Varna in Bulgaria - 13 tips for things to see and do

Varna in Bulgaria is a lovely holiday city on the Black Sea, offering everything from long sandy beaches to food, wine and historical sights. We fell in love with this city and here are our top tips for what to see and do in Varna.

Varna in Bulgaria

Varna is the third largest city in Bulgaria. The city has a long history and was inhabited even before the Greeks established the colony of Odessos here around 580 BC. Later, under Roman and then Slavic rule, Varna became an important trading centre along with Constantinople, Venice and Dubrovnik.

In 1393, the city was conquered by the Turks, who made it an important military centre. Today it is an important port and also has an international character, with its proximity to the holiday destinations of Golden Sands, St. Constantine and Albena.

Varna is located in eastern Bulgaria, on the Black Sea coast. The city is about 45 kilometres east of the capital. Sofia.

What is there to see and do in Varna?

What can you see and do in Varna? We discovered the city together with a guide, and also had time for several small excursions. Here are our best tips in a list.

1. Discover the city on foot

Varna is a pleasant city to walk around. The city offers a relaxed atmosphere with everything from historic buildings to pedestrianised streets and shops. The architecture alternates beautiful turn-of-the-century buildings with houses from the communist era.

The city's beautiful buildings include the Varna Theatre, which opened in 1932.

2. Admire Varna Cathedral

Another building worth taking a closer look at is the Varna Cathedral, or Dormition of the Mother of God Cathedral, as it may be called by a slightly longer name. This is the largest church in Varna and the third largest in all of Bulgaria. This orthodox cathedral, which is adorned with beautiful gold domes on the outside, was inaugurated in 1886. The church is very beautiful and powerful to visit inside.

3. Visit the Archaeological Museum

If you are interested in history, you should not miss visiting the Archaeological Museum in Varna. It houses exhibits and artefacts from the different periods of the city's and region's history.

A wealth of artefacts have been found, and the museum shows what it looked like to open old graves filled with jewellery and other items that the deceased might have needed to take with them. Varna is famous for the discovery of the world's oldest gold treasure, dated between 4600 and 4200 BC.

4. See the ruins of the Roman baths

Another exciting sight in the centre of Varna are the ruins of the Roman baths. This bath was built at the end of the first century AD in the Roman city of Odessos, under the rule of Emperor Septimius Severius.

Covering an area of more than 7000 square metres, the baths are the fourth largest Roman public baths found in Europe. Due to a crisis in the Roman Empire, the baths were abandoned around 280. However, large parts are still intact and it's powerful to walk around here and imagine life as it once was.

5. Walk in the Sea Garden

Along the waterfront, a long green walkway runs through a park called Sea Garden. The park was created in the 19th century and has been expanded over time, becoming larger and larger.

The park is popular for walking or cycling and has plenty of plantings, waterways, small bridges and fountains. The park also has a zoo, dolphinarium, terrarium and aquarium.

6. shopping

Varna is located right on the Black Sea coast, and in the summer it is full of tourists. So naturally there are plenty of small shops selling clothes, hats, bags and jewellery.

7. Sunbathing and swimming

A fine sandy beach runs along the Black Sea. The sand is soft and fine-grained and along the beach there are plenty of ice cream parlours, restaurants and businesses that rent out pedal boats and other things to enjoy in the water.

8. Hang out at a beach bar

Along the beaches are plenty of relaxed beach bars where you can settle down for a beer, a drink or a soft drink in comfortable beach chairs or on soft cushions.

9. Have lunch in the harbour of Port Varna

Port Varna is the largest harbour complex in Bulgaria. Here you can stroll along the waterfront, or perhaps pause for lunch.

We had lunch at the restaurant Staria Chinar, a chain that is located in several places in Bulgaria. Here we started with bread and tasty little scrambles, and then we had a tomato and musarella salad as a starter. For the main course, Peter chose mussels and Helena duck with mashed sweet potatoes.

The most interesting thing was still the dessert, an ice cream that came in together with spraying smoke. Tasty and nice!

10. Experience Bulgarian culture at Kopitoto restaurant

If you want to experience an evening of traditional Bulgarian food and culture, you can go to restaurant Kopitoto in the north-eastern part of the city. We did get some "tourist trap vibes" here, but you sit cosily in the courtyard and it seemed after all that even locals (or tourists from nearby towns / countries) found their way here.

We had a rustic and traditional meal here, with salad for starters, meat and potatoes for the main course and a cake for dessert. Quite simple, but tasty and pleasant.

After dinner it was time for entertainment, which started with a woman and a man walking on hot coals. A hot tip is to not try it yourself. We were told of a man in another Scandinavian society who was challenged to walk barefoot over the embers, which ended up with very large blisters under his feet...

After the show, traditional Bulgarian music was played and a group of girls started dancing. One of our group, Hannah from @hannahlates on Instagram (far right in the picture) joined in and quickly got the hang of it. Impressive!

11. Enjoy food and wine at Darzalas wine and dine

Another special food and wine experience can be had at Darzala's wine and dine, which is very charming and surrounded by greenery. You can't come here unannounced, but if you are a larger group you can book a meal and wine tasting via @darzalaswine on Facebook.

Here we experienced a fantastic evening with genuine Bulgarian food, good Bulgarian wines and pleasant conversations. The meal started with a small selection described as "Bulgarian meze", followed by meat stew and finally Bulgarian cheeses and fruit.

12. Shopping for wine at a Bulgarian winery

If you are interested in wine, you can also take a trip to a Bulgarian winery. We visited Varna Winery in General Kantardzhievo village, just north of the centre of Varna, where we had a short guided tour with information about the wines of the farm.

Among other things, we were fascinated by all the "chemistry" that seems to be behind the process to produce a really good wine. We also tasted, and the wine tasted very good.

When the winery is open, you can stop by to try and buy some wine. The bottles below come from a slightly more "touristy" collection with extra decorated bottles.

13. Take an excursion to Aladzha Monastery

While in Varna, don't miss visiting the Aladzha Monastery, located just north of the centre of Varna. Now an attraction, this cave monastery was once home to monks who lived a strict ascetic life in the caves.

More to see and do in Varna

There is, of course, more to see and do in Varna than we had time for during our trip. There is a whole range of museums and many more churches and archaeological sites. Here are a few more suggestions:

• Retro Museum is a museum that showcases life during the communist era, including a collection of cars and wax figures.
• Maritime Museum (Naval Museum) showcases Bulgaria's maritime history.
• Stone forest, Pobiti Kamani, is a group of naturally formed limestone pillars with very special shapes.
• The wonderful rocks is located a short distance from Varna and offers spectacular views.

Where to stay in Varna?

There are of course many different hotels to choose from in Varna, both in the city centre and along the coast. We stayed at the Graffit Gallery Design Hotel in Varna, which was a very nice, fresh and modern hotel in the centre of town. Here we were served a very good breakfast in the mornings and you could also book yourself into the lovely pool on the penthouse floor.

Things to see and do in the neighbourhood

Less than two hours south of Varna by car is the town of Nesebar, whose old town centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. If you want to sunbathe and swim, you can of course also visit beaches and tourist resorts such as Sunny Beach, Golden Sands, Sveti Konstantin and Albena. Continuing north along the coast, you'll find the beautiful Baltjik and several great golf resorts.

Have you visited Varna in Bulgaria? If so, what are your best tips on what to see and do in Varna, or the surrounding area?

Facts about Varna in Bulgaria

• Country: Bulgaria
• Region: Varna
• Population: Around 350 000 (2017)
• Location: In north-eastern Bulgaria, on the Black Sea.
• Name: Варна in Bulgarian. As a Greek colony, the city was called Odessos.
• Read more: You can find more information about Varna at Bulgarian Tourist Board.

History in Varna

• 580 BC: The Greek trading colony of Odessos was founded around this time.
• 100s BC: The city was incorporated into the Roman Empire.
• 100th century AD: The construction of the Roman baths began, which are the largest Roman remains in Bulgaria.
• 681: The Bulgarian Khan Asparuch conquered the city. The name Varna originates from this time.
• 800s to 900s: During the First Bulgarian Empire, Varna was an important centre of Christianity.
• 13th century: During the Second Bulgarian Empire, the city served as a craft town with an important commercial harbour.
• 1391: The city was conquered by the Ottoman Empire, which made it a militarily significant place.

19th century to present

• 1828: The Russian fleet captured Varna, but only managed to hold the city for two years.
• 1853-1856: Varna played an important role in the Crimean War. The city was besieged by British and French troops, among others.
• 1878: Bulgaria's independence from the Ottoman Empire.
• 1972: Excavations found the oldest gold treasures in the world so far.