Sights

Located in a picturesque and ecologically clean bay in the northern part of the Black Sea coast, Golden Sands seaside reasort is only 18 km from Varna. It is in close proximity to the Golden Sands Nature Park, which was declared a protected area in 1943. Golden Sands was rewarded the Blue Flag certificate, which is a prestigious international award for environmentally friendly resort. The resort's beach is 3.5 km long, reaching width of 100 in places, and is renowned as one of the best sandy beaches in Europe. 

The Shumen Plateau is an interesting geomorphological formation in the eastern part of the Danube hilly plain, formed as a result of interaction between internal and external earth forces on chalk materials. Its slopes are steep and in places the upper part ends in picturesque rock wreaths. The relief of the park features three main parts: the area of Ilchov Bair; a ridge in the eastern part; and an extensive slope - the area of Kyoshkovete. The average altitude is 350 m and the highest point, 502 m, is in the Tarnov Tabia area.

Cape Kaliakra, Municipality of Kavarna, and the archaeological reserve situated on its territory are located 12 km southeast of the town of Kavarna. The reserve is an elongated and narrowing rocky peninsula, about 2 km into the sea. It is one of the most attractive places for tourists on the Black Sea coast because of its rich history, preserved nature, and beautiful panoramic views. The slopes of Cape Kaliakra descend 60-70 m straight into the water. The waves have carved caves and arches at their foot, which can only be reached from the sea.

It is located east of the present-day town of Provadia. The fortress was inhabited successively by Thracians, Romans, Byzantines, Bulgarians, Turks. Its name is associated with the reign of King Ivaylo (1277 - 1280), the campaign of Count Amedeo VI of Savoy (1366) and the campaign of the Polish-Hungarian King Vladislav III Jagiello (Varnenchik) (1444).

Madara National Historical and Archaeological Reserve is located 17 km northeast of the town of Shumen, 2 km from the village of Madara and 75 km from Varna. People first settled there in the Neolithic Age (New Stone Age). Over the centuries, they built here cave sanctuaries, palaces and mansions, fortresses, temples, hermitage cells, and monastery complexes, places of retreat and communal feasts. This is evidenced by the traces of the material and spiritual culture of many ethnic communities - primitive people, Thracians, Romans, Byzantines, Slavs, Bulgarians, Turks, etc.

Kaliakra is a long and narrow cape on the Bulgarian northern Black Sea coast, in the southeasternmost part of the Dobrudja Plateau. Located near the villages of Balgarevo and Saint Nikola, 12 km from the town of Kavarna. The medieval fortress of Kaliakra and its adjacent territory and aquatory at the village of Balgarevo is declared an archaeological reserve. There are fortifications of Thracian, ancient, late antique, medieval and Ottoman times.

Pliska was the capital of the First Bulgarian State between 681 to 893. Pliska National Historical and Archaeological Reserve has been declared an archaeological monument of national importance and included in the 100 National Tourist Sites. Pliska was the first capital of Bulgaria and the cradle of today's Bulgarian state. It is remarkable for its architecture, which was typial for previous Bulgarian settlements. Typically for a people coming from the steppes, Bulgarians built their capital in the middle of fields surrounded by hills as natural barriers to the invaders.

 Veliki Preslav Historical and Archaeological Reserve, comprising the medieval capital of Bulgaria Preslav, as well as the Archaeological Museum are located 20 km from the town of Shumen. Here one can see the remains of the most important administrative, religious and economic buildings from the metropolitan period of Preslav. The peripheral town (3.5 sq. km. area) is surrounded by 10 m tall and 3.25 m wide white stone walls. Another wall surrounds the inner town. It houses the complex of the royal residence: the Grand Palace, the Throne Palace, the Round Church.

The  Varna Chalcolithic Necropolis was discovered by chance in 1972 during excavation works while laying of a telephone cable in the Western Industrial Zone. The excavator operator Raycho Marinov found many gold items as well as copper and flint tools at a depth of 1.40 m. This took place on the northern shore of Varna Lake, 200 m from the water. A total of 294 graves with a large number of gold items in them and several individual findings referring to the Eneolithic i.e.