Before or after chasing Balkan peaks, it's worth stepping into the National Museum of Natural History in Sofia - the richest natural history museum on the entire Balkan Peninsula. With over a million specimens on display, it's a fascinating detour for anyone curious about the wildlife and geology surrounding the trails you'll be walking.

Spread across four floors in the heart of Sofia, the museum takes you from minerals to mammals to prehistoric giants. The ground floor showcases 450 mineral species arranged to reveal crystal structures and formation patterns. Upstairs you'll meet mammals, including one of the last purebred European bison and a massive Rila bear that won gold at Berlin's International Hunting Exhibition in 1937. Dioramas recreate scenes from equatorial forests, while a fossil hall displays an ammonite roughly 84 million years old. The bird collection, with over 12,000 specimens, includes species now extinct in Bulgaria, such as the bearded vulture.

• Central Sofia - the museum sits in an easily accessible city location, a short walk from major landmarks, easy access
• Reachable by public transport - numerous bus and tram lines stop nearby

• Over one million specimens of animals, plants and minerals on display
• More than 400 mammal species and over 1200 bird species featured
• Founded in 1889; the current building followed WWII bombing damage in 1944

A perfect rainy-day stop in Sofia before heading into the mountains - you'll recognize much of the wildlife on display once you're out on the trail.