Experiences in Varna
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Varna
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Varna: Tours & Experiences
3 experiences and tours
Frequently asked questions
Varna is the city where Bulgaria goes to the sea. In summer the beaches below the Sea Garden fill up, and the bars on the shore stay open late. But Varna is also very old. Greek settlers founded it as Odessos more than 2,500 years ago, and its museum holds gold that is older than the pyramids.
Most visitors come for the beach and stay for the rest. You can walk from the Roman Baths to the golden domes of the cathedral in ten minutes, and finish in the Sea Garden by the water. Outside the city there are cliffs, wineries and forests to explore, the rock monastery of Aladzha, and the old towns of the Black Sea coast.
About Varna
Varna is Bulgaria's third-largest city and its main port, on a wide bay where Lake Varna meets the Black Sea. Greek colonists founded Odessos here in the 6th century BC, and the Romans made it a rich trading town. The ruins of its Roman Baths, from the late 2nd century AD, stand in the middle of the modern centre. They are among the largest Roman baths in south-east Europe.
The city's oldest treasure is far older than Rome. In 1972, workers found the Varna Necropolis on the edge of the city: graves about 6,000 years old, full of the oldest worked gold yet found anywhere. Much of it is on display in the Varna Archaeological Museum.
In 1444 a crusader army under the young Polish-Hungarian king Władysław III lost a famous battle to the Ottomans outside Varna. A memorial park now marks the site. The city grew again in the late 19th century, when Bulgaria became free. The Cathedral of the Dormition of the Mother of God and the long Sea Garden on the shore date from that time. On a hill above the city stands the huge concrete Monument to Bulgarian-Soviet Friendship, from 1978, a reminder of the communist decades.
What to expect on a Varna experience
Days in Varna usually follow one of these patterns:
- The city: walks through the old centre, from the Roman Baths and the cathedral to the Sea Garden. History tours explain the Thracian gold, the Greek and Roman town and the communist past. Wine tastings introduce the grapes of the Black Sea coast.
- Into the countryside: jeep and off-road trips into the forests and hills behind the coast. Aladzha Monastery is carved into a limestone cliff north of the city, and the Stone Forest (Pobiti Kamani) to the west is a field of natural stone columns.
- Along the coast: the palace and botanical garden at Balchik, the red cliffs of Cape Kaliakra, and to the south the old town of Nessebar, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Each tour page shows its meeting point, what is included and its cancellation terms.
Best time to visit
June and September are the best months. The sea is warm enough to swim, and the city is less crowded than in high summer. July and August are hot and busy, with the beaches and the resorts to the north at their fullest. The Varna Summer music festival also takes place in summer. From late October to April many beach bars and resort hotels close, but the museums, the cathedral and the city's cafés stay open, and prices are lower.
Getting around
The centre is flat and easy to walk. The Roman Baths, the cathedral, the Archaeological Museum and the Sea Garden are all within about 20 minutes of each other on foot. City buses go to the beaches and to the resorts of Golden Sands and St. Constantine and Helena to the north. Varna Airport is about 8 km west of the centre, with buses and taxis to the city. Bulgaria uses the euro, and cards are widely accepted. Signs are in Cyrillic, with Latin letters in the centre. Aladzha Monastery, the Stone Forest and the coast to the north and south are easiest to reach by car or on a tour with transport.
