Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Bulgaria Kazanlak Rose Museum

Rose Museum

Said to be the only museum in the world dedicated to the most classic of all blooms, the rose.

Kazanlak, Bulgaria

Added By
Rachel James
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
The courtyard of the Rose Museum.   Dima-bilan on Wiki
A display in the Rose Museum.   Dima-bilan on Wiki
  Dima-bilan on Wiki
Rose pickers in the Valley of Roses.   avishai reicher on Wiki
May 2023   DMStephenson / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Part of the larger historical museum in Kazaniak, Bulgaria, the Rose Museum started out as an exhibition temporarily staged to honor the region's relationship with the oil-producing flower. 

Eventually, its popularity led to the Rose Museum becoming its own mini-museum, exploring every facet of Bulgaria's rose production industry. It is the only museum of its kind in the world, and digs into almost every aspect of rose oil and rose water production.

Rose-picking/producing has been an important industry in Bulgaria since at least 1650, when written evidence of industrial capacities of the plant were first recorded on paper. Its first export of rose oil was recorded in 1740, sold to a French perfume company as a raw material for the much-desired essential oils that acted as a key player in countless fragrances worn by the women of Europe. 

Different types of Bulgarian rose oil are produced through a few different extraction methods. The steam distillation process allows for intermediate cooling and produces an oil called attar of roses, while a process of solvent extraction produces rose absolute, and supercritical carbon dioxide extraction produces an essential oil referred to as absolute or as a CO2 extract, which is the type most often used in perfumery. 

The museum contains the reproductions of the first laboratory for rose oil studies as well as a 1912 rose warehouse. Photos, documents, and vessels for storing and transporting the precious oils are also popular attractions. A gem of the museum that is considered one of its biggest attractions is a vessel that still smells of the musky, floral fragrance despite being out of commission since the 1940's. The gift shop offers the usual museum fare alongside rose jam, rose liquor, and rose-scented cosmetics.

Related Tags

Museums And Collections Museums Flora Horticulture Plants

Know Before You Go

3km north of centre up ul Osvobozhdenie; take a taxi (3 lv one way), or bus 3 from Kazanlâk’s main square

Community Contributors

Added By

Rachel

Edited By

Molly McBride Jacobson, DMStephenson

  • Molly McBride Jacobson
  • DMStephenson

Published

June 6, 2014

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://bulgariatravel.org/en/object/131/muzej_na_rozata
  • http://www.lonelyplanet.com/bulgaria/central-balkans/kazanlak/sights/museums-galleries/museum-roses
  • http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/Europe/Bulgaria/Khaskovska_Oblast/Kazanluk-381835/Things_To_Do-Kazanluk-TG-C-1.html
Rose Museum
Rose Garden Park
Voynishka Ul.
Kazanlak, 6100
Bulgaria
42.622809, 25.388145
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Thracian Tomb of Kazanlak

Kazanlak, Bulgaria

miles away

The Tomb of Seuthes III

Shipka, Bulgaria

miles away

Shipka Memorial Church

Shipka, Bulgaria

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Kazanlak

Kazanlak

Bulgaria

Places 3

Nearby Places

Thracian Tomb of Kazanlak

Kazanlak, Bulgaria

miles away

The Tomb of Seuthes III

Shipka, Bulgaria

miles away

Shipka Memorial Church

Shipka, Bulgaria

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Kazanlak

Kazanlak

Bulgaria

Places 3

Related Places

  • Amsterdam Tulip Museum.

    Amsterdam, Netherlands

    Amsterdam Tulip Museum

    Tucked in the back of a flower shop, its collection details the fascinating history of the Netherlands's iconic symbol.

  • Shipbuilding room.

    Scituate, Massachusetts

    Maritime and Irish Mossing Museum

    A quaint museum nestled in a former hub of Irish moss harvesting.

  • Steinhardt Museum of Natural History.

    Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel

    Steinhardt Museum of Natural History

    Israel's first dedicated natural history museum is home to 5 million specimens and still growing.

  • Coca tea

    Cusco, Peru

    Museo de la Coca (Coca Museum)

    A fascinating little museum all about the rich history of Peru’s famous plant.

  • North American collection

    Washington, D.C.

    National Bonsai Museum

    One of the dwarven trees dates back to 1625 and survived the Hiroshima bombing.

  • Calle Dr. Garcia Rogel street in Palmeral de Orihuela

    Orihuela, Spain

    Palmeral of Orihuela

    The second largest palm grove in Europe was planted during Moorish times and has been largely unchanged since then.

  • Bee balm is just one of the many plants that Native Americans relied on for medicinal and ceremonial uses.

    Montrose, Colorado

    Ute Ethnobotany Garden at the Ute Indian Museum

    This high-desert oasis spotlights some of Colorado’s most sacred native plants.

  • Waltham, Massachusetts

    Lyman Estate Greenhouses

    These beautiful garden buildings are among the oldest surviving greenhouses in the United States.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.