Varna City

Varna is the maritime capital and the third largest city in Bulgaria. It is a cosmopolitan city packed with history and comprises a seaside resort, a busy port and a large naval base attracting millions of tourist every year. Flights from Belfast and Dublin to Bulgaria are very reasonable and are direct to the country all through the summer months.

 

Varna has a fabulous climate with a summer that begins in early May and lasts right through to October. Temperatures normally don’t go higher that 35 degrees during the day and won’t fall below 18 degrees at night. Winter is a different story as the highest day time temperatures are 10 degrees falling to 0 degrees at night with possible snow in December.

 

The city is set on a horse shoe bay and is surrounded by vineyards, orchards and forests. Commercial shipping facilities have been relocated inland into the lakes and canals so the bay remains a recreation area and almost the entire waterfront is parkland. The waterfront promenade is lined with fabulous restaurants, cafes and bars and the magnificent Sea Garden also known as Primorski Park.

 

 

Sea Garden is one of Europe’s largest city centre parks open to the public. It has an area of 90,000 sq m running from the city centre along the Black Sea Coast and many of the main tourist attractions are in the park such as the Dolphinarium, the Observatory and the Aquarium. It also has a wealth of cafes, restaurants and bars where you can relax in this fabulous atmosphere.

 

The dolphinarium is a great attraction for families. The show is 40 mins long and visitors can enjoy the playfulness and intelligence of the dolphins. A baby dolphin was born in the dolphinarium in 1992, a good sign that these mammals feel at home here.

 

The Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary is the most famous orthodox cathedral in Varna. It opened in 1886 it is the residence of the Bishop of Varna and one of the symbols of the city. It is located in St. Kiril and Medodii Square and at night it is lit up and looks amazing.

 

The Festival and Congress Centre is a world famous venue for conferences, congresses and scientific forums. It offers the most modern facilities in the city with a large hall seating 1,000 and equipped with sophisticated equipment and systems in

several languages. There are also many restaurants and cafes in the complex.

 

The Palace of Culture and Sports is another venue where business and scientific events take place along with many international sporting events. The Congress Hall can seat 3,000 and there are 9 other halls, cafes, a recreation centre and a shopping area.

 

The Roman Baths have been partially preserved and date back to when this region was part of the Roman Empire. This building was one of the largest buildings in the eastern part of the Empire and proof of the wealth and importance of the town.

 

The Archaeological Museum is a fabulous place to visit with Greek, Roman and Ottoman antiques on display. The oldest golden jewellery in the world is on display and was discovered in the Varna Necropolis. This jewellery, belonging to Varna culture dates from 4200 to 4600 BC

 

Varna City comes alive at night with market stalls offering many souvenirs, jewellery and keepsakes. There are also many great wine bars and nightclubs in Bar Street that runs along the beach offering a good night out at a reasonable price with a great atmosphere.

 

 

This city is the perfect base to explore the other nearby beach resorts along the coast. Some of the most popular are Konstantin, Golden Sands and the quaint town of Balchik. Golden Sands is one of the most famous with a great variety of large and small hotels and many apartment complexes welcoming couples, families and groups of friends every year.