One of the little-known facts about Varna is that it was here, more than half a century ago, that the legendary Shopska salad was born. Back in 1955, at the Chernomorets Hotel in Druzhba (Sts. Constantine and Helena), Velko Pavlov and Mitko Georgiev decided to improve the Zhatarka salad. The chefs chopped onion, cucumber, roasted pepper, and tomato and mixed them together. Then they sprinkled the mix with grated brined cheese and the legend was born. The culinarians got the blessing of the management of Balkantourist (state-owned tour operator) and the Shopska salad began its existence. Despite ite many interpretations, the Shopska salad has been patented as a Bulgarian national dish.
In 2021, Varna celebrated the 100th year jubilee of being declared a resort city.
In 1851, Mihály Šafran formed the first instrumental orchestra in the country. He also created a choir in which, in addition to young men, girls also participated. This was unheard of for the patriarchal mores of the time. For several years, Mihály Šafran's symphony orchestra gave concerts. Ladies who dared to take the stage were called shafrantia.
The oldest operating lighthouse on the Balkan Peninsula is located in the town of Shabla.
Sts. Constantine and Helena is Bulgaria's first Black Sea resort.
The caves around Bolata have been inhabited by people since 400 BC.
The height of the sea coast around Tyulenovo village reaches 30 meters and each place has its own name - the Hole, Martina, Kypriyata, Ashylaka, Kanara, Samotnika.
The name Kaliakra is of Greek origin and translates as "beautiful cape."
The most famous legend of Cape Kaliakra tells of 40 Bulgarian girls who tied their hair together and threw themselves into the sea to avoid falling into the hands of the Ottoman enslavers. One of them was Kaliakra, after whom the cape was named. Now there is an obelisk at the tip of the Kaliakra cape called "The Gate of the 40 virgins" in their memory.
Pobitite Kamani is one of two natural deserts in Europe (the other one is in Spain).