Varna

Varna

Varna, the Black Sea capital of Bulgaria and one of the most significant ports and commercial centres on the Black Sea, was founded during the 6th century BC under the name of Odessos. The Cathedral of the Assumption (1884-1886) – second in scale after St Alexander Nevski Cathedral in Sofia. Modern Byzantine architecture, spacious interior, woodcarved iconostasis by masters belonging to the School of Debur, stained glass. Painted in 1950.

The Archaeological Museum (1906) exhibits the oldest high developed civilization in Europe (6th-5th millenia BC) and the biggest collection of Mesolithic finds in Southeastern Europe.

The Eneolithic Necropolis with one of the oldest presently known golden jewelry (4th millennium BC).

The Sea Garden (85 hectares), the largest in the Balkans, is one of the city’s green miracles. National park of garden and park art. The Sea Garden dates from the end of the 19th century, finally completed in 1908.

The Roman thermae (2nd-3rd Century) – the remains of the largest Roman public building in Bulgaria, covering an area of over 7,000 sq.m. The unique architectural monument is declared an architectural reserve.

The St Athanasius Church (1838) is located next to the Roman thermae. It boasts a magnificent iconostasis, painted in the style of one of the most famous Bulgarian Iconographic Schools: the Tryavna School.

The Dolphinarium (1984) is located in the Sea Garden. Varna takes pride in it because it is the only Dolphinarium in the Balkans.

The ‘Nicolaus Copernicus’ National Observatory and Planetarium (1968) is the biggest and most modern planetarium in the Balkans and the first astronomical complex in Bulgaria.