Welcome to the maritime capital of the north. Your first stop should be the Varna Necropolis located near the edge of the lake. This is where experts found the oldest processed gold in the world. You can see these six thousand year old treasures in the local history museum. The skill of these ancient people is still very impressive to see in person today. It is a great way to start learning about the deep history of the coast.
Take a short drive inland to see the famous Stone Forest. Hundreds of hollow stone pillars rise from the sand like a petrified woods. Some are seven meters tall and look like they were built by ancient giants. Scientists say they formed millions of years ago on the old sea floor. Walking among them feels like you have landed on another planet. It is a very popular spot for photos and a quick leg stretch.
Return to the coast to walk through the massive Sea Garden. This park runs for many kilometers along the edge of the beach. You can find an aquarium and a naval museum within the green space. The paths are wide and shaded by very old trees. It is the best place to park the car and breathe in the fresh sea breeze. You can spend an entire afternoon here before moving on to the next province.
Varna (province) highlights
- The Stone Forest rises from the sand like a grove of hollow rock pillars in the middle of the dry hills. Imagine you are on a different planet while walking among the strange shapes formed millions of years ago. Capture photos of the desert landscape where nature has built a forest out of solid gray stone.
- Aladzha Monastery hides cave rooms and a small chapel carved high into a vertical limestone cliff near the sea. Climb wooden stairs up the rock face to see where monks lived and prayed many centuries in the past. Visit the museum at the base to learn the story of the site and the people who found the cells.
- Kamchia River Delta creates a dense forest of hanging vines where the river meets the waves of the Black Sea. Take a boat trip through green water to spot rare birds and turtles living in a protected nature zone. Walk the long and quiet beach at the end of the river to find the most peaceful spot in the north.
- Euxinograd Palace displays grand French gardens and a famous wine cellar at the summer home of the royal family. Walk through sunny parks to see the private beach where kings once went for a swim in the sea. View the elegant architecture that shows the style of the late nineteenth century in the country.
- Varna Roman Baths reveal massive brick walls and old heating pipes right in the middle of the modern city. Explore these ruins which are among the largest in Europe to see how the Romans once relaxed. Walk through the different rooms to see the grand scale of the stone work from the ancient world.
- Devnya Mosaics present millions of tiny colorful stones forming patterns of myths and birds on a Roman floor. View the art found under the local town soil and learn about the life of the ancient province. Visit this hidden gem to see some of the best art kept from the time of the empire.
- Petricha Fortress occupies a rocky plateau offering a wide view of the local valley and the green fields. Walk the old walls and find the paths of ancient roads as you explore the quiet and stony site. Breathe the fresh air and enjoy a simple hike that leads to a panoramic lookout over the land.
- Golden Sands Park provides shady trails and sea views as a cool escape from the busy beach resorts nearby. Follow the paths to find small springs and rare plants hidden under the thick green leaves of the woods. Enjoy the silence of the nature reserve while looking at the blue water through the forest trees.
- Ovech Fortress connects to the land by a long wooden bridge over a deep rock gap near the town. Walk the high ramparts to see deep water wells and the stone remains of many medieval houses. View the white cliffs and the valley from the bridge for one of the best photos in the north.
- Varna Necropolis marks the site where the oldest gold treasure in the entire world was found in a grave. Visit the local museum to see the shiny jewelry and tools made over six thousand years ago. Learn about the rich early culture that lived here long before the time of the great empires.
The local Four
History of Varna (province)
Varna is home to the Varna Necropolis, where the world oldest processed gold dating back to 4600 BC was discovered. This Golden Civilization existed before the Pyramids of Giza, proving that a complex, wealthy society occupied these shores long before the Greeks. The province Roman history is equally massive; the Roman Thermae are the fourth largest in Europe, featuring a sophisticated underground heating system that served as the ancient city social engine.
In 1444, the province was the site of the Battle of Varna, a definitive clash where Sultan Murad II defeated a combined European Crusade, sealing the fate of the Balkans for the next half millennium. The Aladzha Monastery, carved directly into a 40 meter limestone cliff, served as a vertical sanctuary for medieval monks seeking solitude. It stands as a rare example of cave monasticism that utilized the natural karst landscape for spiritual defense.
Modern Varna Province reflects its 19th century status as the Sea Capital. The Euxinograd Palace, the first summer residence of the Bulgarian monarchs, was built with French architecture and stocked with a world class wine cellar that still operates today. Driving through the Stone Forest, you encounter 50 million year old hollow rock columns that look like a petrified forest, a geological anomaly that has served as a sacred site for every culture to inhabit the region.