Varna: attractions and photos

Varna is a huge resort city that is situated along the Black Sea coast in Bulgaria. And if we judge according to our observations, this port city is a popular holiday destination among tourists not just coming from different parts of Bulgaria, but also from different points of the globe.

But on many Internet sites, Varna is disliked for many reasons: people who have gone there say that the water is not very clean and the beaches are not like Sunny Beach or Golden Sands. Personally, we have heard from the tourists, who rested on the above resort only positive reviews, have seen their happy faces and good mood after the holidays.

Varna is slowly changing and transforming, becoming a modern European city with its own values and sights. My husband and I were lucky, however briefly, but yet to touch the unhurried and measured way of life of the Bulgarians in this beautiful city.

History of the city

Being an ancient city, Varna is replete with a long, deep, interesting and fascinating history. In the 7th century BC in territory of the present city was located a fortress called Odessos, where the the natives of Greece lived. Later, in the 3rd century BC, the settlement was seized by Macedonian forces. In consequence of this, two centuries later, the future Varna came under the rule of the Roman Empire. Surprisingly, the economy and religion of this city did not suffer. Quite the contrary, in fact — it began to develop quickly and progressively.

The first mention of the city of Varna in the Byzantine chronicles dates back to 7th century AD. Just then, the land became subject to the Bulgarian rulers. Later, from the 14th to the 19th century, Varna was alternately freed from the Turkish occupation by different states. The First and Second World Wars did not spare the city. They left a negative impact on the state of Varna.

Since 1949, the city had been known as Stalin, named after the infamous Soviet Russian dictator. Only in 1956 the territory was given back its old name — Varna.

Varna became a popular summer destination for the Eastern Europeans, who were banned from traveling to the West until the late 1980s.

The weather and the climate of Varna

In summer, Varna is good, comfortable and pleasant, which makes it an ideal holiday weather. The climate of the resort is close to the Mediterranean –warm and dry summers to mild, cool and wet winters. It boasts abundance of parks and greenery that rescue tourists not only in town, but also near the waterfront.

In Varna there are always warm summers with an average temperature of air about +28°С and sea water +24°С. Sometimes it’s rainy, but not frequent, mostly in June. Summer typically begins in early May and ends in early October.

Beaches in Varna

In Varna, you can find a lot of beaches, both in the city and on its outskirts. Do not rely on outdated information of questionable cleanliness of the water and the waterfront of the resort, because lately their conditions have markedly improved (though not nearly perfect enough). Now the main part of the coastline is sandy, with comfortable descents to the sea and all kinds of benefits of civilization. You can find: locker rooms, showers, lounge chairs and sunshades, a variety of water attractions.

Check out our related article, in which you will learn what kind of of Varna beaches are considered to be good and where sea water is really cleaner: Cleanliness of the sea and beaches in Bulgaria.

The most popular are the Southern and the Officers beachesalthough they are not crowded. Also in the city there are Central beach and the beaches called Ribarski, Bunite and Bunite-2.

In addition, on the coast of Varna, you can always find a solitary wild or even nudist beaches, as well as in any other resort of the country. On the outskirts of the city are located the beaches of Asparuhovo and Evksinograd, and a little outside of the resort – Kabakum and Fichoza.

Almost all the beaches are equipped, and next to them there are cozy cafesand in some cases also a wonderful shady parks. On the coast of Varna you will be able not only to swim and sunbathe in abundance, but also fully have a rest from all the affairs and concerns.

Hotels in VarnaAs it is paradoxical, although Varna has been criticized by some bloggers and travel agencies, in reality at this resort, tourists want not only to relax during the summer vacation, but also to live. After a close acquaintance with the city, many tourists are even ready to sell or surrender their native homes and move to permanent residence in Bulgaria.

Since Varna is big city, it is quite logical that in the resort it does not feel the lack of hotels. Here you can find cozy rooms at a fairly low prices, as well as luxury apartments with a swimming pool and a full range of various services.

Choose a good variant of the hotel at the resort city of Varna, you can right on our website below. To the list we have included the most suitable, in our opinion, hotels for tourists with diverse prices and their corresponding services.

Shopping in Varna

Shopping in the resort town of Varna is not particularly different from similar in Burgas or in other cities in Bulgaria. There are several large shopping complexes and shops with a large selection of clothing and accessories. We can not say that prices for these goods in Varna are lower than those in other cities. In the shopping centers there is just a huge number of shops of famous luxury brands (Bata, Swarovski, Zara, Bershka, Stradivarius, etc.).

You decide for yourself whether you should go for shopping in Varna. But it seemed to us that the prices in shopping malls of the city are far from low, although the choice is fairly decent.

Attractions of Varna

Varna is a mix of the old and the new, since it is also an ancient city. Therefore, it should be proud of its attractions.

The most important of them, in the first place, perhaps, can be attributed to Assumption Cathedral, that flaunts in the center of the square. The temple is famous not only in Varna, but also abroad. It contains a wide variety of frescoes, icons and stained glasses. And on holidays in its walls you can hear the beautiful singing of the famous Bulgarian male choir. The cathedral is especially unique in the evening when extra lighting illuminates the building with lots of tiny lights.

The second one, by order of significance and importance, is the magnificent Dolphinarium, that is located along the coast in a cozy Seaside park. Tourists resting at the resort in Varna are definitely trying to get to one of the representations. People of all ages — both children and adults — will absolutely love the show, which features intelligent and adorable dolphins.

Ticket prices at the Dolphiniarium are as follows: 14 levs per head for a child, and 20 per head for the adult. Photos and video are not included (costs 5 levs). A detailed schedule and more detailed cost of tickets.

Also in the Seaside Park in Varna are located Zoo and Aquarium. There you can see a large number of representatives of the animal world.

Ticket prices for visiting the Zoo and Aquarium are as follows: 0.5 levs per head for a child , 1 lev each for a student and a senior citizen, and 1.5 levs each for an adult. A detailed information you can see on the official website of the Zoo.

History lovers will never feel short of attractions here in Varna. There are, among other things: archeological, historical and marine museums, the necropolis, the Roman baths complexes, and the ancient church, the Cathedral of St. Anastasia, which retains most of its old splendor.

It is worth mentioning another important attraction of the city – Lake Varna. It is one of the largest and deepest estuary waters on the coast of the country. Around the lake you can see the lush greenery in the form of trees, beautiful flowers and unusual shrubs. And for fishermen there is a paradise, because the pond is full of delicious sea fish. This ideal picture complements the healing dirt, which is full in the lake.

The Asparuhov bridge deserves a special mention here – it is the longest bridge not only in Varna, but also in the whole Bulgaria. It connects the two parts of the city, and also Lake Varna with the Black Sea. The bridge is beautiful at any time of the day, because at night it lights reflected in the sea surface. If you will be in that area do not forget to visit no less interesting Asparuhov park, where the locals love to relax.

Reviews of Varna from tourists

Varna is a beautiful city which is full of secrets and mysteries. When we went to Bulgaria, we were planning to devote to this resort the whole day to explore all of its beauty. Unfortunately, the inconvenient for tourists’ bus schedule from Nessebar to Varna and back prevented from realizing our plans. But we liked even what we have seen.

In this seaside town every tourist can find something for himself: some would like to swim and sunbathe on one of the many beaches, another prefer active water sports, some of the guests will devote part of their time to view attractions, and, certainly, there will be lovers of active abroad shopping.

But there is one thing we are certain about: everyone who chooses Varna as their holiday destination will definitely love everything they find there — delicious food, wondrous natural sights, historical and modern attractions as well as friendly and hospitable locals. And if you remember that the famous Bulgarian-Russian singer Philipp Kirkorov was born in Varna, it becomes clear why many people want to visit this unique city.

It is very easy to get to Varna. Route buses go here regularly. Also, the city has an airport and a sea port. You can also come and go around in Varna via taxi or a rented car if you can afford it.

Perhaps you will find useful our article with the bus schedule from Varna: Bus Schedule from Varna at 2015-2016 years.

Photos of Varna

Photos of Varna

To experience the beauty of Varna and to show you a small part of its treasures, we suggest you to review a small selection of photos, that was made by us in this wonderful city.

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