Varna is Bulgaria's third largest city. Successor to ancient civilizations, survivor of the transformations of time, the present-day city of Varna is one of the most attractive Bulgarian towns. 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. Varna lies on the same latitude of the famous Atlantic resorts Bayonne and Biarritz in France, on a large, flat and high terrace on the northwestern most curve of the bay witch just some 7km inland. The city occupies some 24sq km, measuring 6km northeast-southwest and is about 4km wide. During the holiday season, July and August, the sunshine allows 10-11 hours of sunbathing. There is nothing of the cool Baltic wind or the summer Riviera heat. The city is clean and green. The sea is amazingly calm and free of dangerous tides.
     Varna is one of the most dynamically developing Bulgarian towns with good road communications, well organized air, sea and railway transport. The town is the third biggest industrial center in the country with busy shipping, shipbuilding and ship-repair activities. Varna enjoys international fame as a sea resort. Thousands of holiday-makers from Bulgaria and abroad stay at the two beach resorts - Golden Sands (Zlatni Piasaci) and St. St. Konstantine and Elena every year.
     The Varna International airport is only 9 km from the city connecting directly Bulgarian Coast with all major European airports from 1 May until 1 November every year.

     History

     The city of Varna is about thousand years old. Due to its favourable geographic location, the place was first inhabited by an ancient Thracian tribe, Corbisi, which had a small fishermen settlement there. In the 6th century BC a Greek polis, named Odessos, emerged there. The town became fishing and farming colony, which soon turned into commercial hub. The town fell under the siege of Alexander of Macedonia's troops in the 4th century BC, but after the siege did not succeed to subject it, the town was given autonomy within the limits of his Empire. Up to the 1st century BC it was an independent polis, which minted its own coins with the image of its god. Later on, conquered by Mark Lukulus' legions, it became a Roman centre though gradually it lost supremacy in the region. In the 9th century it was already called Varna. The town was included in the territory of Bulgaria in the beginning of the 13lh century during the reign of King Kaloyan. Despite its strong defence system, the town was conquered by the Turks in 1391 which gradually transformed it into an oriental city with konaks (town-halls), Turkish baths and mosques. In 1878 Varna was finally liberated from Ottoman rule and became the most important Bulgarian seaport. Even if the city was industrialised, it also developed into a seaside resort and a favourite holiday place for the Bulgarian cultural elite.

     Landmarks

     A restored Roman spa built in the 2nd century during the reign of Antony Pii and a Roman Bath dating back to the 3rd century can be found in the downtown.
     The Holy Virgin Cathedral, considered to be the most impressive monument of the city, rises in the very centre of the city. The cathedral's construction started in the second half of the 19th century but it was not sanctified until 1910.
     Another church, the St. Nicola Church is located near the Sea Garden Park and dates back to 1866.
     The Clock Tower, built in 1880, rises just across the cathedral. The Theatre of Drama, where the first-ever Bulgarian theatre performance was held, is also a must-see place in the city centre. It was built nearly a century ago and resembles Vienna buildings of that time. It houses a theatre, an opera and philharmonic halls and stages performances during the entire summer season. The city also has a number of museums, including the Archaeological Museum, the Museum of National Renaissance, the Naval Museum, the Vladislav Varnenchik Park-Museum, the Ethnographic Museum, the Museum of Nature and Science, the Aquarium and the Black Sea Museum, the Museum of Medicine and the Museum of Art and History of Varna. The latter has a particularly rich collection including the Gold Treasure of Varna, dating back 6 000 years ago, weighing some 6kg and containing the oldest gold works found in the world.
     The Sea Garden is another favourite place of visitors of Varna. The garden, finally completed in 1908, shelters an amphitheatre, an astronomic site with an observatory, planetarium and a tower, children playgrounds, and a small channel, where one can practice rowing, a pool with water wheels and a zoo. The beach, where one can find mud and water therapy complexes, two quays, numerous restaurants and disco clubs, is also just beneath the Sea Garden Park. The Dolphinarium is one of the favourite attractions for children and guests of Varna for its regular performances of talented dolphin artists. Another noteworthy place is the Asparouh Bridge (named after the founder of the Bulgarian state, Asparouh), which connects the city centre with the residential quarters of Asparouhovo and Galata. It is the longest bridge in Bulgaria and risk lovers can even try a dreadful Bunji jump here.

     Surrounding Areas

     A place of interest close to the city is Pobitite Kamuni (Rammed Stones), 18 km west of the city. The stone figures were formed by erosion about 50 million years ago and hold in various forms of fossils. Many of them were used as places of worship during Thracian, Slavonic, and ancient Bulgarian times.
     The nearby industrial town of Devnya holds the remains of the ancient town of Marcianopolis, the second biggest town in ancient Bulgaria after Philippopolis (the latter currently named Plovdiv and being the second largest city in the state). These include defence walls, a rampart, turrets, and a forum.
     The Petrich Kale (Petrich Fortress) rises just opposite the railway station of Razdelna close to the city. The fortress was built in 5-th century, later on it was pulled down and rebuilt in 13-th to 14-th centuries. It was an important defense fortress in 1444 during the battle of Vladislav Varnenchik. The rocks near the fortress are perfect for mountaineering.
     The famous village of Vinitsa is situated 10km north-east of Varna. It is a favourite place where the citizens of Varna often go on picnic or for walks, it is also a holiday spot with lot of small private hotels there.
     The Cape of Galata is a very attractive for lots of tourists who are keen on having a seclusion with nature. There is the residental district Galata where are lot of small hotels and holiday houses.
     The resort complex of Chernomorec includes several chalets and lot of bungalows. Around the Asparuh bridge near the residential district the relics of the rampart of Asparuh can be seen. Not far away is the knoll of Djanavar. A basilica from the early Christian period is built here.

     Festivals

     Varna's festivals are large in number, the most popular of them being: the international choir gathering - at the end of the May; International theatre holidays - a part of the festival Varna's summer - in June; a part of the aforementioned festivals also the international gathering of orchestras and ensembles for classical music - in July; a part of the same festival the jam session in July and August. Other important cultural events are: the folk festival with international participants in August; the international ballet competition in August; the international festival of cinema called "Love is Folly" - in September; the festival of Bulgarian cinematography "Golden Rose"; "The Gold Dolphin" - an international festival of puppet theatres held each year in October.

     Accommodation

     Varna offers virtually all kinds of accommodation facilities though traditionally, the bulk of holiday-makers opt out for renting private flats and rooms. The city's hotels are also a great number. Good bargains as regards private lodgings can also be come across via direct contact with local people.

     Catering

     Some of Varna's most popular luxurious restaurants are the Horizon Restaurant, Maggy Restaurant, the Paraklisa Restaurant, the FEB Restaurant, a chain of restaurants Mustang Food Bar, the Happy Bar and Grill chain, Morsko Konche Restaurant. Middle-class restaurants, private pubs and taverns can be found even in the distant residential quarters of the city. Many of these are open 24 hours, while others stay so as long as there are clients to be serviced. A lot of small pizza shops and snack-bars that offer typically Bulgarian snacks are scattered all over the city. There are also a great number of canteens, especially along the beach and in the Sea Garden where fish and seafood are offered. Besides, every day one can buy freshly caught fish from the local fishermen at the seaport.

     Transport

     The fastest way to get to Varna is by airplane, as it takes less than an hour from the capital city of Sofia while planes in both directions fly 6 or 7 times a day during the summer. The seaport offers regular water transport to and from Balchik, Sunny Beach Nessebar and Bourgas. Varna is also connected to all main railway lines in the country with express trains to Sofia and Plovdiv that take 7 and 4.30 hours respectively. The city's main bus station is 1.5km away from the city centre with buses to all larger cities in the country, nearby seaside resorts, Athens and Istanbul as well as to some cities in Central and Eastern Europe. Besides, Varna's city transport has a network of over 60 bus lines (some of these also travelling to nearby resorts) and trolley buses.