Cape Kaliakra in Bulgaria - and a visit to a mussel farm

Cape Kaliakra juts out into the Black Sea as a long point, in the north-eastern part of Bulgaria. Here you can see both natural cave formations and the remains of a medieval fort. Not far from here you can also visit a mussel farm ...

Cape Kaliakra

Cape Kaliakra offers a fantastic view of the Black Sea, and if you are lucky you can even see dolphins here. We had to settle for the cave formations, the ruins and the sun sinking over the water, but that wasn't too bad either!

Cape Kaliakra is located in the north-eastern part of Bulgaria, about 7 miles north-east of Varna.

Medieval forts and naval battles at Cape Kaliakra

Cape Kaliakra has a long history and was inhabited by Thracians as early as the 5th century BC. Some form of fortress has existed here for a very long time, but what you see today dates mainly from the 14th century when Bulgarian rulers set up a fortress here. According to written sources, Kaliakra was a powerful city at that time, where the rulers minted their own coins and used the fort as a church.

Today you can see the remains of the fort's walls, but also the foundations of houses and the ruins of old baths.

A slightly later story involves a naval battle that took place here on 11 August 1791. A Russian military unit, led by Admiral Fyodor Ushakov, repeatedly defeated Hussein Pasha's superior Turkish armada and helped end the war.

Legends associated with Cape Kaliakra

There are several legends associated with Cape Kaliakra. The most popular legend is about 40 Bulgarian girls who chose to tie their hair together and jump to their death in the Black Sea rather than be captured by the Ottoman Empire.

Another legend tells of St Nicholas, the saint of sailors, who tried to escape the Ottoman Empire. God made the ground beneath him longer and longer so he could escape, and so the promontory was formed. Eventually he was captured, and in 1993 a chapel was built to symbolise his grave.

Visiting Cape Kaliakra

Visiting Cape Kaliakra is an interesting and beautiful experience. It's a nice walk out onto the headland, through the wall, and eventually arriving at the dramatic cave formations at the tip of the headland.

We also set off on the side of the roadwhich you might not want to do if you want to be a bit careful. But what's not to do for some good photos for the blog ...?

The walk/climb on the edge of the headland resulted in the following image ...

When we walked back, we stopped for a beer at the cape's restaurant. Here you can eat pizza, fish or meat dishes if you want. We enjoyed the beer and the fantastic sunset.

Dalboka mussel farm

About a mile from Cape Kaliakra you will find the Dalboka mussel farm, where we had lunch one day. Out in the water is the farm itself and on the coast is the restaurant, where you can eat the farm's mussels.

It's really nice to sit here, and it was obviously a popular place because it was full of people.

The menu had lots of different mussel dishes to choose from, as well as a few other dishes. We ate mussels both for starters and main course and especially the main course (where the mussels were served in shells) tasted very good. Fantastic to sit like this by the water and eat mussels!

More to see and do in the neighbourhood

About three miles from Cape Kaliakra you will find Baltjik, with its fine botanical garden. Between Kaliakra and Baltjik are also several fine golf resorts and small charming beaches. Travelling further south along the Black Sea coast, you can visit Varna, Bulgaria's third largest city.

Have you visited Cape Kaliakra in Bulgaria? How was your experience? Or maybe you have more tips on places to visit in the neighbourhood?

Facts about Cape Kaliakra

• Country: Bulgaria
• Location: North-eastern Bulgaria, on the Black Sea, about 6-7 miles north-east of Varna.
• The name: Калиакра in Bulgarian. The name derives from Byzantine Greek and is a combination of two words meaning 'beautiful' and 'cape'.
• Nature: Kaliakra is a nature reserve and you can see dolphins and phalacrocorax (a family of cormorants). Many migratory birds can also be seen here. Bolata Bay offers small sheltered beaches.
• Attractions: Ruins of the 14th century fortress of the Bulgarian ruler Dobrotitsa.
• Read more: You can find more information at Bulgaria Travel.

History at Cape Kaliakra

• 5th century BC: The area was inhabited by the Thracian tribe of Tiris, who gave the area the name Tirisis.
• 300s: Several forts were built in the area.
• 400s to 500s: The fort developed and a battle was fought between Kaliakra and the Byzantine emperor.
• 6th century: The fort may have fallen into disrepair because the Slavs showed no interest in the area.

14th to 15th century

• 14th century: The heyday of Kaliakra was under Bulgarian rulers like Balik and Dobrotitsa.
• 1318: The cape is first mentioned on a western map, with the name Kaliakra.
• Late 14th century: The area fell under Ottoman rule.
• 1402: The Wallachians took over the area, but it was soon taken back by the Ottoman Empire.
• 1444: Knights of Vladislav III of Poland were stopped near Cape Kaliakra in their battle against the Ottoman Empire.

18th century to the present

• 1791: The Battle of Cape Kaliakra took place at sea on 11 August as part of the Russo-Turkish War (1787-1792).
• 1866: Cape Kaliakra got its first real lighthouse. The lighthouse that exists today was erected in 1901.