitions. Its archaeological collections include finds dating from the Neolithic to the Late Middle Ages, more than 22,000 ancient and medieval coins, and an early European iron sword. The thematic exhibition programme may be updated.

The ethnographic collection offers a different perspective on life in the region. It includes agricultural and craft tools, copper vessels, jewellery, clothing and applied folk art, as well as objects from urban life. The museum also offers educational games and workshops for children, including weaving and dressing in traditional regional costumes.

Shishmanova House was built in 1854 in the Late Bulgarian Revival style, characteristic of the wider Thracian region. A restored museum exhibition there presents domestic activities through the end of the 19th century. Following extensive renovation, it reopened in 2024; check its current visitor status before your visit.

Kenana: park, cycle path and sport

Kenana is the largest park in the Haskovo Municipality. Its 236.6 hectares consist predominantly of wooded vegetation. A 2.5-kilometre pedestrian avenue features flower beds, children’s playgrounds and an outdoor fitness area. A cycle path runs alongside it and continues to the Sivata Voda reservoir.

Other park facilities offer a range of activities: the zoo covers 12 decares and is home to birds, mammals, rodents and other animals. There are also eight equipped courts suitable for tennis and squash. Animal populations and facilities may change; check the latest information when making specific plans.

Historic routes and getting there

The King Ivan Asen II Ecopath is marked in white and green and features twelve information boards about Bulgarian history, covering topics from Khan Kubrat to Tsar Stratsimir. At the end of the route, a monument commemorates the Bulgarian victory over Theodore Komnenos on 9 March 1230.

Haskovo has a central bus station with direct connections to major Bulgarian cities and destinations in Turkey and Greece. Plovdiv is considered the nearest airport, around 80 kilometres from Haskovo. As connections may change, check the latest options before departure. For your hotel stay in Haskovo, the cultural sites and Kenana offer a range of ideas, whether you want to focus on history, regional collections or time in the green spaces.

Discover more destinations: Haskovo, Nikolovo, Momino, Orlovo, Zornitsa, Lyubimets, Topolovgrad, Mineralni Bani.

For the overview of the wider region: Haskovo Province.