What to see in Varna, itinerary including the main monuments and places of interest, including the dolphin aquarium, the archaeological museum and the necropolis in the Bulgarian city with very ancient origins.
Tourist information
Varna, a city in Bulgaria overlooking the Black Sea coast, is one of the most interesting centers on the Bulgarian coast, a major port and a holiday resort with a significant past and a dynamic and modern present.
Lungomare stretches the Primorski Park, an attractive and vast green area opened in 1878, with spaces dedicated to the garden and strolling.
Inside the park are the Aquarium, the National Naval Museum and the Dolphin Aquarium.
A staircase leads to the long sandy beach bordered by a coastal road characterized by a lively nightlife in the many clubs, including bars and restaurants.
Varna, formerly Odessos, was founded by Greek colonists in 580 BC. about, on a site inhabited since prehistoric times, dating back to the Chalcolithic era.
What see
The Necropolis of Varna, an archaeological site located a few km from the center near the lake, is a precious testimony of the prehistoric era.
In the tombs in this vast area, many masterfully chiseled gold objects have been found, hitherto considered the oldest gold treasure in the world.
In the large Archaeological Museum, important finds from these ancient civilizations are preserved, dating back to the Palaeolithic age, the populations of the Greeks, Thracians, Slavs and Proto-Bulgarians, as well as the Byzantine and Ottoman periods.
In the second century. A.D. the Romans settled in Odessos, of this era the city preserves the remains of the grandiose baths, built under the emperor Septimius Severus.
During the Middle Ages Odessos took the name of Varna and, before being conquered by the Ottomans in 1393, it was subjected, at alternate periods, to the Bulgarian and Byzantine domination.
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In 1829 the Russians conquered the city, which established itself as a port and center of commerce, as well as a holiday resort in the early twentieth century.
Among the most important monuments, the Orthodox Cathedral of the Assumption stands out with its golden domes, built in the 19th century.
Inside, you can admire a venerated icon of the Madonna Assunta, interesting frescoes and authentic masterpieces made of carved wood, which distinguish the bishop's throne and iconostasis.
About 15 km from Varna there is the Alagià Monastery, founded in the 13th century, where the anchorites of the Hicasta religious current lived.
Near the monastery church are the catacombs, which are three-storey cave rooms.
