Ivan Vazov National Library, National library in Plovdiv, Bulgaria

Ivan Vazov National Library is one of Bulgaria's largest book collections with millions of volumes in its holdings. The building provides reading areas, computer workstations, and specialized sections including digital archives and restoration workshops.

The institution was founded in 1879 and grew from efforts by Bulgarian intellectual Yoakim Gruev to preserve the nation's heritage. Since then it has developed into Bulgaria's second most important library after the one in Sofia.

The library preserves collections from notable Bulgarian writers and hosts exhibitions that celebrate the nation's literary heritage. Visitors can experience author meetings and readings that show how literature connects to everyday cultural life.

The facility is accessible to most visitors with reading and work areas providing internet access. It is best to visit during daytime hours to enjoy the full range of services and find quiet working conditions.

The digital collection holds the oldest map of Bulgaria in Bulgarian, "Map of Present-day Bulgaria, Thrace, Macedonia and the Adjacent Lands" from 1843, viewable in the cartographic editions collection. Its Slavic manuscripts section keeps medieval monuments such as a fragment of the Slepchenski Apostol from the second half of the 12th century.