The exposure in the Department of Natural Sciences was opened on 10/01/1975. The museum is a place of permanent interest and attention for the tourists which visit the town of Belogradchik and also for the students in the region. Frequent visitors are students, graduates and researchers who find here photographs, documents and summarized data from studies in the field and a rich literature.
The museum is unique in northwestern Bulgaria. The idea that led to its creation was that all direct knowledge about flora and fauna of the region representatives to focus on the environmental aspects of nature. The current exhibition includes 520 exhibits and the fund was about 2500 (even 3000). Of these, 39 were European and global products from protected species included in the Bern Convention, and 128 exhibits (fauna and flora) have the status of “endangered” according to the Law of biological diversity.
All these make extremely valuable the collection. On a rather small area can be seen some of the most attractive representatives of the animate and inanimate nature, specific of northwestern Bulgaria from past geological times to the present. Among these are samples of rocks, stuffed animal species (insects, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals), birds eggs, herbarium with diffrent specimens of plants. In the exhibition halls, the exhibits are arranged based on ecological principles (according to the biotope in which they live), which allows a clearer picture of the relationships in nature.
Department experts have developed fascinating courses adapted to the age and interests of the visitors and present the interesting countries of the exixstence of the living world. Within the exhibition are also photographs showing the wonderful landscapes of the unique natural phenomenon “Belogradchik rocks”.
The museum preserves in the main scientific auxiliary fund over 3,000 natural specimens and other materials, including minerals, rocks, paleontological materials (bones of prehistoric animals such as the cave bear and cave hyena); zoological materials (stuffed animals, skins, skulls); plant species; herbarium with original photographic materials and images created by museum staff. Over the years, has collected a rich library containing the science and popular literature, with more than 600 titles.
Research Department “Nature” focuses on species of rare and endangered flora and fauna of northwestern Bulgaria, and upon the local unique endemic species.