You are now in the far northeast where the flat golden plains of Dobrudzha meet the Black Sea. Your main destination is Cape Kaliakra which is a long thin strip of red rock reaching out into the water. You can drive your car almost to the very tip of the cliffs where the ruins of an ancient fortress still stand. The sea below is a bright turquoise color and you can often see dolphins jumping in the waves far below the rocky edge. It is one of the most dramatic coastal views in the entire country.
Follow the coast south to the town of Balchik to see the Palace and the Botanical Garden. This was the summer residence of Queen Marie of Romania and features a unique mix of styles and a beautiful cactus collection. You can walk through the terraced gardens that lead down to the beach and explore the small stone villas. The garden holds over three thousand species of plants and flowers from all over the world. It is a quiet and colorful oasis that feels very different from the wild cliffs of the north.
For a final stop on your coastal drive visit the fishing village of Tyulenovo. This area is famous for its natural stone arches and deep sea caves carved by the waves. You can see people diving from the rocks into the clear water or local fisherman bringing in their nets. There are no sandy beaches here but the rugged beauty of the limestone cliffs is perfect for a scenic photo stop. The roads in this province are straight and easy to navigate making it a very relaxed part of your road trip.
Dobrich (province) highlights
- Cape Kaliakra shoots out into the sea as a long red cliff with ancient ruins perched on the very tip. Drive to the edge to spot dolphins jumping in the waves far below the vertical rock walls. Experience a place of legends that offers the most dramatic sea views found anywhere in the north.
- Balchik Palace combines different building styles within a quiet royal garden filled with thousands of cacti. Walk stone paths to the beach and see the small villas where a queen once spent her summer days. View the terraced gardens that look out over the blue water and the small fishing boats.
- Tyulenovo Arch forms a natural stone gate in the sea where waves crash into deep and rocky caves. Capture photos of local divers jumping from high cliffs into the clear and deep blue water. Breathe the salty air and enjoy the rugged beauty of a coast that remains wild and untouched.
- Bolata Bay hides a red canyon beach with calm water and a perfect circle shape in the high rocks. Reach this beautiful spot by road to swim in the quiet water and see birds nesting in the cliffs. Enjoy one of the most unique and scenic bays found on the northern Black Sea coast.
- Yailata Reserve features a high terrace by the sea with cave homes and ancient stone altars from the past. Walk along the cliff edge to see the ruins of an old Byzantine fortress sitting on the hill. Feel the wind from the sea in a wild and open place where the history is carved in stone.
- Shabla Lighthouse stands as the oldest and tallest lighthouse on the coast painted in bright red and white. Visit the most eastern point of the land where the sun first rises every morning over the waves. Walk around the base to see the small fishing boats and the quiet life of the northern shore.
- Durankulak Lake offers a wild lagoon where you can see the ruins of an ancient temple on an island. Watch rare birds and find the quiet side of the northern plains in this remote nature spot. Walk the very long beach nearby which has almost no people even during the peak summer season.
- Tuzla Mud Baths occupy a natural lake near the shore where black mud is used to heal the skin. Take a mud bath in the sun and then walk a few steps to the sea to wash in the waves. Experience a simple and natural spa that locals have used for many years for their health.
- Dobrudzha Plains stretch for miles as endless fields of sunflowers and wheat that turn gold in the summer. Drive the long and straight roads to enjoy a relaxed trip through the open and fertile land. See for many miles and feel the vast scale of the northern countryside under the wide sky.
- Kavarna Cliffs overlook the sea and the small fishing ports along the rugged northern coast of the land. Find many quiet spots to park and enjoy the sound of the wind and the waves hitting the rocks. Explore this area on a road trip if you like wild views and quiet mountain roads.
The local Four
History of Dobrich (province)
Dobrich is the Dobrudzha, the Bulgarian breadbasket. This vast, flat plateau has been a strategic prize for empires since the Scythians. The history of the province is defined by the Treaty of Craiova in 1940, which peacefully returned the region to Bulgaria after years of Romanian rule a rare example of a diplomatic victory in a century of wars. It is a land of massive agricultural scale and ancient nomadic routes.
The coastline is dominated by Cape Kaliakra, a 2 kilometer red limestone finger stretching into the sea. It was the site of the legendary 40 Maidens who jumped to their deaths to avoid capture, and the 1791 Battle of Kaliakra, the largest naval clash in the Black Sea, where the Russian fleet defeated the Ottomans. The ruins of the medieval fortress here sit atop layers of Thracian and Roman walls, guarding the northern sea entry.
Driving the straight roads of Dobrich, you find the Palace of Balchik, a summer retreat for Queen Marie of Romania that features a Garden of Allah with over 3,000 species of cacti. Nearby, the Shabla Lighthouse the oldest on the coast marks the easternmost point of Bulgaria. From the bird sanctuary of Durankulak Lake to the Neolithic Island City found in the marshlands, the province is a blend of agrarian peace and dramatic coastal legends.