BULGARIA : VARNA
Varna has a population of 350,000, making it Bulgaria's third largest
city after Sofia and Plovdiv. It is the biggest city at the Bulgarian
Black Sea coast.
Varna is situated 470 km east of Sofia. The gem of the Bulgarian Black
Sea is situated at the end of the big Varna Bay, with a convenient and
well conserved water area a port wich in years handles up to 18 million
tons of cargo. The ciry's peculiar sea charm is sublime and moving.
Ancient, medieval, renaissance and modern cultures mingle and coexist
through the city. In the course of more than 7.000 years, the Gulf of
Varna has been the cradle of several significant civilizations. Varna
was founded around 6.000 B.C. near the site of the ancient Greek trading
colony ( apoikia), Odessos. which was founded about 580 BCE.
Historically Varna is perhaps best known for being the site of the
oldest gold treasure to be found by archaeologists. The Roman city had
baths, built in the 2nd century CE, that are the largest Roman remains
in Bulgaria. The Byzantine city of Odessos was captured by the Ottomans
in 1393. Nearby, the Battle of Varna was fought in November 1444, when
30.000 crusaders assembled at the port to sail to Constantinople were
attacked by a force of 120,000 Turks, led by the Sultan Murad II. The
Polish King Ladislaus was killed in a bold attempt to capture the
Sultan. The retreat made the fall of Constantinople all but inevitable.
From 1949 to 1956, the city was named Stalin, after Josef Stalin.
The city is clean and green. Of the green miracles at least three are a
must: the Marine Gardens which are the largest in the Balkans;
Euxinograd park, the former Royal Palace; the paradise of
St.Constantine.
Varna is now Bulgaria's most lively city and it rivals Sofia and Plovdiv
in providing a wide range of sights and museums. The outstanding
treasures of the Archeological Museum include the Chalcolithic
necropolis with the oldest examples of gold jewellery ever discovered,
and impressive Greek, Thracian and Bulgarian artifacts. Of particular
interest are the National Revival Museum, the Ethnographic and City
Historical Museum, the Art Gallery, the Navy Museum and the Aquarium,
the Natural History Museum, the Zoo and the Dolphinarium, the Sea
Gardens.
Of more historical value are 17th century Cathedral of the Holy Mother,
the Church of St Atanas, the 2 century Roman thermae. As well as being a
beach resosrt in its own right, Varna offers access to the first-class
resorts of Sveti Konstantin, Sunny Day, Golden Sands and Albena, the
natural reserve at Kamchiya, the rock monastery of Aladja.
