The town of Varna is situated 470 km north-east from the Bulgarian capital - Sofia, 80 km from the town of Shumen, 78 km from the town of Burgas and 45 km from the town of Dobrich. It is called the seaside capital of Bulgaria. Varna is a fantastic place for a bit of sun, sea and...partying. Long stretch of beach, lined with bars which are open all day and night, as well as plenty of clubs to keep you happy til the wee hours of the morning! A holiday in the Varna region is perfect for anyone seeking an alternative to the better-known package holiday destinations.
City landmarks include the Varna Archaeological Museum, exhibiting the Gold of Varna, the largest Roman bath on the Balkan Peninsula (7000 sq.m), the Battle of Varna Park Museum, the Naval Museum in the Italianate Villa Assareto displaying the museum ship Drazki torpedo boat, the Museum of Ethnography in an Ottoman-period compound featuring the life of local urban dwellers, fisherfolk, and peasants in the late 19th and early 20th century.
By 1878, Varna was an Ottoman city of mostly wooden houses in a style characteristic of the Black Sea coast, densely packed along narrow, winding lanes. It was surrounded by a stone wall restored in the 1830s with a citadel, a moat, ornamented iron gates flanked by towers, and a vaulted stone bridge across the River Varna. The place abounded in pre-Ottoman relics, ancient ruins were widely used as stone quarries.
Notable old Bulgarian Orthodox temples include the metropolitan Dormition of the Theotokos Cathedral, the early 17th-century Theotokos Panagia, the St. Athanasius on the footprint of a razed 10th-century church; the 15th-century St. Petka Parashkeva chapel; the seamen's church of Saint Nicholas; the Archangel Michael chapel and the Sts. Constantine and Helena church. In St. Atanasius church (18th c) there is an exposition of icons painted in the Age of Revival.
The Ecological Park of the University Botanical Garden is situated in St. St. Constantin and Elena resort close to Varna. Kamchiya natural reserve, the Aladzha rock monastery and the Palace of Balchik are located also close to Varna.
The Sea Garden is the oldest and perhaps largest park in town containing an open-air theatre (venue of the International Ballet Competition, opera performances and concerts), Varna Aquarium (opened 1932), the Festa Dolphinarium (opened 1984), the Nicolaus Copernicus Observatory and Planetarium, the Museum of Natural History, a terrarium, a zoo, an alpineum, a children's amusement park with a pond, boat house and ice-skating rink, and other attractions.
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