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| Must see places in Eastern Europe |
It takes around 80 minutes to get to the reserve, but it’s worth every bit of the trip, as once you get there, you'll get to explore the wildlife and even old fortified ruins.
Tour of the Black Sea
Exploring the Black Sea in a boat or charter is something else you can do during your trip to Varna Bulgaria.
There is several tour operators located at Port Varna, which offer sailing trips of the Black Sea that also include snorkeling tours.
Beaches
The city of Varna Bulgaria boasts the lovely Sea Garden park on Varna Port where, you’ll also find the beach.
Sea Garden Park is a great place to visit, especially if you have kids with you. The park boasts a planetarium, an observatory, kid’s playgrounds, and a small zoo.
For a different beach experience, head to nearby beach resorts located along the coast such as the Golden Sands and Chayka resorts. These two resorts feature miles of beautiful sandy beaches and other amenities like bars, water rentals, etc.
Things to do in Varna Bulgaria: Places of Interest
To make the most of your experience exploring Varna’s many landmarks and attractions, I would suggest booking an organized walking tour or bus tour.
The center of Varna Bulgaria is home to many churches, orthodox temples, ruins and mosques.
Churches
- Dormition of the Theotokos Cathedral
- St. Nikolai Cathedral
- St. Athanasius Cathedral
- Azizie mosque
Museums
Varna Archaeological Museum
The Varna Archaeological Museum can easily be the highlight of your trip in Varna Bulgaria. If you’re interested in ancient artifacts and history, this one place not to be missed.
The museum boasts a variety of exhibits on Varna’s early history, featuring old artifacts and ancient items like gold coins, silver goods, etc.
The Aquarium and the Black Sea Museum
If you’re traveling with the family, the Aquarium and the Black Sea Museum is another place that you can add to your itinerary of things to do in Varna Bulgaria.
Other museums worth checking out in Varna Bulgaria include the Museum of National Renaissance, the Naval Museum, Museum of Nature and Science and the Museum of Art and History.
Ancient Remains
Roman Spa
The Roman Spa ruins are located near the St. Athanasius Cathedral, and it’s another popular tourist attraction in the city.
There is a small fee to enter the site but once inside, you can wonder off and explore the site on your own.
Petrich Fortress
Petrich Fortress (Petrich Kale) is a 5th century fortress, located in the town of Razdelna (around 30 minutes drive from Varna’s city center).
Pobiti Kamani
Pobiti Kamani isn’t quite an ancient ruin but rather a natural rock formation of stone columns between 6 meters high.
If you have time, it’s worth checking out the Pobiti Kamani rock formation site. It’s located 7 miles west of Varna’s city center, near the village of Slanchevo.
Things to do in Varna Bulgaria: Shopping
The city of Varna Bulgaria has a couple of small shopping malls like Pfohe Mall and Picadilly Mall, but Mall Varna is the main shopping center as it boasts a great variety of department stores and boutiques.
Apart from shopping, Mall Varna is an excellent place to hang out during a rainy day, as it features amenities like kid’s playgrounds, entertainment areas, a food court and a couple of cinemas.
If you want to grab a bargain and purchase hand-made goods, the city center is home to a few open-air markets like Kolhozen Pazar Market, located along Georgi Benkovski street.
Things to do in Varna Bulgaria: Nightlife & Entertainment
If you’re traveling to Varna Bulgaria during the summer months, you’ll be glad to know that the nightlife in the city is lively with many small bars and discos dotted along Varna’s sea side.
For instance, the area around Sea Garden is a popular hang out amongst local and tourists alike. A few discos located in the Sea Garden include The Zone, Ultra and Taifun.
Alternatively, you can head to one of the nearby beach resorts like Golden Sands resort to find more nightlife.
Entertainment-wise, the Varna Opera Theater is an excellent place to enjoy performing arts shows.
The Varna Opera Theater actually has some kind of entertainment event happening every month like musicals, symphony orchestras and Ballet shows.
Things to do in Varna Bulgaria: Events of Festivals
Whenever you visit Varna Bulgaria, it’s a good idea to make your vacation in Varna coincide with one the events in the city.
For instance, in early spring, you have the European Musical Festival in late march and the International Choir in mid May.
In the summer, the city gears for the International Jazz festival and the Varna Street Jam Session in June.
Introduction to Varna
If you're looking for an affordable summer destination, Varna Bulgaria is one of the most popular cheap summer destinations in Europe, being located just 200 miles east of capital city of Sofia Bulgaria.
In fact, Varna Bulgaria, Constanta Romania and the north coast of Turkey are popular tourist destinations on the Black Sea Coast.
What to expect
Varna Bulgaria is a vibrant seaside resort during the summer months, drawing many people to its shores to escape the hot summer months.
However, apart from beach activities, one of the most popular things to do in Varna Bulgaria it’s to explore the city’s tourist attractions such as remains of Greek and Roman settlements, beautiful churches and museums.
Getting to Varna Bulgaria
The city of Varna Bulgaria is served by the Varna International Airport, located west of Varna's city center (around 10 minutes drive by car).
Most people traveling to Varna Bulgaria won’t usually need airport transportation because most resorts provide a free transfer service.
However, if you’re not staying at a resort, the airport transportation options include car rental, taxis and private transfer services.
If you’re wondering which one is cheapest, hiring a private transfer service will cost about the same as a taxi.
There are also a few car rental agencies at the airport such as Avis, Hertz and Vizivo which you can use.
However, if you’ll be using car rental for the length of your vacation, you can find cheaper car rental prices once you get to Varna's city center.
Getting Around Varna
Varna’s bus system is very affordable, and you’ll find yourself using it very often to explore the city, so it is worth purchasing a 7 day pass.
Apart from buses, you have mini-buses and trains that you can use to get to other Bulgarian cities.
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