Varna is Bulgaria's third largest city.

It was an inhabited place even before the Greeks

established the colony of Odessos there about 580 B.C. Later, under the Romans and their
successors, the Slavs, Varna became a major port trading with Constantinople, Venice and
Dubrovnik. In 1393 it was captured by the Turks, who made it an important military centre.

Nowadays it is the main port for both naval and commercial shipping and, adjacent as it is to
the coastal resorts of Golden Sands, St. Constantine (Drouzhba) and Albena, it has a
cosmopolitan atmosphere. Sailors on shore-leave in unfamiliar ceremonial uniforms, mingle
with foreign tourists and locals as they promenade along shady boulevards, lined by dignified
19th and early 20th century buildings.

The 19th century Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin is an imposing landmark, which
contains a finely carved iconostasis and bishop's throne, some interesting murals and stained
glass.

The 2nd century thermae are the remains of the largest Roman public building in Bulgaria.
During this century enough has been revealed by archaeologists to give a good impression of
the original layout, though some parts of the building remain hidden under nearby streets.
Coming across an extensive ancient building amidst the streets and houses of a modern city is
not unusual in Bulgaria, but is always a delight.

Further from the centre, a granite monument commemorates the Battle of Varna, which took
place in 1444. Here 30,000 Crusaders were waiting to sail to Constantinople when they were
attacked by 120,000 Turks. The Polish King Ladislas was killed in a bold attempt to capture
the Sultan Murad. The subsequent retreat foreshadowed Christendom's general retreat before
the advancing Ottomans.

North of Varna there is a cluster of seaside resorts all with fine - sandy beaches but differing
in size and style

• Golden Sands

The largest is Golden Sands set on well-wooded terraces, the last foothills of the Balkan range
reaching down to the sea. Its four kilometre beach slopes gently into water which has no
dangerous currents. There is a wealth of sporting and other facilities available, all very
moderately priced. Water-skiing, wind-surfing, paraskung, snorkelling, tennis, volleyball,
mini-golf and croquet can fill the visitor's day, and a choice of restaurants, bars, discos and
nightclubs provide evening entertainment. Many hotels have recently been refurbished and
upgraded.

Kamchiya

South of Varna a minor road leads to Kamchiya, where the river of the same name widens into
a big lagoon before flowing into the sea. A small picturesque resort spreads along the wooded
river banks. The nearby 500 hectares of nature reserve, Longoza, is an area of marsh and
forest with dense almost tropical undergrowth. Ancient trees with a variety of climbers
interwoven amongst them form a canopy. This is a typical deltaic formation, which, in spring,
is regularly flooded, inundating a huge area. Here there are pelicans, kingfishers and water
birds of all kinds.

Museums

The Varna Museum is full of treasures from all periods of the city's history, and will interest
both the informed archaeologist and the casual visitor. In 1972 excavations in the Varna
Necropolis revealed almost two thousand gold artefacts from about 4000 B.C. One stunning
display case has the bones of a tribal leader arranged with skilfully-made jewellery and
personal possessions around him. Some of the finds are displayed behind magnifying glass to
reveal the complex and minute details of the craftsmanship. Some items are thought to be the
oldest worked gold so far discovered. Other exhibition halls contain Greek and Roman
antiquities, including some fine ceramics; icons, weapons and materials from the 19th century
struggle against the Ottoman Empire.

Other museums include the Ethnographic Museum, with interesting displays of costumes and
jewellery, and examples of folk customs such as the embroidered masks used in the Kukeri
and Survakari rituals, and different-shaped loaves baked for festival days. The Natural History
Museum focuses on coastal flora and fauna.

Botanical Garden

The chief attraction of the place is the wonderful Botanical Garden, a branch of the University
of Sofia. Its ten hectares surround the small summer palace of the Romanian Queen Marie.
(The area was part of Romania between 1913 and 1940). The attractive villa has the unusual
addition of a minaret, said to have been built for the Queen's Turkish over.
The gardens are set on a steep hillside, and descend in six terraces to the sea - supposedly one
for each of the Queen's children. There are over three thousand varieties of shrubs, roses and
flowers, set among streams, waterfalls, and ornamental channels. There is a rock garden, a
formal French one with clipped box cones and geometric beds, and an astonishing collection
of cacti. Interspersed are stone thrones, seats, pillars and ornaments collected by the Queen.

Euxinograd Palace

Just north of Varna is the Euxinograd Palace which was built as a royal summer residence in
1882. The palace and its wonderfully kept formal gardens resemble a French chateau. It is set
in beautiful wooded parkland which reaches down to the fine sandy beach. On the edge of the
estate the famous and delicious Euxinograd wine, cognac and rakiya are bottled

Stone Forest

About 20 kilometres west of Varna is the so-called Stone Forest, a curious collection of stone
columns up to 7 metres high. The first impression is of a ruined temple but scientists have
discovered that it is a geological formation of stalagmites some fifty million years old.

Cape Kaliakra

North of Balchik the coast is virtually untouched by tourism, the road passes through
Kavarna, a port from where much of Dobrudja's grain is exported. A minor road leads to Cape
Kaliakra, with its prominent red cliffs rising 60 metres above the sea. According to local
tradition forty girls, the sole survivors of a Turkish attack, tied their long plaits of hair
together and jumped to their deaths, rather than be raped by the victors. Today it is a peaceful
nature reserve, where hooded cormorants nest, seals and dolphins cavort in the sea, and pink
starlings and rock blackbirds frequent the cliffs and caves.

Aladja Monastery

About 4 kilometres from Golden Sands is the Aladja Monastery. Here the monks' cells and
rooms were hewn out of the soft white limestone cliff. This was a retreat, a refuge, not a
confident statement of conviction like Rila or Bachkovo monasteries. The medieval murals
are few and faded, though they must once have been striking and colourful enough to earn the
monastery its name, which means "multi-coloured" in Turkish.