Varna

Monasteries and places of worship

Aladzha Monastery — Varna

Varna

The monastery’s rooms were cut into two levels of limestone. The lower level contains a church, cells and refectory; the upper holds a chapel, while nearby catacombs reveal fifth- and sixth-century occupation.

Nature and mountains

Devnya Springs

Devnya

The spring groups feed the Devnya River and have long powered local watermills. Havuz is enclosed by an oval wall, where flowing water creates a waterfall connecting karst hydrology with traditional livelihoods.

Nature and mountains

Golden Sands Nature Park

Varna

The park was declared on 3 February 1943 from part of the state-owned Hachuka forest. Its original 240 hectares were designated to conserve valuable plant communities, wildlife and coastal landscapes.

Nature and mountains

Kamchia Reserve

Dolni chiflik

River flooding sustains the distinctive alluvial forest along the lower Kamchia. Black storks and lesser spotted eagles breed in the area, which also lies along the Via Pontica bird migration route.

Museums and galleries

Museum of Medical History

Varna

Exhibit from Museum of Medical History

The museum occupies a former hospital built in 1869 with Paraskeva Nikolau’s donation. The building is a national cultural monument, and its anthropological collections trace medical history from antiquity.

Museums and galleries

Museum of Mosaics — Devnya

Devnya

The museum preserves floor mosaics within the remains of an ancient Marcianopolis house. Coloured stone and glass tesserae depict Medusa, Zeus and Antiope alongside animal, plant and geometric motifs.

Museums and galleries

Naval Museum — Varna

Varna

Exhibit from Naval Museum — Varna

The collection began with officers of the Danube Flotilla. Stone anchors, ships' figureheads and a reconstructed ancient cargo hold reveal maritime history through navigation, onboard life and the movement of goods.

Nature and mountains

Pobiti Kamani Stone Forest

Varna

Upright stone columns rise among Eocene sands north of Beloslav Lake. Alongside this unusual landscape, the protected area conserves inland sandy habitats with their distinctive vegetation and associated animal life.

Museums and galleries

Regional History Museum — Varna

Varna

Exhibit from Regional History Museum — Varna

Collections in the former Girls’ School trace prehistory, ancient Odessos and medieval culture. Gold finds from Varna’s Chalcolithic necropolis and sceptres indicating elevated social status occupy a particularly significant place.

Architecture and settlements

Roman Baths — Varna

Varna

The surviving rooms reveal the sequence of Roman bathing in cool, warm and hot water. A hypocaust circulated heated air beneath floors and through wall cavities, demonstrating sophisticated ancient engineering.

Museums and galleries

Vladislav Varnenchik Park Museum — Varna

Varna

The complex commemorates the Battle of Varna on 10 November 1444. King Władysław III’s symbolic mausoleum was built in 1935; the exhibition presents weapons and medieval knights’ armour.

Nature and mountains

Wonderful Rocks

Asparuhovo

Water and wind sculpted the limestone needles into forms resembling castle towers. Rising beside Tsonevo Reservoir, their steep silhouettes demonstrate how erosion transforms rock that initially appears solid and enduring.