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Velingrad is renowned for its spas and mineral water, one of the most popular in the country. And it is deserved. But the idea of the town would not be complete, if you don’t visit the local historic museum.

The idea for creating of the museum in the town began in 1909. It was founded in 1951. Four decades, the museum was named after 22-year guerrilla Vela Peeva, which in March 1944 committed suicide to avoid being caught by the police. From 1991 the musuem was named simply "Historical Museum".

The village itself also gets its name from Vela Peeva. In 1948 the three almost merged villages - Ladzhene, Kamenica and Chepino were pooled and thus Velingrad was born. Its location determines variety of mineral waters. Here brings forth the biggest karst spring "Kleptuza" with capacity of 1200 liters per second.

This true wealth is properly represented in the museum's permanent exhibition - "Mountain – a welcoming home". Photos and inscriptions on stones represent the oldest existing bathrooms in Bulgaria.

Visitors to the museum can learn a lot about the unique history and folklore of this region, inhabited since ancient times. Legend says that here lived the mythical Orpheus, who with his music enchanted the wild animals and even the wind. Here many researchers seek the temple of Dionysus, of whom wrote the historians Herodotus and Thucydides.

The funds and expositions of the Museum "Archaeology," "Ethnography," "Revival," "Modern and Contemporary History" and “Art” section hold more than 17 000 archaeological finds, everyday objects, icons, books, photos , personal items and records of renown people. For example an exhibit reflecting the life and work of one of the greatest opera singers in the world, the bass Nicolai Ghiaurov. At the museum the visitors can see the original costumes from his notable roles, matrix coin with his likeness minted in Austria, scores, records of his performances and photographs.

Special attention is paid to the pottery examples with painted on them still undeciphered religious symbols. They are unique to Bulgaria and are known as "Tsepina" pottery. Furthermore, here you can see various works of different ethnic and religious groups - Vlachs and Bulgarians, Christians and Muslims as well as of the extremely interesting Aroumanian people: fabrics, garments, socks and others.

Rightful place in the exhibition is devoted to the participation of population of Chepino in the national liberation struggles and in the Revival period. Special attention is paid to the traditional regional writing with a pen and wax on Easter eggs.