Baltjik in Bulgaria - botanical garden, palace and wine

Baltjik is a Bulgarian town on the Black Sea that offers a stunning botanical garden, a beautiful summer palace and exciting wine tasting opportunities.

Baltjik in Bulgaria

Baltjik is an ancient city that was originally a Thracian settlement and became a Greek colony in the 6th century BC. The city later became part of the Ottoman Empire and in the early 20th century it belonged to Romania. It was during the Romanian era that the Summer Palace was built. Today, the city is known for its beautiful botanical garden, among other things.

Baltjik is located on the Black Sea in eastern Bulgaria, about four miles north of Varna.

Visiting Baltjik in Bulgaria

We arrived in Baltjik by car, and went straight to the botanical garden. On the way down to the garden there are plenty of restaurants and shops selling summer clothes, jewellery and toys. For us it was an ice cream!

Botanical garden

We then arrived at the entrance to the botanical garden where we were greeted by flowers and ... a sign telling us about the Swedish scientist Carl Linnaeus.

We walked into the botanical garden, which is both impressively large and stunningly beautiful. Established in 1955, the garden is a blooming paradise filled with plantings, waterfalls and pavilions.

Since the garden is located along the Black Sea coast, there are great views of the water almost everywhere.

The garden has one of Europe's largest cactus farms, with cacti both outdoors and in greenhouses.

There are also lots of roses, which smelled amazing.

Lunch in Baltjik - at Corona restaurant

After wandering around the botanical garden for a while, it was time for lunch, which we took at a restaurant with the interesting name "Corona". The lunch started (as usual in Bulgaria I must say!) with a good salad, and then there was some fried seafood. After lunch it was time to check out the Summer Palace.

Queen Mary's Summer Palace

In 1924, Queen Maria of Romania built a summer palace in Baltjik. At the time, the town was part of Romania, and Maria wanted a villa where she could spend her summers with her children.

She named the palace 'Tihoto Gnezdo' (The Quiet Nest). The villa is surrounded by verandas and is equipped with a high tower that almost looks like a minaret of a mosque.

Some of the original décor has been preserved, including artefacts and furniture. In addition, some art was exhibited in the villa.

Wine tasting at the Queen's Winery House

Then it was time to taste wine at Queen's Winery House. What an experience! Anna, who runs the place, welcomed us in and told us about her journey. About how she started with no assets and how she eventually managed to buy land to grow wine - which was then judged by experts as impossible to grow on. But of course Anna didn't give up!

The Queen's Winery House is located in the centre of the botanical garden, right next to the palace. Here you are welcome both to taste and to buy. The wines are very interesting and often different. Anna is not afraid to try and experiment! For example, you will find wines with aronia, watermelon or almond flavours.

More to see and do in the neighbourhood

In Baltjik, in addition to the garden and palace, there is also a historical museum and an ethnographic museum. About 4 miles south of Baltjik is Varna, which is Bulgaria's third largest city. In Varna you will find museums, historical sights, nice restaurants, a large nice park and a long sandy beach. If you continue north along the coast, you will find several nice golf resorts and the beautiful Cape Kaliakra.

Have you visited Baltjik in Bulgaria? If so, how was your experience? Or do you have tips on other nice places to visit in this part of Bulgaria?

Facts about Baltjik

• Country: Bulgaria
• Region: Dobrich
• Location: On the Black Sea in eastern Bulgaria, about 4 miles north of Varna.
• Name: Балчик in Bulgarian. Other spellings: Balcic or Balchik.
• Residents: Around 12 000 (2015)
• Attractions: The Botanical Garden, Summer Palace, the Greek Orthodox Church of St Nicholas from 1865, Ethnographic Museum, Historical Museum and Art Gallery.

History in Baltjik

• Early history: There was a Thracian settlement on the site.
• 600s - 500s BC: A Greek colony was established on the site. The place was first called Krunoi and then named Dionysopolis.
• Ottoman Empire: The city was given its current name.
• 1878: After Bulgaria's liberation, an area rich in agriculture and tourism developed.
• 1913: After the Second Balkan War, Baltjik became part of Romania.
• The First World War: The city was reclaimed by Bulgaria, but then returned to Romania.
• 1940: Just before World War II, Romania ceded Baltjik to Bulgaria.