VARNA – ALADZJA MONASTERY – VARNA – 9:00 – 17:00
09:00 h — The tour starts from Varna City Port to the cathedral “St. Uspenie Bogoroditchno” (43.205278, 27.909960)— 60 min.
The cathedral is in the centre of Varna and is presently one of the most famous buildings in the city. The cathedral turned into one of the symbols of Varna as it is a temple for prayers for the people of Varna and part of the tourist tours.
The history of this remarkable church started in the first years after the Liberation of Bulgaria from Ottoman Yoke. Materials from the nearby area of Varna were mainly used for the construction of the cathedral temple. The honor to put the first stone of the temple was given to king Alexander I Batemberg in August 22, 1880 after a ceremonial church service. The chosen name “Uspenie Presvyatiya Bogoroditsi” was in memory of all Russia Empress Maria Alexandrovna, who had died recently and was a Bulgarian benefactor and aunt to the king.
The construction of the temple started immediately and took six years to complete. The design was prepared by the architect Maas from Odessa and resembled the design of the Peterhovski Temple in Petersburg.
10:00 h. — Visit to the Archeological Museum (43.207358, 27.914960) — 1 h. and 30 min.
The oldest golden treasure in the world is kept here. Its age is dated 4000 years B.C. It was found by accident during construction works near Varna in 1972. It is hard to imagine the long period, during which these amazing golden ornaments and items stayed underground and waited for the moment when historians and archeologists from all over the world will acknowledge the fame of the treasure from the chalcolithic necropolis. The treasure consists of about 2000 items of almost pure 23.5-carat gold with a total weight of 5.5 kg. It includes golden necklaces, bracelets, breastplate ornaments and utensils. This find significantly changed the notion of the historians about the development of human civilization. One of the most amazing exhibits that could be seen in the museum is the royal golden staff — a symbol of power. Tomb No.43 with the skeleton of a forty-to- fifty-year-old man covered with more than 100 golden ornaments is also of great interest. The tomb holds the body of the chief (king), who had sacral functions and possessed the symbols of power.
11:30 h. — Visit to the Ethnographic Museum (43.201071, 27.913372) — 1 h.
Ethnographic Museum — Varna was open on July 27, 1974. The museum is in a house from the Bulgarian national revival period and is of “Symmetric houses” type. The house was built around 1860. The museum shows the varied culture and way of life of Varna area population during the second half of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century.
The main types of occupation for the population are exhibited on the first floor of the museum — agriculture, farming, apiculture, fishing, viticulture and the handicrafts — cask building, making of copper utensils, furriery and frieze making. An interesting exhibit in the museum is the old plough “Dyolmedzja” used for plowing until the 20th century. Grain containers, bread preparation containers and bread shovels are also exhibited. The museum’s exhibition also presents two work customs related to sowing and harvesting.
The second floor of the museum presents the national costumes reflecting the demographic nature of Varna area. The costumes in Varna area distinguish themselves with their great variety resulting from the complex migration processes in the first decades of the 19th century. Costumes of each main ethnographic group in the area have been exhibited — local population and immigrants from Trakia, Mysia and Macedonia. Ritual costumes for the feasts — Christmas, Petliovden and Lazarovden are also presented. Exhibited are also wedding customs — taking the bride from her home, a sled with gifts and “Camels” — masquerade new year games.
12:30 h. — Lunch in a restaurant in Varna — 1 h.
13:30 h. — Free time for a walk in the Sea Garden and the pedestrian zone of the city — 1 h. and 30 min.
15:00 h. — Visit to the Museum “Roman Thermae” (43.200203, 27.918028) — 1 h.
The archeological remains of the former public baths in the ancient town Odesos are situated in present day Varna. The Pontic colony Odesos was established 570 B.C. by immigrants from the Ionian polis Milet. Thracians, Mysians, Romans and immigrants of other ethnic groups also lived here apart from the Hellenes. The ruins are in the older seaside part of Varna.
16:00 h. — Departure for “Aladzja Monastery” (43.277445, 28.016252) from Museum “Roman Thermae” — 12 km. Duration: 30 min.
Arrival: 16:30 h. — A tour in the monastery and the area — 1 h.
Aladzja Monastery is 2 km away from the sea resort Golden Sands and 10 km north from Varna. The detour for Aladzja Monastery is just before Golden Sand and is easily reached by car or bus. Aladzja Monastery originates from the 11-12th century when the ascetic monks took up their residence there. The caves were inhabited during the Early Byzantine period and the first archeological finds were dated this period — coins and several ceramic pieces. The monastery reached its bloom under the influence of the Hesy-chasm movement during the Second Bulgarian Empire. The monastery was abandoned at the beginning or in the middle of the Ottoman yoke period. For the first time the name of the monastery “Aladzja” (from Turkish — “parti-colored”) was used in 1832 from the Russian archeologist Victor Teplenkov. The first total examination of the monastery was done by K. Schkorpil, who examined the caves and described the construction plan in 1889. Together with his brother, he founded the Varna Archeological Association and the Museum, which are responsible for the maintenance of the monastery. In 1912 the monastery was proclaimed a national monument and in 1957 — a monument of culture with national significance.
At present Aladzja Monastery is not functional. Due to landslides and subsiding the current appearance of the monastery is different from its original. Nowadays the remains of 20 rooms and 3 churches positioned in two layers connected with a rock-cut stairs could be distinguished. The largest church hall (the monastery church) is on the second floor and is almost entirely cut into the rock. The better preserved chapel is on the last level. This is the only room with a preserved wall decoration dated the 14th century. On the southern wall there are fragments of five standing figures of monk-saints. The decoration of the ceiling is even better preserved — in the center is a circle with a wide ornamented frame encircling a shining Christ seated on a throne. Four figures of flying angels are supporting the central disk.
17:30 h. – Departure to the Varna City Port – Duration: 30 min.
09:00 h — The tour starts from Varna City Port to the church “St. Atanasii” — 1h.
Temple “Saint Atanasii” is the old bishop church in Varna. It is located near the Roman Thermae. In its present appearance the church was built in 1838 on the place of the ancient temple, which had been burned by fire two years ago. The feast of the temple is January 18.
10:00 h. — Museum of National Revival (43.203733, 27.918258) — 1h.
The museum presents the most important moments in the history of Varna during the period of National Revival. The first floor reflects the importance of Varna as a strategic point in the western Black Sea area and the participation of Varna in the Russo-Turkish wars at the end of the 18th and the first half of the 19th century. The exhibition on the second floor presents moments of the economic development of the town, such as the construction of the municipal office building, the school, the library and the church and national movement. One of the halls recreates the environment of a room in the primary school with all attributes related to teaching in this past period. The exposition also shows new artifacts collected during the years — books, church plates, weaponry, photographs and personal belongings of rebels fighting for our freedom.
11:00h – Departure for Park-Museum “Vladislav Varnentchik” (43.231087, 27.868242) — 40 min.
11:40 h. — Park-Museum “Vladislav Varnentchik” — 1h.
The park-museum of the battle friendship “Vladislav Varnentchik” is a memorial complex devoted to all the nations participating in the battle of November 10, 1444 against the Ottoman Empire. The 20-thousand European allied Christian army led by the Polish-Hungarian king Vladislav III Yagelo fought against the Ottoman army of sultan Murad II. The museum complex is built in the centre of the battlefield between two Thracian mounds. For many European nations it has turned into a cult place of worshipping the memory of the ancestors who fell in the allied anti- Ottoman battle.
In 1935 on the territory of the park and on top of an authentic vault dated the 4th century was constructed a symbolic mausoleum of the 20-year old king who died in the battle and posthumously received the name Varnentchik. Inside is a replica of the king’s sarcophagus from the Wawel Palace in Poland. In 1964 was built a museum building housing an exhibition, which presented weaponry of the king’s army of crusaders and the army of sultan Murad II. Pictures, sculptures and engravings depict moments in the battle of Varna and its heroes. In 1996 was created an exhibition devoted to the creator of the Mausoleum and the builder of many cultural monuments in Varna – the famous Bulgarian healer col. Petar Dimkov.
12:40 h. — Departure for Aksakovo in north-west direction — duration — 20 min.
Aksakovo is a town in North-Eastern Bulgaria. It is located in the southern foot of the Frangensko Plateau, 3 km north-west from Varna. It is an administrative center of Aksakovo Municipality, Varna District.
13:00 h. — Arrival in Aksakovo and a walk in the town center, church “St. Uspenie Bogoroditchno” (43.259007, 27.818640), Evangelic Baptist church and the town’s fountain in the square — 1 h.
14:00 h. — Lunch in Aksakovo — 1 h.
15:00 h. — The tour continues with a walk along Batova River and a visit to Eco-village “Dobrogled” (43.272671, 27.761673) in Dobrogled village — 1 h.
Batova River is 5 km north from Aksakovo and 20 km away from the centre of Varna. Batova River (also Batovska River) is a river in North-Eastern Bulgaria, Varna District — Aksakovo Municipality and Dobrich District — Dobrich Municipality and Balchik Municipality, running into the Black Sea. The length of the river is 38.7 km.
Batova River was formerly named Kavakdere and starts from the karst spring “Palascheshme” at 309 m altitude in the Frangensko Plateau, 1.2 km south-west from Kumanovo village, Aksakovo Municipality. Batova River is the only river in Dobrudzja with a constant water flow. The water collecting area of Batova River is 338.8 km2. The River has a winter-spring full water flow period starting in November, peaking in February and ending in May. The remaining 5 months give limited water flow with lowest values in July and August.
16:00 h. — Eco-village “Dobrogled” in Dobrogled village — 1 h.
Outside the complex there are other entertainments such as a walk in the nearby forest, horse riding or a buggy tour.
17:00 h. — Departure for the natural phenomenon “Pobiti Kamani” (43.225968, 27.706415 ) — 20 min.
17:20 h. — Natural Phenomenon “Pobiti Kamani” — 30 min.
The natural phenomenon “Pobiti Kamani” (standing stones) located north and south from Beloslavko Lake is uncovered Eocene sands around standing stone pillars resembling a stone forest. The impressive landscape of the standing stones could be seen in seven big and several smaller uncovered places. The most popular is the group “Center-South”. It is located 18 km west from Varna. There are around 300 big and small standing pillars rising up to 6 m located mainly south from the old road Varna — Devnya.
The most impressive groups of standing stones (“Center-South”, “Beloslav-West” and “Slanchevo-East”) were proclaimed for preserved territories of Bulgaria as early as 1938. Further, 14 groups with a total area of 253.3 hectares were proclaimed preserved by several successive acts and an order by the Minister of Environment and Waters as of 2002 classified the natural landmark as preserved area. “Pobiti Kamani” is a preserved zone in the network Nature 2000 which preserves the largest sand habitats in the country with specific flora, vegetation and animal life. In the standing stones area was found the only evidence in Bulgaria for human life in the Mesolithic Age.
17:50 h. – Departure to the Varna City Port – Duration: 30 min.
09:00 h — The tour starts from Varna City Port to THE NAVAL MUSEUM (43.200306, 27.921569) — 1 h.
The Naval Museum offers to its visitors a unique journey following the footsteps of the naval heritage. The museum presents both the heroic moments and glory of war, and the individual lives of Bulgarian sailors. The history of the Bulgarian naval and trade fleet is presented through ship models, uniforms, medals, personal belongings and navigational devices. Periodically the museum presents paintings of marine artists. The recreations of a cannon deck from 18th century and of the sea bottom will make your visit here memorable. The only place in Bulgaria where you can see prow figures of ships from different periods and World War II equipment from a water landing airplane Arado 196 is the Naval Museum. There is an open exposition with collections of anchors, water mines, ship and terrestrial cannons. Here is also the ship-museum “Drazki” — the only preserved torpedo bearer of this class in the world.
10:00 h. ROMAN THERMAE (43.200220, 27.918050) — 1 h.
This is the largest antic public building in Bulgaria and is among the largest public baths in the Roman world. The visit to the public baths (thermae) was part of the everyday life of the Roman citizens. The baths were a large complex not only for bathing, but also for recreation and entertainment, where the visitors spent many hours. There they could play sports, meet and have political conversations, share rumors with friends, conclude deals and have a meal. The thermae in Odesos occupied area of more than 7000 m2. The 20-meter-high rectangular building had two main entrances. The numerous halls of the thermae provided to visitors not only comfort, but also delight for their spirit. The bathing rooms and the halls were decorated with marble tiling, columns, statues and multi-colored mosaic fountains having a dolphin form. Hot and cold water sprung from many sources.
The famous hero Hercules known as patron of springs was also given honor. There were markets offering many goods in the galleries around the baths. The visitor passed successively through several baths: frigidarium — for bathing with cold water, tepi- darium — for bathing with warm water, caldarium — baths with hot water, latrina— rest room. An interesting fact is that statues of the Roman gods Victoria and Mercury were found during the excavation works. A temple of the health supporting gods Asclepius and Hygieia joined the baths. The famous hero Hercules known as patron of springs was also given honor.
11:00 h. — Departure for Beloslav along the picturesque road Varna – Razdelna. Duration: about 40 min.
11:40 h. — Arrival in the centre of Beloslav (43.186213, 27.706672).
The tour continues with a walk in the town centre, the fountain and the church “St. Velikomatchenik Dimitar Solunski” — 1 h.
13:00 h. — Lunch — 1 h.
14:00 h. — Visit to the Museum of Glass — 1 h.
The museum is located on the shore of the Beloslavsko Lake, on the place where the first Bulgarian glass factory was founded in 1893. Beloslav’s region is famous with its old traditions in glass manufacturing and processing. The museum keeps and develops the traditional methods of glass production and combines them with the latest achievements of technology. The next part of the visit is entering the furnaces where a seminar demonstration is made without interrupting the normal workflow — three units are crafted manually. Here tourist may observe a manual glass production, a semi-automatic device for production of glass bottles and a robot handling the glass in the furnace.
Tourists also have the opportunity to enter into a “glass cave” — a glass furnace attractively modified for observation of its inner parts where the natural and synthetic materials bind their properties under the power of fire and turn into glass mass. The glass masters craft this mass into items and have the opportunity to be creators: glass items are prepared and everyone could decorate them manually with a transparent paint and take them home as a souvenir from the visit. Visitors also have the opportunity to participate in the creation of their own product. In the exhibition hall there are hundreds of vases, bowls, candle stands and different animals, each of them manually crafted and different from the others, as well as a large number of bottles in various colors and forms. Every visitor may choose the item that attracts him/her as a souvenir for the day of joining these people devoting their lives to glass processing and participating in the magic that creates the beauty.
15:00 h. — Departure in eastern direction for the preserved area “Yatata” (“The Flocks”) (43.189087, 27.732740) — 1 h. and 30 min.
2 km east from the central part of Beloslav is the preserved area “Yatata”, which is attractive for ornithologists and eco-tourists. The place is a mosaic of various bird habitats and the most typical are the swamp areas, which are separated to a sea water part and a fresh water part by a dike. A small valley with grass and bush vegetation together with a rocky area and an abandoned sand quarry complement the variety of habitats.
According to data provided by the Bulgarian association for bird protection, 208 bird species inhabit the preserved area. 7 species are classified as globally endangered and between 20 and 62 species are classified as endangered for Europe depending on the classification used. During migration three globally endangered species could be observed – pygmy cormorant /Phalacrocorax pygmeus/, dalmatian pelican /Pelecanus crispus/, ferruginous duck/Aythya ny- roca/, together with the glossy ibis /Plegadis falcinellus/ and eurasian spoonbill /Platalea leucorodia/.
16:30 h. — Next is a panorama tour of the Beloslavsko Lake and Beloslavska Cave — 30 min.
17:00 h. – Departure to the Varna City Port – Duration: 30 min.
09:00 h — The tour starts from Varna City Port to the Sea Garden (43.207939, 27.931547) – 1h.
The Sea Garden is one of the symbols of Varna. Its beautiful and breezy alleys follow the whole seaside alley of the city. Typical for the Sea garden are the well-maintained magnificent garden areas, calm alleys, various kinds of natural vegetation and the large number of cultural monuments within its territory. The impressive main entrance of the Sea Garden is formed by columns and was built in 1939 according to design prepared by the main architect at that time — Georgi Popov.
After the Liberation of Bulgaria the mayor of Varna Mihail Koloni proposed the creation of a town garden (behind the theater) and a contemporary seaside park. The activity of M. Koloni and his adherents soon gave results — the garden expanded to 26 decares and the first 130 trees were planted, the alleys were repaired. The Sea Garden is connected with the name of the Czech Anton Novak. Upon a request by Varna Municipality in 1894, K. Schkorpil invited in Varna the park builder who participated in the building of the places Schonbrunn and Belvedere in Wien. The Sea Garden has won its reputation as the most beautiful park on the Balkans.
10:00 h. — Museum “New history of Varna” (43.198662, 27.917985) – 30-40 min.
The building housing the exhibition of the Museum “New history of Varna” was reconstructed in 1851 in order to house the Belgian Consulate. The museum was created in 1969. The exhibition is on three floors with a total area of 600 m2and presents the development of Varna as a port, trade, industrial, cultural, educational and resort centre in the period 1878 — 1939. In the halls of the museum are recreated original items, workshops, a hotel room, confectionery, tavern, photo studio, lawyer office, hat shop, stationery, toy shop, radio shop, part of a beach with a reed-made changing room and the inner yard of a Varna house. Presented is the development of the European cultural appearance of Varna and its conversion into international sea resort center and summer capitol of Bulgaria. Exhibited are original photographs of old buildings and streets, samples of architectural elements, items from the palace “Evksinograd”.
10:40 h. — Departure for palace “Evksinograd” in RC “St. St. Konstantin and Elena” — 9 km. Duration: 20-30 min.
11:00 h. — Palace “Evksinograd” in RC “St. St. Konstantin and Elena” (43.219164, 27.994794) — 1 h.
We offer you original experience filled with historical emotion and touching the preserved atmosphere of past times when the palace was a summer residence. The palace was built for Alexander I Batemberg in the period 1881 -1885. Initially the residence was named San- drovo (from the Italian nickname of the king — Sandro) but in 1893 Princess Maria Luiza Burbon-Parmska named it Evksinograd (Hospitable town) — from the Greek name of Black Sea.
The modern palace and its gardens were created by Prince Ferdinand I. The initial main building design of the palace Evksinograd was in a French chateau-style “Luis XIII” (figured brick walls, a high mansard roof with a copper surface and a clock tower) and was prepared by the Austrian architect Victor Rumpelmayer. The building was completed in the189CTs by the Swiss architect Herman Mayer with the help of the architect Nikola Lazarov. The palace is one of the most exquisite architectural examples in Bulgaria after the Liberation. It is a functioning residence and could be visited upon a preliminary request! 12:00 h. — Monastery “St. St. Konstantin and Elena”. Duration 15 min. Monastery “St. St. Konstantin and Elena” was reconstructed in the 19th century and is functioning, church feast — May 21. The monastery is open for visiting all year. It was founded among old dense forests near Varna. In 1908 a sanitarium for people infected with tuberculosis was built near the monastery. The sanitarium became so famous that the resort complex “St. St. Konstantin and Elena” named after the monastery formed around it. The first written sources regarding the monastery date back to the 18th century. During the Russo-Turkish War 1828-1829 the monastery was destroyed. It was restored several years later with the efforts of the brothers Teodosii and Agapii Kantardzhievi from Tarnovo.
The monastery was mainly repaired in 1972 when the magnificent wood-carved iconostasis and the bishop throne were constructed. The dome of the church was paneled in wood during the last repair works in the complex. The church is made of stones and is buried into the ground. It has no wall paintings. Ever since its foundation, the monastery is famous with its healing water springing from the altar behind the holy throne. The spring is still preserved.
12:00 h. — Lunch in a restaurant in RC “St. Konstantin and Elena” — 1 h.
13:00 h. — A walk in RC “St. Konstantin and Elena” — 1 h.
14:00 h. — Departure for Natural Park “Golden Sands” and Aladzja Monastery — 15 min. (43.277508, 28.016295)
14:15 h. — Natural Park “Golden Sands” and Aladzja Monastery — 2 h.
Natural Park “Golden Sands” includes parts of the eastern slopes of Frangensko Plateau. It is an incredible mixture of sea, vegetation and a picturesque shore. Dense forests cover the deep damp dingles surrounding 13 small natural lakes and temporary streams. The liana entangled (Clematis vitalba, Hedera) trees and dense bushes turn the forest into impenetrable green jungle. Artificially planted in the park were: acacia, poplar, mulberry, sycamore and several coniferous species — black pine, fir, cedar, thuja, and cypress. There are 15 endangered grass species (snowdrop, ephedra and cowslip). 12 species of orchid complement the magnificence of the park. The park preserves habitats of wild animals such as roe, fox, badger, sloth and bat. The bird kingdom is represented by more than 70 species and the largest number is of the songbirds — titmouse, thrush, blackbird, jay and robin.
Aladzja Monastery is the most famous Bulgarian seaside monastery cut into rocks, and is one of the numerous monk dwellings during the 8th and 9th century. The monastery reached its bloom under the influence of the Hesychasm movement during the Second Bulgarian Empire. “Aladzja” from Turkish means “parti-colored” and probably this is where the name of the monastery comes from — the bright colorful wall paintings from the Early Middle Ages found there. It is believed that the monastery is part of a large complex including 500 similar religious cloisters. The premises are situated in two layers in a 40-meter-high limestone rock. The monastery church is located in the west and its first layer was decorated with wall paintings. Unfortunately only fragments could be seen from these wall paintings. The crypt is in the lowest layer and there are only three toms in it. The monastery was abandoned at the beginning of the Ottoman yoke period in 14th century, but the local Christians continued to visit the place. Evidence for their visits is the silver ring dated the 18th century that was found there. The first examination of the monastery was done by the Schkorpil brothers at the end of the 19th century. In 1912 the monastery was proclaimed a national monument and in 1957 it was proclaimed a monument of culture with national significance.
17:00 h. – Departure to the Varna City Port – Duration: 30 min.
Varna City Port – Sea Garden – 09:00 – 14:00
09:00 h — The tour starts from Varna City Port to Roman Thermae (43.200220, 27.918050) – 1 h.
This is the largest antic public building in Bulgaria and is among the largest public baths in the Roman world. The visit to the public baths (thermae) was part of the everyday life of the Roman citizens. The baths were a large complex not only for bathing, but also for recreation and entertainment, where the visitors spent many hours. There they could play sports, meet and have political conversations, share rumors with friends, conclude deals and have a meal. The thermae in Odesos occupied area of more than 7000 m2. The 20-meter-high rectangular building had two main entrances. The numerous halls of the thermae provided to visitors not only comfort, but also delight for their spirit. The bathing rooms and the halls were decorated with marble tiling, columns, statues and multi-colored mosaic fountains having a dolphin form. Hot and cold water sprung from many sources.
The famous hero Hercules known as patron of springs was also given honor. There were markets offering many goods in the galleries around the baths. The visitor passed successively through several baths: frigidarium — for bathing with cold water, tepi- darium — for bathing with warm water, caldarium — baths with hot water, latrina— rest room. An interesting fact is that statues of the Roman gods Victoria and Mercury were found during the excavation works. A temple of the health supporting gods Asclepius and Hygieia joined the baths. The famous hero Hercules known as patron of springs was also given honor.
10:00 h. — Visit to the Museum “New history of Varna” (43.198662, 27.917985) – 1 h.
The building housing the exhibition of the Museum “New history of Varna” was reconstructed in 1851 in order to house the Belgian Consulate. The museum was created in 1969. The exhibition is on three floors with a total area of 600 m2and presents the development of Varna as a port, trade, industrial, cultural, educational and resort centre in the period 1878 — 1939. In the halls of the museum are recreated original items, workshops, a hotel room, confectionery, tavern, photo studio, lawyer office, hat shop, stationery, toy shop, radio shop, part of a beach with a reed-made changing room and the inner yard of a Varna house. Presented is the development of the European cultural appearance of Varna and its conversion into international sea resort center and summer capitol of Bulgaria. Exhibited are original photographs of old buildings and streets, samples of architectural elements, items from the palace “Evksinograd”.
11:00 h. — Visit to the Archeological Museum (43.207358, 27.914960) — 1 h. and 30 min.
The oldest golden treasure in the world is kept here. Its age is dated 4000 years B.C. It was found by accident during construction works near Varna in 1972. It is hard to imagine the long period, during which these amazing golden ornaments and items stayed underground and waited for the moment when historians and archeologists from all over the world will acknowledge the fame of the treasure from the chalcolithic necropolis. The treasure consists of about 2000 items of almost pure 23.5-carat gold with a total weight of 5.5 kg. It includes golden necklaces, bracelets, breastplate ornaments and utensils. This find significantly changed the notion of the historians about the development of human civilization. One of the most amazing exhibits that could be seen in the museum is the royal golden staff — a symbol of power. Tomb No.43 with the skeleton of a forty-to- fifty-year-old man covered with more than 100 golden ornaments is also of great interest. The tomb holds the body of the chief (king), who had sacral functions and possessed the symbols of power.
12:30 h. — A walk in the Sea Garden (43.205, 27.931547) – 1 h.
The Sea Garden is one of the symbols of Varna. Its beautiful and breezy alleys follow the whole seaside alley of the city. Typical for the Sea garden are the well-maintained magnificent garden areas, calm alleys, various kinds of natural vegetation and the large number of cultural monuments within its territory. The impressive main entrance of the Sea Garden is formed by columns and was built in 1939 according to design prepared by the main architect at that time — Georgi Popov.
After the Liberation of Bulgaria the mayor of Varna Mihail Koloni proposed the creation of a town garden (behind the theater) and a contemporary seaside park. The activity of M. Koloni and his adherents soon gave results — the garden expanded to 26 decares and the first 130 trees were planted, the alleys were repaired. The Sea Garden is connected with the name of the Czech Anton Novak. Upon a request by Varna Municipality in 1894, K. Schkorpil invited in Varna the park builder who participated in the building of the places Schonbrunn and Belvedere in Wien. The Sea Garden has won its reputation as the most beautiful park on the Balkans.
13:30 h. – Departure to the Varna City Port – Duration: 30 min.