Varna

Veliko Tarnovo

Obzor

Sunny Beach

Nesebur

Sozopol

Varna is known as Bulgaria’s summer capital and is definitely worth a visit if only for a day. One of the main features here is Primorski park or Sea Gardens, and as the name suggests has great views of the coast below. Along with that, the Gardens have their own beach which is lined with bars and cafes.

Primorski park stretches 8km and has pleasant walks as well as entertainment in the summer which includes an open air theatre, a conference centre and also an amusement fair for the youngsters. In the first 2 weeks of July there is a ballet festival and the summer also hosts an international movie and music festival. There’s something for everyone in the park and it attracts both young and old. The statues of the unknown soldiers can be seen here too.

The naval museum is situated at the town end of the park and it’s really interesting to learn about Bulgaria’s sea faring history. Varna has a large harbour and pleasure trips such as the fun ‘Pirates of the Black Sea’ depart from here. Inside the Park one can visit the Aquarium, the Natural History Museum and the Dolphinarium. There is a tall monument to Fighters against Fascism which stretches towards the sky.

Varna hosts several other museums such as the archaeological, the ethnographic and the city historic museum. I found that these were not open on Mondays.

The Cathedral of the Assumption is also worth a visit and can be seen well before arrival into the city with its golden domes. It was built in 1886 and decorations from the Orthodox religion are expressed through paintings inside. My guide informed me that the first services were in Greek as the Bulgarians didn’t have an alphabet.

The Cyrillic alphabet has thirty letters and after a few weeks of living there I was able to read some words. The first Bulgarian service took place in 1910. A flower market is situated by the cathedral and taxis depart from here too.

Opposite the Cathedral you can feel at home with KFC. There are also the gypsy market stalls nearby where some good bargains can be had. If you are looking for various souvenirs or clothing this is the place to be. There are plenty of fakes to choose from.

Be warned; Varna has plenty of pick pockets so watch your belongings.

Wandering into the main shopping area boulevard you can witness the remains of communism with some of the buildings. Varna has plenty of boutiques, as well as McDonalds, many estate agents, sports shops and other English names such as Benetton and Kodak Express.

Golden Sands

Buses leave to Golden Sands resort from Varna and it’s about a 30 minute journey north. Golden Sands beach stretches for 4km and the hotels, bars and nightclubs give it a modern appearance. It is not as busy as Sunny beach but much livelier than Obzor. There are woodland walks away from the beach and several water sports to choose from. Many souvenir stands line the streets outside the hotels.