Varna - the third largest city (325,000 residents) after Sofia and Plovdiv, the biggest Bulgarian seaport, is the gem of the Bulgarian Black Sea.
Varna lies on the same latitude of the famous Atlantic resorts Bayonne and Biarritz in France. During the holiday season, July and August, the sunshine allows 10-11 hours of sunbathing. There is nothing of the cold Baltic wind or the summer Riviera heat.
The city is clean and green. The most famous of the city's green miracles are the Marine Gardens which are the largest in the Balkans, Euxinograd park - the former Royal Palace and the paradise of St. Constantine.
The earliest archaeological finds on the territory of the town refer to the Varna Eneolithic necropolis, uncovered on the northern bank of Varna Lake. In the investigated 280 graves there have been uncovered 3010 golden objects of overall weight of more than 6 kg, dated to the second half of the 5th millennium BC.
Around 560 BC in the place of an ancient Thracian settlement the ancient town Odessos appears. It is an important trade, crafts and agrarian centre. Being independent up to the 1st century BC, the town mints its own coins (drachmas).
As an intermediary in the multiform exchange between the two worlds - Mediterranean and Thrace, the antique Odessos became a center for development of culture and fine arts. Some early sculptures from the 5th century BC hint that the town art developed parallel to the great Mediterranean art. One of those masterpieces is the head of Apollo (from Odessos).
Strengthened with fortified walls in the 4th century BC and later, after being conquered by Mark Lukulus' legions (1st century BC - 4th century AD) it became a Roman regional centre of great importance.
Towards the end of the 8th century Varna is included in the territory of the Bulgarian state. After the conversion to Christianity (864) it becomes a centre of the newly adopted creed. Towards 971 the town falls under Byzantine rule, in 1201 it is liberated by tsar Kaloyan's troops.
In the 13th - 14th centuries it is the strongest fortress on the western Black Sea coast and a significant commercial port used by ships from Venice and Genoa. In 1389 Varna falls under Ottoman rule. In 1878 the Russians liberate the town.
The architectural outline of Varna is accomplished at the end of 19th century and the beginning of 20th century. Ancient, medieval, renaissance and modern cultures mingle and coexist through the city.
The older architecture is represented by the Clock Tower in the city centre and the Church of the Holy Virgin (1602) with an iconostasis (1896) by a master artist belonging to the School of Debur, and valuable icons (the oldest dating back to 1646).
There is hardly a city in Bulgaria apart from Sofia that has so many museum opportunities: Archaeological museum, National Revival museum, Ethnographic museum, Naval museum, Museum of New History.
The Museum of History of Medicine exhibits the richest paleo-anthropologic collection in Bulgaria.
The Museum of New History (built in 1851) is the oldest surviving house in Varna.
Bulgaria's only Aquarium with unique facade covered in ivy attracts many visitors with its unique exposition of water organisms - Black Sea, freshwater, tropical fishes. The Dolphinarium offers an amusing show. The Astronomical Observatory and Planetarium organize observation seances for visitors.
Some other places you shouldn't miss are:
The Roman thermae (end of 2nd century - beginning of 3rd century AD) - the biggest Bulgarian find so far.
Covering an area of 7,000 sq.m. with numerous rooms, typical for such buildings - frigidarium, tepidarium, caldarium with 3 swimming pools, reception halls, etc. - a rather large piece of ancient Rome right in the middle of the modern town.
The Varna Cathedral (1884-1886) - second in scale after St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Sofia.
Erected in honour of the Liberation from Ottoman yoke. Modern Byzantine architecture, spacious interior, woodcarved iconostasis by masters belonging to the School of Debur, stained glass. Painted in 1949-1950, it is declared monument of culture.
Varna's festivals are large in number, the most popular of them being: the International choir gathering (May), International theatre holidays (June), International gathering of orchestras and ensembles for
classical music (July), the folk festival (August), the International ballet competition (August), "Love is Folly" international cinema festival (September), the International festival of puppet theatres (October) and more.
Hundreds of thousends of tourists visit Varna each year, attracted by its modern resorts and natural beauty.
A well-known joke says that in summer Varna grows to the dimensions of Sofia whereas Sofia shrinks to the dimensions of Varna.
