Tsarska Bistritsa

Tsarska Bistritsa holds a significant place in the history of Bulgaria's last royal dynasty.

It was here, on 28 August 1943, that Queen Joanna received the troubling news that her husband, Boris III, had fallen ill with a mysterious disease.

After the democratic changes in 1989, Tsarska Bistritsa was restituted by the son of Tsar Boris III, Simeon II during his term as Prime Minister of Bulgaria.

The Republic of Bulgaria filed a claim for the ownership and in 2014 the Sofia District Court ruled that the palace was state property and Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha and his sister Maria Luisa had to return it and pay compensation (if the decision entered into force).

Tsarska Bistritsa also has the royal family's collection of hunting trophies filled up for more than half a century.

Tsarska Bistritsa hunting lodge
Tsarska Bistritsa hunting lodge in 1944
The Bistritsa Musalenska River passes behind the Tsarska Bistritsa hunting lodge
Tsarska Bistritsa hunting lodge during the winter in 2023
The courtyard of the Tsarska Bistritsa hunting lodge