CLIMATE & TRAVEL The City of Varna -- Bulgaria's Black sea capital city -- enjoys a mild continental climate influenced by its proximity to the Black Sea. The summer season stretches from May to October with July and August being the hottest months (average temperatures around 28C/83F) with seawater temperatures reaching 26C/79F in the high season. Due to its enclosed position, Black sea's salinity is 18 promiles, half the ocean's typical levels. The slow temperature changes of the seawater make for a generally cool spring, while autumn is warm and pleasant until mid-October. Click here for the latest forecast. Varna is the third largest city in Bulgaria with a population approaching 700,000 people and a major centre on the Northern Bulgarian Black sea coast with traditionally large resorts such as St. Constantine & Helena (first developed in 1948), Golden Sands (1956) and Albena (1970's), all recently revamped and expanding each year; and in addition, plenty of comparatively smaller tourist complexes, like Sunny Day, Riviera Holiday Club, etc. The tourist industry apart, Varna boasts a tradition in shipbuilding and sea trade and is home to the largest shipyard in Bulgaria. Many cargo-shipping companies operate from the Varna Port, making the city a major trading centre. Varna lies 458 km east of the Bulgarian capital Sofia and 485 km north of Istanbul (225 km to the Turkish border). Charter flights (Thompson, First Choice, TUI) operate from/to Varna International Airport during the summer season and cover a number destinations in UK, Germany and France, while direct schedule flights include destinations like London, Bucharest, Vienna, Tel Aviv, Odessa, Helsinki and other destinations. ACTIVITIES Hiking and riding are the main activities within short distance. A horse centre called Ponyland has opened in 2010 in the village offering riding lessons to children. The water park Aquapolis at Golden Sands Resort (23 km from the house) may be an exciting day out for the kids. A Go Kart Racing Track can be found some 12 km on the road to Varna. An old-fashioned sailboat Pinta Varna offers day trips in the sea, starting from the main Varna port station. Golf is another potential activity offered by a new golf course near Balchik (30 km north) called Black Sea Rama. The full array of water sports can be found in any of the resorts: Albena (22 km); Golden Sands (23 km), Sunny Day (15 km). SHOPPING in Oreshak and VARNA There are a couple of small grocery shops within walking distance from the cottage, in the village centre, and locals might supply fresh eggs, milk and organic fruit and vegetables in season. For wider choice, Varna is only 18 min away by road. Some of the larger supermarkets and discount stores include Metro Cash and Carry, Piccadilly, Kaufland, Technopolis; the largest open-air markets for fresh fruit and vegetables are Chataldja and the Kolkhoz bazaar. Varna's pedestrian-only high street, Knyaz Boris I, stretches a couple of miles between the Cathedral (Nezavisimost Square), round the Cherno More Hotel to the Festival Centre and the main entrance to the Seafront Gardens, with an abundance of shops for everyone's taste. New malls are emerging in 2008 in different areas of the city. SIGHT-SEEING For those interested in history, the region of Varna provides a wide choice of places to visit. The Museum of History in town holds a permanent exhibition of the oldest gold artefacts, discovered at a Necropolis (City of the Dead) near Varna, dating back to the 5th millennium BC, along with other fascinating exhibits from different ages of the region's history. Bulgarian archaeologists have recently discovered ancient settlements scattered throughout Bulgaria, several of which -- the Varna Necropolis being one -- bear evidence to the existence of a yet unknown civilization on the Balkans, dating to 5000 BC and earlier. Varna's history goes back a long way, through Thracian, Hellenic and Roman times, and the city has been a major port on the Black Sea over the centuries. Some of the sites worth seeing in town today are the Roman Baths (ruins from 2-3rd c. AD), the Ethnographic Museum, the Maritime Museum, and the Cathedral of Virgin Mary (built in 19th c). A stroll along the 5 mile-long Sea Gardens stretching as a green band along the Bay of Varna, gives a true air of tranquillity amidst a busy metropolis, and allows for a more private insight to life for Varna residents in, perhaps, their favourite spot downtown. On the cultural and entertainment side, during the season, Varna becomes a focal point for music and theatre festivals, held at the Festival Centre, the Art Gallery, the Summer (open-air) Theatre in the Sea Gardens, as well as the Varna Opera & Theatre House. More information can be obtained from the Tourist Information Centre at Mussala Square in Varna's pedestrian area. |
Bulgarian
