Relaxing Things To Do In Varna, Bulgaria

An Overview of Varna

Varna is a beautiful resort city on the edge of the Black Sea, filled with tree-lined boulevards, a waterside park, narrow, sandy beaches and a thriving entertainment industry. The city operates as an important maritime capital of Bulgaria and serves as the headquarters for the Bulgarian Navy. With numerous resorts, beaches, parks and access to the Black Sea, there are many relaxing things to do in Varna, Bulgaria.

Relaxing Things To Do In Varna

Primorski-Park

Otherwise known as The Sea Garden (formally the Seaside Park), this is Varna’s largest and oldest public park with numerous landscaped spaces, gardens, seaside walks, amusement features and monuments.

Aladzha Monastery

This is a medieval Orthodox Christian cave monastery complex located just outside Varna. The cave has several hikes around it and exists within the boundaries of the nature parks to the north of the city (Zlatni Pyasatsi Nature Park).

Gold of Varna at Varna Necropolis

Bulgaria’s Varna Gold Treasure is considered the oldest processed gold ever discovered, dating back to the Eneolithic, Copper Age. The gold was uncovered in 1972 during excavations of the Varna Necropolis, 30% of which is still not fully excavated. The golden relics, which include bangels, a necklace, gold disks, a gold-handled axe and a gold penis-sheath, can be found in the Varna Museum of Archaeology.

The Retro Museum

This is a fantastic museum stocked with Communist-era technologies, including motorcycles, automobiles, typewriters and Soviet-era home appliances.

Antique Village

This is a sprawling tourism-historically-themed complex which teaches about the lives of ancient Thracians. Visitors can enjoy novel clothes, traditional foods made from ancient-Thracian wheat and a remodeled “ancient village.”

Pobitite Kamuni

This is a desert-like rock phenomenon and the only desert enviroment found in Bulgaria. The desert is home to a series of “Standings” upright stones of mysterious origin. These stones can be over 30 feet tall, but there isn’t a consensus on how they formed. One current theory suggests the standing formations are mineral deposits surrounding natural underground methane vents. The site is a protected UNESCO World Heritage Site and unique in the world. The only comparable formations can be found in Shark Bay and Nambung National Park, Australia.

Butterfly House

This is an excellent, relaxing venue filled with indoor butterflies. The Butterfly House isa popular destination for families. It’s located slightly north of the city’s center.

Monument of the Bulgarian-Soviet Friendship

Found on a steep hill atop hundreds of steps is a colossal concrete structure built for Soviet soldiers. The large artwork is large enough to be visable from sea, built in the usual bold lines of the communist-era sculpting style. For a long time, the monument was known as “The Russian Monument” and was established on Turna Hill, where men died fighting capitalism and fascism. The site was well-tended until the collapse of the Soviet Union and diminishment of Communism in Europe, after which it quietly fell into disrepair.

Euxinograd Palace

This is a late 19th-century Bulgarian royal summer palace accessing the Black Sea coast. The site now operates as a governmental and presidential retreat offering access for tourists throughout the year.

Varna Roman Baths

Also known as “The Roman Thermae,” this is a complex of ancient Roman baths. The baths were constructed in the late 2nd-century CE and remains the fourth-largest preserved Roman thermae in Europe.

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