The Pliocene Park is a palaeontological museum near the village of Dorkovo, Rakitovo municipality. It shows Pliocene finds from the fossil site at Elin Kladenets. It opened on 19 September 2013.
At the centre of the hall stands a sculpture of an Auvergne mastodon, 3.90 m tall, and next to it one of the fossil monkey Dolichopithecus. Beside the mastodon is a giant tusk of a Borson’s mastodon found near the village of General Inzovo. There is a reconstruction of a scientific dig with real bones from the site, and display cases with fossils.
A 10-metre diorama shows the landscape around Dorkovo 5 million years ago — monkeys, a bear, a tapir, a rhinoceros, herds of hipparions and mastodons. A sound system plays the calls of the animals whose remains were found here.
The domed building is made of metal and wood, with a glass ceiling. In 2013 it was named "Building of the Year".
The bones were first noticed by a local teacher, Manol Cholev, in the 1930s. The site was studied in Bulgarian-French excavations in 1985–1987. Over 600 bones of more than 30 animal species were found on 15 m². It is the richest known site of Auvergne mastodon remains in the world. Scientists think a natural disaster killed a whole herd on the bank of an ancient river. Two bird species new to science were also described here, among them the Rhodope capercaillie. The site has been a natural landmark since 1990.
The park is reached by an asphalt road from Velingrad and from Tsigov Chark.
Dorkovo Pliocene Park is located in Pazardzhik, Bulgaria.
Dorkovo Pliocene Park is most easily reached by car. Use the coordinates above to navigate, or open the location in OpenStreetMap or your preferred maps app for turn-by-turn directions. Public transport options vary by region — for remote destinations a rental car gives the most flexibility.
Dorkovo Pliocene Park can be visited year-round. Verify current opening hours directly with the museum before your visit, as schedules change seasonally and on public holidays.
Opening hours and admission fees vary, and most Bulgarian museums close one day per week (commonly Monday). Verify current schedules and prices directly with the museum or the local tourist information office before visiting Dorkovo Pliocene Park, especially on public holidays.
