Sights

The winery owns 65 hectares of vineyards in the areas around the village of General Kantardzhievo, Galata, Borovets, and Shumen. The winery is mainly oriented towards the production of white dry wines of Riesling, Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Traminer, Varna Miscot. The red varieties include pinot noir, sangiovese, cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, syrah, and merlot. A technological peculiarity at the winery is that the transfer of grape pulp and wine occurs using gravity, without any pumps.

The Shabla Tuzla is located about 6 km east of the town of Shabla on an area of 250 hectares. It is a salt water lake, i.e. a lagoon, formed mainly by the seepage of salty sea water under the sand dunes. The origin and ecological characteristics of the Tuzla show that this small lake is a unique coastal ecosystem with an extremely rich plant and animal life. There are 13 species of rare and endangered plants listed in the Red Data Book of Bulgaria. 41 species of nesting birds have been recorded.

University Botanical Garden in Balchik was established in 1955 by Acad. prof. Daki Yordanov, (Rector of St. Kliment Ohridski University) on the territory of the park section of the former summer residence of the Romanian Queen. Today, the Botanical Garden covers an area of 190 acres and has plant collections with over 3500 species. It has established itself as an important tourist site. Furthermore, it is a Monument of Culture, a Protected Area under the Protected Area Act and a Rescue Centre under the Washington Convention.

This desert-like rock phenomenon is an outcrop of Eocene sands, among which are upright stone columns resembling a stone forest. The striking landscape of the battered stones can be seen in seven large and several smaller outcrops. The most famous is the Centre-South group. It is located 18 km west of Varna. It consists of about 300 large and small stone columns, up to 6 m high, situated mainly south of the old Varna-Devnya road.

The Strashimirovo Marsh (Yatata, Aldansko marsh) is a protected area located on the southern bank of the navigable channel connecting Varna and Beloslav lakes, 1 km east of Beloslav and south of the village of Strashimirovo. It has a rich diversity of bird species in all seasons. 208 bird species have been identified on its territory, 62 of which are included in the Red Data Book of Bulgaria. Protected bird species such as the little cormorant, pink pelican, Dalmatian pelican, little bittern, night heron, black stork, white stork, etc. can be found.

The Batova Protected Area is located north of the town of Batova and it also includes the bankds of the Batova river and most of the Frangen Plateau, including the coastline from Albena to Golden Sands and the adjacent sea territory. Balata Reserve is located in the estuary of Batova river, preserving natural longos forest and marsh habitats. 184 bird species are found in the area, 70 of which are listed in the Red Data Book of Bulgaria.

The only reserve in Bulgaria including a water area, a sea area and at the same time covering the surrounding cliffs and a small river. Bolata is a narrow ravine cut into the coast next to a former military zone, through which a small river flows. At the point where it flows into the sea, a lagoon mouth is formed. Via Pontica or one of the main migration routes for migratory birds passes above the area. 

The Kamchia Reserve covers the lower reaches of the Kamchia River, the municipalities of Avren and Dolni Chiflik. The reserve is located about 25 km south of Varna, near the resorts of Kamchia and Shkorpilovtsi. Because of its important nature conservation and ecological significance, in 1977 it was included in the World Network of Biosphere Reserves as part of the UNESCO Man and Biosphere Programme for the protection of the most representative ecosystems on the planet. Particularly valuable for the reserve are the longos forests along the lower reaches of the Kamchia River.

The objective behind establishing the Patlejina reserve was the preservation of the only natural habitat of wild carob in Bulgaria. It is located 6 km south of Veliki Preslav. There are several historical monuments in the area: the St. Panteleimon Patleina Monastery, remains of a monastery church, and craft workshops from the time of the First Bulgarian Kingdom - the end of the 9th and the beginning of the 10th century.

The Reserve was declared a protected area for the preservation and protection of the only natural habitat of the horse chestnut tree species, a Balkan endemic in Bulgaria, a preserved remnant of a once extensive forest. It is located on both banks of the gorge of the river. It is situated on both sides of the Dervishka river as a narrow strip parallel to the ravine.

Golden Sands Nature Park is the smallest (13.2 km2) of the 11 nature parks in the country. It is located 17 km northeast of Varna. It is situated parallel to the seashore and surrounds the resort complex of the same name. The length of the park is 9.2 km and its average width is 1.2 km. The highest peak is Ciplak Tepe - 269 m, and the average altitude is 110 m. In the north, the park borders with the village of Kranevo, to the west with agricultural lands, to the east with the road Varna - Kranevo, and to the south with forest and agricultural lands.

Located in the very centre of Varna, today the Holy Assumption Cathedral  is one of the most recognizable buildings in the city. A place of worship for the people of Varna, and at the same time a landmark on the itineraries of tourists, the cathedral has become one of the symbols of Varna.

The historical-ethnographic complex of the Pre-Bulgarian settlement of Phanagoria is the only one of its kind operating open-air museum in the country. The complex is a replica of a pre-Bulgarian battle camp from the 6th-8th century and it includes wooden defensive walls with battle towers, furnished yurts, active workshops, restored ancient costumes, armaments, household items and furniture. A square with a capitol, khan and shaman yurts, a shooting range and a grandstand for spectators have been laid out.

Since the middle of 2009, archaeological research has been carried out on Cape St. Athanas, located 3 km south of the town of Byala. The archaeological site is multi-layered. Materials from the Classical Age to Late Antiquity (6th century BC - 7th century AD) have been discovered.

Coming from Varna, the monastery is located on the right side of the road just after the village of Avren. It is reachable by a dirt road that makes a turn and approaches the cliffs again. The Kisheshlika area is beautiful and secluded. The rock monastery can be reached using a metal ladder. Entering the premises from the rock windows, you will have a wonderful view of the field and the hills around. The monastery consists of three chain-linked rooms with a rectangular shape, oriented in a north-south direction. They measure 2x3 meters and are 1.8m high.

Durankulak Archaeological Reserve is an archaeological site located in the Durankulak Lake near the village of Durankulak, northeastern Bulgaria. On its territory, the first signs resembling letters in human history (50 - 48 century BC) were discovered. Ancient and medieval monuments have also been discovered. Most of the archaeological finds are kept in the History Museum in Dobrich. In the museum in Durankulak there is a small collection where exhibits from different cultural layers can be seen. The most valuable exhibits are in the National History Museum in Sofia.

Sherif Khalil Pasha Mosque, also known as Tombul Mosque, was built in 1744. The architecture of the temple is influenced by the oriental architectural Tulip style, which emerged at the beginning of the 18th century and is featured by the incorporation of elements of the French Baroque. With the complex of buildings surrounding it, the temple is the largest in the country in terms of area and architectural significance and is second on the Balkan Peninsula after the Sultan Selim Mosque, located in the city of Adrianople, Republic of Turkey..

Aladzha Monastery is the most famous medieval rock monastery on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast. It was inhabited by hermit monks in the 13th-14th centuries. The premises of the monastery were carved on two levels in almost 40 meters high limestone rock. On the first level, there are the monastery church, the monks' cells, the refectory and kitchen, a small cemetery church, the crypt (ossuary) and the outbuildings. The second level consists of a natural rock niche and in its east end, the monastery chapel was built.

Yaylata is a national archaeological reserve in the Province of Dobrich. It is located 2km south of Kamen Bryag and 18km northeast of Kavarna. It is a seaside terrace with an area of 300 decares, separated from the sea by 50 - 60 m high cliffs. The area is declared an archaeological reserve for the preservation of protected species of plants and animals and their habitats. Here is a cave "town" of 101 dwellings dating back as early as the 5th millennium BC. Three necropolises (family tombs) from the 3rd - 5th centuries are carved into the cliffs.

 Located in the southeastern part of the modern city of Varna, the Roman Baths are the largest public ancient building ever discovered in Bulgaria. The relatively well-preserved walls frame an impressive structure built on area over 7,000 square metres. The ruins have attracted the attention of historians and archaeologists long before archaeological excavations began. The Small Roman Baths are located in the southeastern part of the modern city of Varna and south of the Great Roman Baths.

'The Palace' was once summer residence of the Romanian Queen Maria Alexandrina Victoria de Edinburgh (1875-1938). It is situated about 2 km southwest of Balchik in a beautiful area between the Balchik cliffs and the sea. It has the status of an architectural monument of culture and a monument of horticultural and park art declared by the Ministry of Culture with Decree No. 09-128 of 18.04.2002. The residence was designed by the Italian architects Amerigo and Augustino in 1924.

Euxinograd Residence is located north of Varna on a 3-kilometer coastal strip in the immediate vicinity of the Sts. Constantine and Helena resort. The complex was the summer residence of the monarchs who ruled Bulgaria after the liberation from Ottoman rule (1878), i.e. Alexander Battenberg, Ferdinand, and Boris the Third.

 Albena seaside resort is another holder of the Blue Flag eco award for the cleanliness of the sea, the beach and the entire territory. The air is crystal clear and refreshing because of its high oxygen content, which is due to the complex's proximity to the unique nature reserve called "Baltata." The Albena beach is one of the best beaches in Bulgaria.

Sts. Constantine and Helena is Bulgaria's first Black Sea resort. The entire complex is covered with a perennial deciduous forest that reaches almost to the shore. The beach is more than 3.5 km long. One of the most important conditions for the development of the complex is the presence of 7 mineral springs, which is unique for Europe. 

Riviera Holiday Club is set on 12 hectares of land in a majestic park with centuries-old trees, right on the beach, with its own beaches in secluded coves. The climate here has the air of a natural inhaler. In addition to the healing properties of the sea water, there is also a natural thermal mineral spring.