My Home Bulgaria |
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The Black sea coast
Many continue to think of the Bulgarian coast in terms of its big package-oriented complexes, the largest of which have discouragingly ersatz names like Sunny Beach and Golden Sands and are correspondingly characterless once you arrive. Newer resorts like Albena have a more varied range of hotels and activities, and the most recent "holiday villages" like Elenite and Dyuni compare favourably with villa settlements in the Mediterranean. Holidays in such places are cheap and beaches are clean, but none of these purpose-built resorts reveals much of what the Black Sea is really about - and they are sited sufficiently far away from centres of population to prevent you from finding out for yourself. independent travellers should stick to the main seaside towns, where private rooms are plentiful, family-run guesthouses are on the increase, and out-of-town beaches are easy to reach on foot or by bus. The ideal base for exploring the northern coast is the riviera town of Varna, which after Sofia and Plovdiv is Bulgaria`s most animated metropolis. North of Varna crumbling rock formations and imposing cliffs characterize the coast around Balchik and Kaliakra, while to the south lie quieter seaside backwaters and the Longoza, a dense riverine forest that lines the lower banks of the River Kamchiya. Controlling access to the southern half of the Black Sea coast is the rough-edged trawler port of Burgas, far outshone by the historic peninsula towns immediately north and south - old Greek fishing villages like Sozopol and Nesebar the latter noted for its ruined Byzantine churches, and swarming with visitors in the summer. The coast beyond Sozopol and the Turkish border offers a succession of glorious white sand beaches and a wide variety of flora and fauna, ranging from the near-tropical forest around the River Ropotamo to wild¬fowl-infested marshes. Numerous local museums recall the Greek settlers who colonized the area six centuries before the birth of Christ. The Black Sea coast is governed by the seasons. The tourist season runs from late May to late September, and is at its height in August, when transport and accommodation are suddenly overburdened. It`s difficult to find private rooms at this time, but you shouldn`t find yourself stranded without a bed for the night if you persistently ask around; solo travellers, however, may be asked to pay double rates or share with a stranger, as owners are loath to lose money. From October till April the coast can be freezing cold, and a number of hotels close down entirely. Outside Varna and Burgas, many museums and tourist attractions open only during the summer, and hours become erratic as tourist numbers begin to slacken off in September. However you travel, your likely point of arrival on the coast will be either Varna or Burgas, whence buses take you to the smaller towns and resorts. From mid-May to the end of September public transport is augmented by a number of hydrofoil and hydrobus services, which link Varna with several points of tourist interest from Nesebar in the south to Balchik in the north. Departures, however, may be restricted to one or two a day. It`s also possible to travel on from Bulgaria by boat to destinations else¬where in the Black Sea. Most of the bigger travel agents in the area offer ferry trips to Istanbul (although the regular bus services from Varna and Burgas work out much less expensive), and passenger ferries link Varna with the Ukrainian riviera town of Odessa and the Russian port of Novorossiisk. VARNA Back in the days when VARNA was a cholera-ravaged Ottoman garrison town, British troops passed through on their way to the Crimean War; one of them, Major General J R Hume, described the town as "no paradise ... a wretched Place with very few shops". Until recently many foreign visitors may have said the same, but over the past few years Bulgaria`s third city has struggled more than most to Westernize. Signs of change are everywhere: old state-owned shops stand empty, while the streets around them sprout fashion boutiques, exchange bureaux, Japanese car showrooms, video-rental stores, and fast-food outlets staffed by prancing mini-skirted waitresses. Crop-haired youths practise skate¬boarding manoeuvres in the main square, or stroll along the main boulevards in a range of pseudo-designer summer threads more reminiscent of west coast USA than some far-flung eastern outpost of the European continent. Varna still has its problems - loss-making shipyards southwest of the centre give the place a hard industrial edge - and most of the consumer goods on sale in the town centre are well beyond the means of those who inhabit the high-rise suburbs. Nevertheless, the self-confident riviera-town swagger of the place comes as a breath of fresh air after the more austere appearance of much of inland Bulgaria. It rivals Sofia and Plovdiv in providing a wide range of sights and museums, from the outstanding archeological treasures in the Museum of History and Art to the off-the-wall ghoulishness of the Museum of Medical History. Of its cultural attractions, most notable is the annual Varnensko Lyato (Varna Summer): a summer-long festival of classical music, folklore and jazz, which attracts world-class performers. As well as being a beach resort in its own right, Varna offers access to quieter spots up and down the coast, and attractions like the nature reserve at Kamchiya, the rock monastery of Aladzha, or Queen Marie of Romania`s former palace at Balchik are all easy day trips. The city is also served with good transport links to neighbouring countries, with several bus services to Istanbul, Romania, Russia and Ukraine; and ferries to Russia and Ukraine. Some history Highly skilled gold- and coppersmiths lived around the Gulf of Varna 6000 years ago, and their Thracian descendants littered the interior with burial mounds, but Varna`s importance as a port really dates from 585 BC, when a mixed bag of Apollonians and Milesians established the Greek city-state of Odyssos. The town`s best years came in the second and third centuries when it was the Roman province of Moesia`s main outlet to the sea, a bustling place where Greek and Thracian cultures met and mingled. Devastated by the Avars in 586 AD, and repopulated by Slavs (who were probably responsible for renaming it Varna, or "Black One"), it nevertheless remained the region`s biggest port and an impor¬tant staging-post for the Byzantine fleet on its way to the Danube. Declining somewhat under the Turks, Varna recovered as an important trading centre in the nineteenth century, when a population of Bulgarians, Greeks, Turks and Gagauz (Turkic-speaking Christians) made it one of the coast`s more cosmopolitan centres. To the Turks, Varna was the key to the security of the western Black Sea, and the town`s military role is still reflected in the students of Varna`s Naval Academy, who stride around town in uniforms belted with ceremo¬nial daggers. Arrival, information and city transport Varna`s train station and passenger dock are just south of the centre, a ten minute walk up ul. Tsar simeon nto town. The bus terminal is 2km northwest on bul. Vl. Varnenchik, from which you take bus N1, N22, or N44 to reach the centre; Varna airport on the city`s western outskirts is served by bus N50. All these buses zero in on an area known as Tsentar (literally "the centre"), which roughly comprises the quadrant of streets surrounding the Cathedral of the Assumption, a few paces north of the main downtown area. The town`s main Balkantourist office is at Musala 3 (daily 8.30am-6pm; 225524), just behind the main bul. Knyaz Boris I. They`re mainly interested in selling you hotel rooms and bus tickets to Istanbul, but seem reasonably happy to help with tourist information-related queries. Don`t expect to find any written information, however; the best place to buy up-to-date maps is at the street stalls dotted around town. Central Varna is easy to explore on foot, although local buses and trolley¬buses come in handy if you`re heading for the southern suburbs or the seaside resorts to the north - Tsentar is the place to catch them. Varna`s bus network is deregulated, and privately owned buses and minibuses operate many of the same routes as the municipal vehicles. You can buy tickets from a conductor once on board, or from the driver on some of the privately owned services. A flat fare of 10-15 leva covers most city destinations; tickets to the northern beach resorts are slightly more expensive. Taxis leave from in front of the train station, and can be found around the junc¬tion of bul. Knyaz Boris I and Slivnitsa. For runs to Varna airport, 8km away, or other out-of-town destinations, call 440760. Accommodation Balkantourist have an ample stock of private rooms for around $9 a single and $12 a double, many of which are very well appointed and reasonably central -although in the peak season you may be offered something quite a way from the centre. Several independent travel agencies are beginning to enter the private room market if you fancy shopping around: the kvartirno byuro at the train station; Georgi, ul. Tsar Simeon 36b; and TBZh, Slivnitsa 41 all offer private rooms and apartments in the Varna area, and may be able to find you something a bit special if you`re prepared to pay extra. The rate for an apartment with TV and phone is around $25-30 a night, higher if it sleeps three or more people. Balkantourist won`t give you any information about the increasing numbers of Private hotels and family-run guesthouses springing up in the Varna area - to find these you`ll have to travel around and look for roadside advertisements. The best places to try are along the E87 coast road heading north out of Varna Arrival, information and city transport Varna`s train station and passenger dock are just south of the centre, a ten-minute walk up ul. Tsar Simeon into town. The bus terminal is 2km northwest on bul. VI. Varnenchik, from which you take bus #1, #22, or #41 to reach the centre; Varna airport on the city`s western outskirts is served by bus #50. All these buses zero in on an area known as Tsentar (literally "the centre"), which roughly comprises the quadrant of streets surrounding the Cathedral of the Assumption, a few paces north of the main downtown area. The town`s main Balkantourist office is at Musala 3 (daily 8.30am-6pm; 225524), just behind the main bul. Knyaz Boris I. They`re mainly interested in selling you hotel rooms and bus tickets to Istanbul, but seem reasonably happy to help with tourist information-related queries. Don`t expect to find any written information, however; the best place to buy up-to-date maps is at the street stalls dotted around town. Central Varna is easy to explore on foot, although local buses and trolley¬buses come in handy if you`re heading for the southern suburbs or the seaside resorts to the north - Tsentar is the place to catch them. Varna`s bus network is deregulated, and privately owned buses and minibuses operate many of the same routes as the municipal vehicles. You can buy tickets from a conductor once on board, or from the driver on some of the privately owned services. A flat fare of 10-15 leva covers most city destinations; tickets to the northern beach resorts are slightly more expensive. Taxis leave from in front of the train station, and can be found around the junc¬tion of bul. Knyaz Boris I and Slivnitsa. For runs to Varna airport, 8km away, or other out-of-town destinations, call 440760. Accommodation Balkantourist have an ample stock of private rooms for around $9 a single and $12 a double, many of which are very well appointed and reasonably central -although in the peak season you may be offered something quite a way from the centre. Several independent travel agencies are beginning to enter the private room market if you fancy shopping around: the kvartirno byuro at the train station; Georgi, ul. Tsar Simeon 36b; and TBZh, Slivnitsa 41 all offer private rooms and apartments in the Varna area, and may be able to find you something a bit special if you`re prepared to pay extra. The rate for an apartment with TV and phone is around $25-30 a night, higher if it sleeps three or more people. Balkantourist won`t give you any information about the increasing numbers of Private hotels and family-run guesthouses springing up in the Varna area - to find these you`ll have to travel around and look for roadside advertisements. The best places to try are along the E87 coast road heading north out of Varna towards Sveti Konstantin/Druzhba, and in the suburb of Galata (bus #17) to the south. The nearest campsites lie 20km north in the resort complex of Golden Sands , linked to the city by the regular #9 bus. Hotels Central, Hristo Samsarov 4 (no phone). A few rooms in a converted downtown apartment none of which are particularly nice. Acceptable for an overnight stay.. Cherno More, bul. Slivnitsa 33 (232115). Modern, multi-storey, 3-star place bang in the centre. The best of the downtown hotels. Grand Hotel Varna, Sveti Konstantin (861491). A 5-star bastion of luxury and privilege just short of the resort complex of Sveti Konstantin, 9km east of town. Saunas, indoor sports facilities, a casino and swanky nightclub on site. Imperial, Riviera (855591). Top-notch hotel in the elite Riviera holiday complex, midway between Varna and Sveti Konstantin. Includes night club, pool and bowling alley. Musala, Musala 3 (223925). A bit dingy, with no private bathrooms, but an acceptable, central budget choice. Odesa, bul. Primorski 4 (228381). Nondescript 2-star place just next to Primorski Park. with slightly decrepit decor and harassed staff. Orbita, Tsar Osvoboditel 25 (225162). Average 2-star, characterless high-rise hotel, within walking distance of the central sights. Sandrovo, Sveti Konstantin (0861/241). Pleasant 3-star business hotel next door to the Evksinograd Palace, some 6km north of town. Bus #8 or #9 from the centre. Trite Delfina, ul. Gabrovo 27 (600911). Cosy pension-style hotel in the backstreets near the train station. Friendly, clean, and good value, and soon fills up. Villa Jura, Sveti Nikola 59 (826023). Very chic pension in a villa 4km out of town in the suburb of Sveti Nikola (still known to many locals by its Communist-era name, Pochivka). The hotel has a nice garden cafe, and the eastern end of Primorski Park lies on the other side of the road. Bus #8 or #9 from Tsentar to the Sveti Nikola/Pochivka stop. Voennomorski Klub. bul. Varnenchik 2 (phone reservations not accepted). Spartan place in the Bulgarian Navy club; cheap and central nevertheless. The Town Varna`s social life revolves around pl. Nezavisimost, where the opera house and theatre provide a backdrop for an ensemble of restaurants and cafes. The square is the starting point of Varna`s evening promenade, which flows eastward from here along bul. Knyaz Boris I, passing a ruined Round Tower and fortress wall dating from Roman times (and currently inaccessible in the middle of a building site) at the corner of ul. Shipka. To the north of pl. Nezavisimost, Varna`s main lateral boulevard (bul. Mariya Luiza to the east, bul. Hristo Botev to the west) cuts through pl. Mitropolit Simeon, an important traffic intersection dominated by the domed Cathedral of the Assumption. Constructed in 1886 along the lines of St Petersburg`s Cathedral, this contains a splendid iconostasis and bishop`s throne carved by craftsmen from Debar in Macedonia, and murals painted after World War II-South of the cathedral in the city gardens stands the Old Clock Tower, a fairly unremarkable structure paid for by the city guilds in the 1880s, whose silhouette serves as something of a trademark for the city. In general, however, the downtown area is a place in which to stroll and enjoy the vigour of emergent enterprise culture rather than visit specific sights. Most of the latter are to the south and east, among the residential streets between the centre and the port, although the otherwise undistinguished bul. Mariya Luiza is the home to the biggest of the city`s museums. The Museum of History and Art The Museum of History and Art (Tues-Sun 10am-5pm) occupies Varna`s former girls` high school on the corner of Mariya Luiza and Slivnitsa. There`s a display of nineteenth-century icons upstairs, but it`s the archeological collection, scattered throughout innumerable halls on the ground floor, which commands most attention. The Chalcolithic necropolis Bulgaria`s claim to be one of the cradles of European culture was bolstered by the discovery of a Chalcolithic (the era when Neolithic man began to smelt copper) necropolis on the outskirts of town in 1972. Dating from the fourth millennium BC, the necropolis was unusual in that it contained many graves in which effigies, rather than human dead, were buried - probably to ensure the continuing health of the living. The gold trinkets with which these symbolic corpses were adorned are displayed extensively in the museum: baubles, bracelets, and pendants in the shape of animals. Many pieces are simply executed; others display an incredible degree of skill considering that they were made as long as 6000 years ago. They`re possibly the oldest examples of gold jewellery ever discovered, and have led many to assume that metalworking techniques were developed in Bulgaria independently of the other loci of civilization in the Near East. Greek, Thracian and Bulgarian artefacts No less impressive than the Chalcolithic collection is the third-century BC jewel¬lery from Greek Odyssos. On one earring a magnifying lens reveals a perfectly shaped Hermes-like deity surrounded by a golden shell - to the naked eye the details of the tiny figure are imperceptible. However, most space is devoted to Bulgaria`s finest assemblage of Roman-period funerary sculpture. Prominent Greek and Roman citizens were honoured with a tombstone depicting scenes of funeral feasts, usually showing the deceased reclining on a couch surrounded by wife and kids. Townsfolk of Thracian origin preferred a grave plaque decorated with a relief of the so-called Thracian horseman, the rider god whose worship became universal among the natives from the Hellenistic era onwards. Bulgarian gold and silver from the fourteenth century introduces a collection of medieval weaponry and ecclesiastical art; while the National Revival and revolutionary periods are represented by the usual banners and manifestos. The City Art Gallery A couple of hundred metres to the east of the history museum on Lyuben Karavelov is the City Art Gallery (Tues-Sun 10am-6pm), which hosts high-Profile temporary exhibitions downstairs. Visitors to the permanent collection on the first floor are greeted by a row of seventeenth-century diplomats painted by Flemish portraitist Anselmus von Hulme; beyond these are several rooms of contemporary art. Beside a few lionizations of the Bulgarian peasantry courtesy of Vladimir Dimitrov-Maistor and Stoyan Venev, most room is taken up with works by previous winners of the Varna Graphics Biennale, held in the summer during odd-numbered years. From bulevard Knyaz Boris I to the sea Many of Varna`s attractions lie amid the crumbling turn-of-the-century buildings which lie between bul. Knyaz Boris I and the port, where the commercial bustle of the city centre gives way to quiet residential streets lined with chestnut trees. Huddled among the town houses are several excellent museums, a couple of churches, and the best of Varna`s Roman remains. Careful map-reading is often required to find them, but it`s worth the effort. The Ethnographic Museum The Ethnographic Museum (Tues-Sun 10am-5pm), one of Bulgaria`s finest, occupies an old house on ul. Panagyurishte. Downstairs lie reminders of the region`s traditional trades and occupations: among them a variety of fishing nets. wine barrels, wattle-and-daub beehives and a nineteenth-century yamurluk or hooded cloak, as worn by the shepherds who roamed the hills of the interior. On the floor above there`s a fine display of regional costumes, showing great diversity of styles, largely because the area inland of Varna was a crossroads of migrating peoples. One distinct local group were the chenge, represented here by a wedding scene from the village of Asparuhovo, 50km west of Varna. Costumed mannequins are grouped around a ceremonial wooden wedding sledge, with the bride surrounded by men in black hats wreathed with flowers and accompanied by the slightly menacing figure of the village matchmaker holding aloft a black cockerel. Items relating to regional folk beliefs include the embroidered masks worn during Kukeri (spring) and Survakari (New Year) rites, and a couple of the New Year camels paraded through the streets in some areas - approximations of the humped beast made from sheepskin and mounted on skis. Also on display are a variety of ritual loaves baked to mark specific occasions: the Kravai for New Year or St John`s Day; the "Pony" (Konche) for St Theodor`s Day; or the proshtupalnik - shaped like a baby`s foot - to celebrate a child`s first steps. The National Revival Museum Five minutes` walk east at the southern end of ul. 27 Yuli stands the National Revival Museum (Tues-Sun 10am-6pm), occupying the former Church of Archangel Michael and the premises of Varna`s first Bulgarian school. Both school and church were established here in the 1860s, much to the chagrin of the local Greeks, who were accustomed to controlling the town`s educational and ecclesiastical affairs. A preserved schoolroom includes the balustraded pulpit from which the teacher surveyed his pupils, the latter sitting in wooden pews and using sand trays to write in. Discipline was ensured by placing older boys at the end of each row of pews to supervise the younger ones. The former girls` class¬room upstairs holds photographs and texts telling the history of nineteenth-century Varna, including one photograph of British and French troops marching into town in 1854 en route to the Crimea: the local Bulgarians reacted to the foreign troops with "unconcealed hatred", according to the accompanying caption. The Armenian church and the Church of Sveta Bogoroditsa South of the National Revival Museum is pl. Ekzarh Iosif, where elderly Varnentsi gather for an evening chat, and locals bring jerry cans and flagons to collect the hot mineral water gushing from a public fountain. Just beyond at the junction of Han Krum and Kliment is a small nineteenth-century Armenian church, squeezed into the corner of a schoolyard. Serving a local population of about 3000, the church contains naive, child-like icons covered in Armenian script. Outside, a small tablet commemorates the genocide of 1915, when up to one and a half million Armenians lost their lives at the hands of the Ottomans - suggest¬ing a shared history of suffering in which both Armenians and Bulgarians can find common cause. Of more historical value, however, are the intricately carved iconostasis and bishop`s throne of the seventeenth-century Church of Sveta Bogoroditsa at Han Krum 19, a partly sunken church whose tower was added later once Ottoman restrictions had been removed. The Roman thermae and the Church of Sveti Atanas Across the road from the Church of Sveta Bogoroditsa stands a vast tower of crumbling red brick, once the western wall of the Roman thermae (Tues-Sun l0am-5pm), a sizable complex thought to have been built in the late second or early third century - coins found on the site bear the visage of the then emperor, Septimus Severus. Scrambling among the ruins, it`s possible to imagine the ritual-ized progress of the bathers from the apodyterium, or changing room, through the rising temperatures of the frigidarium, tepidarium and caldarium; and then back again. The daily visit to the baths was an important part of social life, and bathers would circulate and exchange gossip in a large central hall, the solid walls of which cut through the middle of the ruins. The adjacent Church of Sveti Atanas is a classic example of National Revival architecture. An arcaded porch precedes a sumptuous interior, with a rich, gilt iconostasis, carved wooden ceiling, and painted marble-effect pillars. The City Historical Museum Nearby at ul. 8 noemvri 5 is the relaunched City Historical Museum (Tues-Sat 10am-5pm), formerly a dour museum of revolutionary history. Ancient sepia photographs showing a skyline bristling with (now demolished) minarets are among many reminders of the town`s past, where exhibits emphasize the trans¬formation of Varna from Balkan backwater to comfortable bourgeois European town. On the basement floor original copies of French fashion mag Marie Claire lie strewn over a reconstructed tailor`s workshop of the 1940s, while upstairs lie further re-created interiors, including that of an inter-war photographer`s studio -complete with cumbersome, ancient camera. Varna`s development as a seaside resort in the 1920s is documented in numerous photographs, including pictures of the annual beauty contests - a competition which Varnentsi claim the dubious honour of inventing. Initially contestants were dubbed "Sea Hyenas" (perhaps because of their long, stripy bathing suits), and as costumes got skimpier during the 1920s they were renamed "Sea Nymphs". A few paces further south are the overgrown remains of more Roman baths, this time dating from the late fourth century, and far less extensive than the better-preserved thermae on Han Krum. The Museum of Medical History Considerably more interesting is the Museum of Medical History, ul. Paraskeva Nikolau 7 (Mon-Fri 10am-4pm), sheltered within the sandy-coloured nineteenth-century building that once housed Varna`s first public hospital. Inside a words-and-pictures display adopts a patriotic tone, attempting to show how the medieval Bulgarian state inherited the medical wisdom of the ancients and trans¬mitted it to the rest of Europe - only to have their standards of public hygiene ruined by the Turks, who made everybody live in smelly, unsanitary cities. However, the early Bulgarians were not without their forays into perversity. An array of tenth-century skulls on the ground floor reveal that one in three of the local population had been subjected to a symbolic form of trepanation (the prac¬tice of drilling holes in the skull) - in which the bone had been scratched and dented but not actually pierced. Archeologists presume that this had some kind of ritual purpose - but quite what, no one knows. Less macabre but equally disconcerting are the ferocious-looking early twenti¬eth-century surgical instruments on display upstairs, along with a reconstructed turn-of-the-century dentist`s consulting room and antiquated x-ray machines. Primorski Park The massed flowerbeds of Varna`s seaside gardens, the Primorski Park, were laid out at the end of the nineteenth century by Czech horticulturalist Anton Novak (invited here by those other Bohemian Bulgarophiles the Skorpil broth¬ers), who supposedly modelled them on the Baroque palace gardens of Belvedere and Schonbrunn in Vienna. The park`s tree-lined pathways are patrolled from dawn to dusk by young families and courting couples, and you`ll ocasionally come across chained dancing bears resting in the shade, brought here by their Gypsy owners to be photographed alongside tourists in return for a few leva. The Navy Museum and the Aquarium At the western end of the park, the gunboat responsible for the Bulgarian navy`s only victory lies honourably embedded outside the Navy Museum (9am-noon & 1.30-5pm). The boat in question, the Drdzhki (Intrepid), sank the Turkish cruiser Hamidie off Cape Kaliakra during the First Balkan War of 1912. Since Bulgaria`s navy was reduced to a rump by the Neuilly Treaty of 1919, and later collaborated with Hitler`s Kriegsmarine, there`s little else for it to take pride in, and the exhib¬its inside trace seapower and commerce on the Black Sea and the lower Danube back to its earliest days, devoting special attention to the Russian Black Sea Fleet`s campaign against the Ottomans in 1877-78. Just beyond is the Aquarium (Mon 2-5pm, Tues-Fri 9am-5pm), a small collection of fresh- and seawater creatures whose habits are - frustratingly -explained in German texts only. Most interesting specimens are the sea-needles, who reproduce when the female of the species deposits her eggs in a pouch on the male, who is expected to do the brooding; the Black Sea turbot, a denizen of the sea bed which assumes the colouring of rocks to disguise itself against preda¬tors; and the freshwater sturgeon, which can grow to a length of 9m in the wild. Those confined to the bubbling tanks here are significantly smaller, but still magnificent enough to be the star attractions. A little way to the east, pathways descend to Varna`s Morski bani or municipal beach, where bathers can look out at the shoals of tankers and cargo vessels anchored in the bay. The beach stretches northwards for a couple of kilometres, lined with a succession of outdoor bars and restaurants which remain buzzing well into the early hours. At the far end of the beach, steaming mineral water spews out of the hillside, collecting in a pool often used by elderly bathers well into winter. The Natural History Museum, the Zoo and the Dolphinarium Back in the park, tree-lined avenues stretch eastwards towards an angular Monument to Fighters against Fascism, to the south of which lurks an unas¬suming Natural History Museum (Tues-Sun 10am-5pm), which provides a useful introduction to the coast`s flora and fauna if you can make out the Bulgarian captions. Live specimens prowl their spartan quarters in a small Zoo just beyond (daily 8am-5pm) featuring camels, lions, Shetland ponies and wolves - the latter being the most animated of a generally sorry-looking bunch. A little further on is the Dolphinarium, where shows take place on the hour between Ham and 3pm. On the other side of bul. Primorski looms the ultra-modern •Palace of Sports and Culture, venue for concerts and indoor sports such as wrestling and basketball. The Park of fighting Friendship Among the housing estates that mark the city`s northwestern margins lies the bizarrely named Park of Fighting Friendship (bus #22 from Tsentdr), where a granite monument tops a Thracian tumulus marking the site of the Battle of Varna. In November 1444, 30,000 Crusaders preparing to sail for Constantinople were surprised when 120,000 Turks landed on the coast, and during the subse¬quent clash King Ladislas III of Poland and Hungary (known to the Bulgarians as Vladislav Varnenchik) recklessly led a charge to capture Sultan Murad in his tent. Ladislas was cut down by a janissary and his army wavered, forcing Janos Hunyadi to order an inglorious retreat, marking the end of Christendom`s last attempt to check the Ottoman advance. A small museum (daily 9am-5pm) built into the mound displays medieval armour and tributes to the various East European races that made up Ladislas` army. Eating and drinking The majority of Varna`s places to eat and drink are along the route of the evening korso, which stretches east from pl. Nezavisimost along bul. Knyaz Boris I, before turning down Slivnitsa towards Primorski Park. There are plenty of pave¬ment cafes lining the route, but the best place to look for restaurants is along the lower reaches of Slivnitsa. Restaurants in Varna have a reputation for being expensive by Bulgarian standards, and things get even pricier the nearer you get to the park. The snack bars around pl. Nezavisimost and along Knyaz Boris I are the best laces to grab breakfast; while a succession of sladkarnitsi along Knyaz Boris I sell pastries, banitsa, small pizzas and other snacks throughout the day. The 24-hour banitsa and pizza bar at ul Sheinovo 2; the numerous city-centre hot-dog stands; and the ubiquitous Happy Croissant stalls are the best places to grab a quick bite. for evening drinking, most of central Varna`s cafes serve alcohol well into the night, and there`s a string of outdoor bars and grilled-fish restaurants alongside the municipal beach, accessible via pathways that lead down from Primorski Park. Few of these establishments have names, and it`s difficult to give specific recommen¬dations; best simply to wander along until you see a place that takes your fancy. Restaurants Bistro Rimska Terma, 8 Noemvri. Chic, privately owned place; worth trying for excellent, relatively pricey home cooking. Patronized by Bulgaria`s emerging middle class. Casablanca, ul. Dimitar Kondov 13. Big tourist restaurant serving pizzas, schnitzels and other international food, just behind the opera house. Ellas, Slivnitsa 9. Large restaurant serving vaguely Greek food, with outdoor seating facing onto the main korso route down to Primorski Park. Gibraltar, Slivnitsa 10. Busy tourist-oriented restaurant serving all the regular Bulgarian grill dishes. Modern, brightly lit and unatmospheric, it`s nevertheless a good place to sit outside and watch the crowds. Horizont, Primorski Park. Greek taverna situated about 100m beyond the zoo. Noted for a floorshow that mixes Greek-style folklore with dancing girls in plumed headdresses, the restaurant is usually open until about 2am. Mehana Koral, Knyaz Boris 162. No-nonsense tavern for reasonably priced Bulgarian grills. Morska Sirena, hydrofoil passenger terminal. Fairly unatmospheric, but the food is good; useful if you`re nosing around the port area. Musala, Knyaz Boris I 1. Big restaurant with an international tourist menu and overworked staff, but a nice place to sit outside and watch the evening promenade. Odessa, bul. Primorski 4. On the terrace of the hotel of the same name. Mediocre, over¬priced food, but the floorshow - Russian-language pop singers, cheesy disco dancing, and mild bellydancing eroticism, is never less than entertaining. Panorama, top floor of the Cherno More hotel. Excellent food in elegant surroundings, with live chamber music or jazz most nights. Pizz Maris, ul. Drazhki 29. Fairly standard, moderately priced sit-down pizza outlet, with a Sood range of spaghetti dishes. Pizzeria San Marko, Shkorpilovtsi 30. Basic pizzeria open well into the early hours. Rimski Termi, Slivnitsa 50. Elitist, relatively expensive restaurant one block north of the history musem, with an elegant garden arranged around a fountain. Rostock, bul. VI. Varnenchik 20. A strange relic of the days of East European mass tourism, Originally designed to lure East German holidaymakers, it offers hearty meat dishes in a "beer-hall" atmosphere. Slavyanski Kat, Slivnitsa 7. Basic menu centred around grilled chicken and fries, but the taught beer isn`t bad. Tbilisi, Hristo Samsarov 2 (233171). Intimate restaurant in a suburban basement, specializ-ing in Georgian cuisine. Food is quite expensive - and you might need to reserve - but try the lobia, a good-value black-eyed bean stew. Cafes and bars Ali Baba, Dragoman 2. City-centre cafe just off Knyaz Boris I, with a good choice of pastries and cakes. Bar Nazdrave, corner of 27 Yuli and Ilarion Makariopolski. Cosy drinking venue popular with young locals, a block north of Knyaz Boris I. Not much in the way of outdoor seating and the place comes into its own when bad weather forces people indoors. Usually open aftter midnight. Black Cat, Stefan Karadzha 35. Plain but lively out-of-the-way bar largely patronized by locals. Davidoff, Knyaz Boris I 46. The best of the cafe bars on the main strip, with comfy whicker chairs and excellent (if a trifle costly) ice creams. Happy English Pub, corner of ul. Drazhki and ul. Preslav. Not nearly as dreadful as its name suggests, this roomy bar has plentiful outdoor bench seating and a good range of snack food. And after all, what could be more English than drinking imported German lager and tucking into a plate of chicken and chips. Kipos, bul. Mariya Luiza 46. No more than a shed serving drinks in a suburban garden, this is a nice place to get away from the main tourist trail and drink in the company of locals Tends to close around 10pm. Kristal, Slivnitsa 43. Chic, modern bar serving cocktails and expensive imported beers. Planeta, pi. Garov. Cafe in a pavilion just outside the train station - open 24hr in summer. Ribarski Plazh, on the beach below Primorski Park. No-nonsense beach bar favoured by a youngish, grungey crowd, with chairs and tables set out just metres from the water`s edge. Serves grilled fish and cheap beer well into the early hours. Seattle, Knyaz Boris I 57. Elegant outdoor cafe in the garden of the Bulgarian-American centre, serving luxuriant creamy coffees and good ice-cream melbas. Sebastopol, corner of Knyaz Boris I and Slivnitsa. Big cafe-patisserie on the main evening korso route; a nice place to sit and watch the world go by. Sladkarnitsa Sirena, Drazhki 22. The best of the daytime cafe-patisseries between the city centre and the port area. Nightlife and entertainment Those looking for a taste of seaside hedonism, Bulgarian style, should head for the rather tacky Club Iguana in the Orbita hotel, and the three big discos down by the beach: Far, Kamikadze and Spaider. The latter, accessible either from the beach or from the southern margins of Primorski Park, is the biggest on Bulgaria`s Black Sea coast, specializing in pounding eurotechno and weekly talent contests, lookalike competitions and beauty pageants. Rock and pop gigs take place at the Leten Teatdr in Primorski Park, or in the Orbita youth centre next to the hotel of the same name. The latter venue, a sweaty basement which serves no alcohol, is the best place to catch local alternative bands. The opera on pl. Nezavisimost is the seat of Varna`s main cultural institution, although many major events, including orchestral concerts, take place in the Leten teatar, or open-air theatre, in Primorski Park; the modern Festivalen kompleks, Slivnitsa 2; or, on occasion, the Palace of Sport and Culture out on bul. Primorski. All of the above are pressed into service during the annual Varnensko lyato or "Varna Summer" of symphonic, operatic and chamber music (mid-June to mid-July), which attracts some of the world`s finest orches¬tras and companies. The Varna Summer also comprises the Varna jazz festival (first weekend in Aug), and an international film festival (mid- to late Aug). A complete schedule and advance tickets are available from the ground floor of the Festivalen kompleks itself. The cinema in the Festivalen kompleks presents an interesting range of popu¬lar and cult films year-round, while Kino Rankov, Shipka 6, offers a reasonably up-to-date programme of big Hollywood films. For children, there`s a puppet theatre at ul. Dragoman 6. Moving on from Varna A number of international buses leave Varna: 1ST, ul. Preslav 45 (222239), has a weekly service to Rostov-on-Don and Krasnodar departing on Sundays; Maksimov fur, ul. Saborna 17 (234218), weekly buses to Odessa; Nishikli, Hristo Botev 3 (222761), and Shampiyon, Hristo Botev 4a (239007), daily buses to Istanbul. International ferries are run by Trimpex. at theVarna passenger dock (259262). There`s a car ferry to Odessa every Wednesday, and another to Novorossiisk on Monday. Domestic and international train bookings can be made from BDZh/ Rila, ul. Preslav 13 (Mon-Fri 7am-7pm, Sat 8am-2pm). For (ravel agents, try Bulgarian Lucky Flight, ul. Koloni 2 (226291), Balkan Travel, ul. Petar Endiev 21 (239505), or Pirin, Knyaz Al. Batenberg 13 (222710). All of these sell airline tickets, and the latter two also deal with accommodation bookings and excursions in inland Bulgaria. Listings Airlines Aeroflot, bul. Mariya Luiza 40; Balkan, Shipka 2 (331451). Car rental Balkan Travel are agents for Europcar. Car repairs Try the big city-centre depots at bul. VI. Varnenchik 262 (449885); and VI. Varnenchik 184 (441252), although in the past they have concentrated on East European models. The repair shop beside the filling station in Sveti Konstantin ( 861377) deals with Fiat, Lada and Zastava. Cultural centre Bulgarian-American Centre, bul. Knyaz Boris I 57. An English-language reading room with copies of US papers and magazines. Mon-Fri 9am-lpm. Dentist ul. Saborna 24. Hospitals Foreign-language staff at polyclinic on bul. Knyaz Boris I. Pharmacies Apteka no. 12, bul. Knyaz Boris I 29 (daily 7am-9pm). The privately owned Hadzholyan pharmacy, Dimitar Kondov 11, may have a wider choice of imported drugs. Post office The main post office at ul. Saborna 36 also has phones. Radio News in English and other foreign languages can be heard on Radio Varna between May and Sept, on medium wave 774khz. Evksinograd Varna`s northeastern suburbs have always been favoured by city folk as a place to relax; the villas and holiday cottages of the more affluent cling to vine-covered hillsides overlooking the sea, or nestle in small gardens rich in fruit. The one specific sight in the region is Evksinograd Palace, former residence of monarchs Aleksandar and Ferdinand. Less interesting to visit but worthy of mention is the village of VINITSA 10km northeast of town (bus #31 from the centre), still inhabited by one of the Black Sea`s more elusive and mysterious minorities, the Gagauz. Three kilometres up the hill from the beaches of Sveti Konstantin, Vinitsa is a relatively unspoilt village with plenty of private rooms, although there is no kvartirno byuro so you`ll have to ask around. Evksinograd Palace Built under the name of Sandrovo by Prince Aleksandar Batenberg in 1882, and renamed (combining the Greek word euxine - "hospitable" - with the Slavonic grad - "town" or "fortress") by his successor Ferdinand, Evksinograd Palace is nowadays notorious for being the former holiday home of the Bulgarian Politburo. It still belongs to the state, and members of the government spend their hoidays here, but the construction of a new hotel (the Sandrovo) in the palace grounds seems designed to place Evksinograd on the international confer¬ence circuit. You can`t visit the palace itself, but there are extensive guided tours of the grounds. These lead past the vineyards where Bulgaria`s most sought-after wines and brandies are produced, and descend towards the seafront through the botani-cal gardens layed out for Ferdinand by French horticulturalists at the turn of the century. The Communist Party hierarchy built themselves a deluxe beach complex in the woods overlooking the shore, complete with state-of-the-art health clinic and sports hall - the latter including a bowling alley. Each member of the Politburo had his own beach house, linked by secret tunnel to a central command bunker - in the unlikely event of being taken unawares by the apocalypse while bathing. Party Secretary Todor ZhivkoVs beach house was, of course, bigger than the rest, isolated from those of his comrades on the other side of the headland. The entrance to the palace lies on the main coast road running north out of Varna (bus #7 or #8 from Tsentdr). Tickets for the guided tour are bought at the reception desk of the Sandrovo Hotel (861241) beside the entrance. First tour of the day kicks off at 10am and lasts about ninety minutes, but ring and check for further details (no one in central Varna will know). The southern suburbs and the Lake of Varna Buses #2 and #17 lead from Tsentdr south across the Asparuh bridge towards the southern suburbs of Asparuhovo and Galata, passing port and shipbuilding facilities on the way. Travel to the fjord-like Lake of Varna to the east is best accomplished by suburban trains. These stop at the satellite towns strung out between Varna and the brutish industrial town of Devnya, although local buses provide better access to the strange rock formations known as the Stone Forest Asparuhovo The Varna`s suburb of ASPARUHOVO on the south side of the Asparuh bridge is an uninspiring, sleepy place, bordered on the east by a wooded town park. Concealed in the latter is Khan Asparuh`s eighth-century defensive embank¬ment, a vast earthwork with a stone core built to ward off Byzantine attacks. On the far side of the embankment is a good sandy beach, quieter than the main one in Varna, and a jetty with views of Varna docks. GALATA Bus #17 from Varna continues to GALATA, a quiet residential quarter occupying the wooded flanks of a rocky headland. Pathways lead down the slope to a succession of pebbly beaches and isolated coves, some of which are frequented by naturists. The Stone Forest and Devnya Roughly 18km due west of Varna on either side of the Devnya road, the desolate scrubland is interrupted by scores of curious stone columns standing as high as 7m. These are the so-called pobiti kamdni or "standing stones", usually translated as the Stone Forest These strange, snake-haunted formations were created around fifty million years ago when fragments of two chalk strata gradually bonded together in the intervening sand layer, by a process analogous to stalac¬tite formation. Nowadays this is a popular spot for picnics and leisurely hikes. Getting there involves taking the hourly #28 Varna-Devnya bus, and asking to be set down along the way. Despite its reputation as nineteenth-century Bulgaria`s vampire capital , DEVNYA itself should be avoided at all costs. The gargantuan chemi¬cals factory bequeathed to the town by its erstwhile Communist bosses produces a variety of plastic products, subjecting its workforce to a wide range of carcino-Senic toxins in the process. THE VAMPIRE HUNTERS OF DEVNYA Back in the nineteenth century, belief in vampires was strong among the isolated rural communities west of Varna, especially around the towns of Devnya and Provadiya. Inexplicable illnesses among humans, and particularly sheep - the region`s main source of income - were usually attributed to a visitation by some bloodthirsty demon, and local wise men, known hereabouts as vampirdzhiya or dzhadzhiya, were paid handsomely by villagers to drive the tanged fiends away. Devnya was famed throughout eastern Bulgaria as the home of the best of these vampire hunters. It was believed that people became vampires if, just before their death, a shadow passed across their body or a dog or cat jumped across their path. After burial an invisible spirit would rise up from the grave each night, feeding off local flocks and bringing listlessness and ill health to the human population. To chase the vampires away, a dzhadzhiya would be summoned to walk among the flocks, holding an icon aloft. The icon also came in handy when trying to identify the resting place of the vampire. If it began to tremble when held above a particular grave, it meant that the culprit had been found. More often than not the person accused of being a vampire turned out to be a recently deceased Gypsy - the Romany community was often scapegoated if village life was disrupted by crisis. The best way to deal with a vampire was to exhume the body, stab it through the heart with a hawthorn branch, then burn it with kindling taken from the same shrub; although some preferred to drive the vampire`s spirit into a bottle which was then thrown onto a fire. The best vampire hunters were thought to be descended from vdlkodlatsi: liter¬ally werewolves, although the name didn`t necessarily have the negative conno¬tations that it carried in Western Europe and was used to denote all manner of crea¬tures who inhabited the twilight world between the living and the dead or who were the victims of some supernatural curse. Resulting from the sexual union of a vampire and a young maiden, these particular vdlkodlatsi were the only living ` beings to whom vampires were visible to the naked eye. The vdlkodlatsi`s vampire-hunting descendants had one other supernatural power: the ability to detect buried treasure. In an area full of ancient Thracian, Roman and Byzantine remains, it`s not difficult to see why the idea of hidden hordes of exotic goblets and silver coins - all waiting to be unearthed by the lucky peasant - exerted such a hold on the popular imagination. Another associated piece of local lore concerns the Lake of Varna, which used 10 be known as Vampire Lake. According to popular belief, the lake required an annual human sacrifice, the last recorded instance of which was in 1933, when one Ana Konstantinova went swimming there despite warnings, and was duly sucked underwater. Sveti Konstantin (Druzhba) When people think of the coastline north of Varna they normally think of sprawling tourist complexes like Golden Sands (Zlatni pyasatsi) and Albena, and the first 50km of the E87`s northward progress can seem like an endless Procession of high-rise hotels and dusty building sites. Once you get away from the main road, however, even the biggest of the resorts can be quite peaceful and relaxing, making good use of the sandy beaches lining the shore and the forests which form their immediate hinterland. The tourist complex of Sveti Konstantin (originally known as Druzhba, or "Friendship") and Golden Sands are both near enough to Varna to be on the urban bus network (and late-night taxi fares back into town aren`t too expensive) - those staying in town can come out here to use the beach or explore the bars and discos. Beyond Albena the atmosphere changes, with the less crowded towns and villages of the Dobrudzhan littoral perched above an increasingly rocky coast, which culminates in the dramatic cliffs of Cape Kaliakra. Although all the settle¬ments along this stretch of the water make good day trips by bus from Varna, the picturesque town of Balchik is most likely to appeal to the non-package tour crowd. Immediately beyond Evksinograd, suburban Varna fades imperceptibly into the first of the great tourist complexes built in the postwar drive to develop the coast. SVETI KONSTANTIN first admitted Western tourists in 1955, and has since served as a prototype for others. Most of Sveti Konstantin`s hotels are clustered in the southern half of the resort, while to the north are rest homes for trade unionists, the police, Balkan Airlines staff and journalists. The overall impression is quite cosy, with an abundance of oaks and cypresses, and a number of small beaches and coves. The luxurious Swedish-built Grand Hotel Varna reflects Sveti Konstantin`s move upmarket, and the resort is increasingly being promoted as suitable for international conferences. Any spare rooms are assigned at the Balkantourist bureau in the Hotel Rubin (6l020), or the kvartirno byuro in Varna - but you`ll be lucky to pay less than $30 a head. Buses #8 and #9 run into Varna Tsentdr every ten to fifteen minutes. Golden Sands (Zlatni pyasatsi) Tourists generally baulk at pronouncing Zlatni pyasatsi, so most Bulgarians along the coast will understand if you say "Goldstrand" or GOLDEN SANDS instead. It`s a polyglot place: of all the nationalities here, Germans predominate, and two members of the 2nd of June terrorist group were actually arrested here in 1978 after being recognized by a West German prison warder who, like them, was on holiday. The resort`s 81 hotels and 128 restaurants occupy a wooded, landscaped strip behind Zlatni pyasatsi`s greatest asset, its beach: a soft, pale golden expanse 4km long, free of jellyfish and rubbish, sloping gently into an undertow-less sea. Golden Sands also offers a wide range of bars, restaurants and discos; if you`re craving cosmopolitan nightlife on the Bulgarian coast, this is the place to come. Practicalities Independent travellers are charged much more for hotel rooms than those who have booked a package holiday, but if you do fancy the idea of spending the odd night here then your first port of call should be the kvartirno byuro (052/ 855681) on the main E87 highway. They will fix you up with rooms in 2-star hotels for about $15 per person, or in 3-stars for $22 per person, as well as check¬ing vacancies at the resort`s Panorama campsite. Buses from Varna (#9 or #109 from opposite the cathedral) arrive near the seafront in the centre of the resort -to get to the kvartirno byuro from here, work your way up the lanes that zigzag their way uphill to the main road. There`s a polyclinic (855352) and a pharmacy (855689) behind the Diana hotel; a post office beside the International hotel; and taxis can be summoned by dialling 855675. Aladzha Monastery In the Hanchuka Forest, 4km southwest of Golden Sands, dozens of cells and chambers hewn into a friable cliff comprise what remains of Aladzha Monastery (lues-Sun 9am-5pm). The caves to the west were occupied during the Stone Age by people whom Strabo called "pygmies", and served as a place of refuge during the Dark Ages. A Christian church may have existed here as early as the fifth century, though the monastery itself was probably established during the thirteenth century, in the same way as the Ivanovo rock monasteries. Aladzha`s monks were hesychasts, striving to attain union with God by maintain¬ing physical immobility and total silence. However, they did get round to painting several exquisite murals in the chapels, which can be seen at the end of the first and second galleries. Nowadays they`re scrappy and faded, although in olden times they were sufficiently impressive to earn the monastery its name -Aladzha means "multi-coloured" in Turkish. A museum at the entrance displays models of how the monastery used to look when occupied, alongside ornaments, weapons and other artefacts dating from around 5000 BC, discovered in a Chalcolithic necropolis on the western outskirts of Varna in 1972. You might enjoy poking around the various catacombs and surrounding woods - the latter a place of many legends. Its mythical guardian Rim Papa, is said to awake from a cotton-lined burrow every year to ask whether the trees still grow and women and cows still give birth, and go back to sleep upon being answered in the affirmative. The monastery is accessible by bus from either Varna or Golden Sands on the #33 Varna-Kranevo service; otherwise the walk up the hill from the resort can be quite pleasant providing you avoid the midday heat. Albena Just beyond the northern end of Zlatni pyasatsi the E87 passes through KRANEVO, where several privately run small hotels and numerous rooms (the kvartirno byuro in the centre has irregular opening hours, so be prepared to ask around) cater for those who prefer the tranquillity of village life to the bustle of the big resorts. Though Kranevo is set back slightly from the sea, there`s a good beach about lkm from town - bordered by two campsites, Ekzotika and Internatsional - and the sands of ALBENA, the next resort up the coast, are just 4km to the north. The step-pyramid architecture of Albena`s hotels mark it out as one of the newer resorts, originally designed to attract a more stylish, youthful crowd than Golden Sands. It`s undoubtedly a beautiful place, with well-tended flowerbeds and lawns lying behind 6km of glorious beach. Horse riding, tennis, wind surfing and yachting facilities are second to none, and the wooded area to the south of the resort is excellent for leisurely walks. Albena is bypassed by the main road, but is well served by buses from Varna (hourly minibuses leave from opposite the cathedral) and Balchik (see opposite). Arriving at the terminal near the post office, see the tourist bureau across the way (05722/2152) about vacancies in any of the forty hotels (prices range from $23 per person in the 2-star places to $45 in the best of the beachside establish¬ments), or check out the campsite with deluxe bungalows (off the entrance road). Food and drink in Albena are probably the most expensive in Bulgaria, and unless you periodically escape to the neighbouring town of Balchik (see opposite), this may not prove to be the inexpensive holiday destination you anticipated. Obrochishte Beyond Kranevo the E87 swings east to follow a coastline dominated by pale, powdery rocks and arid scrub. Another road heads northwest towards Dobrich, passing through the town of Obrochishte 3km inland. Just outside town is the site of a ruined Turkish monastery known as Ikazalubaba or Arat Tekke, dating from the sixteenth century and consisting of two seven-sided structures roughly 50m apart. Pilgrims would thrust their hands through a special opening in the turbe to acquire good fortune from proximity to the head of a saintly Muslim buried within, or hang their clothes on the tree nearby as a means of "casting out evil". After the last Dervish departed in the nineteenth century this became a place of veneration for Christians, too: in the belief that it was really St Athanasius who was buried at the site, pious Bulgarian shepherds sacrificed hundreds of sheep here on St George`s Day- hence the name Obrochishte, which means "place of sacrifice". Hourly Albena-Dobrich buses pass through the town, and several local fami¬nes offer private rooms - although there`s no kvartirno byuro here, so you`ll have to rely on local knowledge in order to find them. Balchik Occupying a succession of sandy cliffs and crumbling sugarloaf hills, BALCHIK`S whitewashed cottages hover precipitously above a series of ravines running down to the sea. It`s the kind of scene beloved of artists, and Balchik-inspired seascapes are a regular sight in provincial galleries throughout Bulgaria. Founded by the Milesians in the sixth century BC and named Krounoi (The Springs), the town was a valued haven for Greek merchants attempting to pass the treacherous waters around Cape Kaliakra, as well as an important centre for viniculture - hence its later name, Dionysopolis, honouring the god of the vine. The harbour had silted up by the sixth century AD, and the Turks were subse¬quently to dub the town Balchik -"town of clay". Balchik was a predominantly Muslim town until the present century, home to many of the Turkish-speaking Tatar tribes settled here by the Ottoman authori¬ties in order to guard the northern frontier of the empire. Many left after Turkey`s defeat in the war of 1877-78, but most Tatars remained for the simple reason that they had no homeland to which they could flee, and you`ll still hear Turkish widely spoken on the streets. Despite being popular with Bulgarians who take advantage of the numerous private rooms and inexpensive hotels, Balchik doesn`t see many foreign tourists, largely because it lacks a good beach. Inmates of Albena are, however, bussed into town during the day to stroll around the streets and visit Balchik`s main attraction: the summer palace of Queen Marie of Romania, a memory of the inter-war years when Balchik was ruled from Bucharest. Arrival and accommodation Balchik`s bus station is on high ground just over lkm from the seafront. From here ul. Cherno More winds down the hill to the town centre and the port. Local travel agency Roud, just west of the port at ul. Primorska (0579/5395), has a range of private rooms graded according to their distance from the sea - expect to pay $6 per person for something lkm away, slightly more for something central. Otherwise, the 2-star Hotel Vasconi 90 (0579/2065) on Primorska, just west of the port, or the Esperantza guesthouse at ul. Cherno More 16 (0579/5648), represent the main accommodation possibilities in the town centre. There`s a cluster of larger hotels 2km out of town on the Albena road, grouped around the entrance to the palace of Queen Marie. There`s little to choose between the Tihiya Kdt (0579/3536), the Zena (0579/2367) or the Biser (0579/2717); all nondescript 2-star places with good access to the beach, reached via pathways down the hill by the side of the palace. Balchik-Albena buses run past a huge campsite run by the Bulgarian Automobile Club, Belyat Bryag, on the road to the Tuzlata spa, renowned for its therapeutic mud scraped from Balchik`s salt lake. The Town Assuming that you arrive at the bus station, any exploration of Balchik should begin with the Ethnographic Complex (Mon-Fri 9am-noon, some afternoons if there are enough tourists around) at Hristo Botev 4: head uphill from the bus station and take a left when you see a whitewashed church bell tower. The complex consists of a reconstructed nineteenth-century school house and the Church of Sveti Nikola, built in 1845 by local National Revival architect Koyu Raichov. The iconostasis is decorated with pictures by itinerant artists from Galichnik in western Macedonia, and there`s a splendid gold-suffused portrait of the saint himself, patron of seafarers, on the left side of the nave as you enter. Heading downhill from the bus station you`ll soon come across the History Museum (Mon-Fri 8am-noon & 1.30-5.30pm) on pi. Nezavisimost, which natu¬rally enough contains marble and bronze statuary from Dionysopolis, including busts of the deity himself. Opposite is a small Ethnographic Museum (Mon-Fri 8am-noon & 1.30-5.30pm) showing nineteenth-century domestic trinkets along¬side local peasant crafts. From here the main thoroughfare, ul. Cherno More, winds down to the port, passing on the way a flight of steps leading up to an art gallery at ul. Otets Paisii 4, featuring icons from local churches. At the bottom of the hill, a small whitewashed mosque stands inland from the port, where the hydrofoil passenger terminal abuts a lively seafront square. From here an esplanade stretches westwards past the misshapen concrete lumps that form Balchik`s sea defences. There are a few areas of sand (shipped in every spring to create an artificial beach), although most bathers prefer to po¬sition themselves on the various piers and jetties protruding into the bay. The palace of Queen Marie Two kilometres west of town, ranged on a hillside overlooking the sea, is the Quiet Nest, summer residence of Queen Marie of Romania. Edinburgh-born Marie, a granddaughter of Queen Victoria, ordered the construction of a series of follies here, presided over by a whimsical-looking villa topped by a minaret (the reconciliation of her Christian and Muslim subjects was one of Marie`s pet projects, inspired perhaps by her Turkish lover). |
Property in Bulgaria - Info on Bulgaria - The Regions - The Black sea coast
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