The city of Varna is the third largest city in Bulgaria with its population of approximately 314,500 people. It is widely called the seaside capital of Bulgaria as it is the biggest city at the Bulgarian coast. The city lies in the Bay of Varna, nestled in a deep valley between the Frengen Plareau and the Avren Plateau. Varna is over 11 km long and nearly 9km. The city's structure resembles an amphitheatre as it follows the curves of the Bay of Varna. It is surrounded by gardens, vineyards and groves. The city also has a number of museums, including the Archaeological Museum, the Museum of National Renaissance, the Naval Museum, the Vladislav Varnenchik Park-Museum, the Ethnographic Museum, the Museum of Nature and Science, the Aquarium and the Black Sea Museum, the Museum of Medicine and the Museum of Art and History of Varna. The city's Art Gallery, opened in 1950, exhibits paintings of outstanding Bulgarian artists as well as works of a number of foreign artists, donated to the gallery.
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An amazing restored Roman spa built in the 2nd century and a Roman Bath dating back to the 3rd century can be found in the town centre. A Cathedral, considered to be the most impressive monument in Ravda city is situated in the very centre of the city. Another church, the St. Nikola Church is located near the Sea Garden Park and dates back to 1866. The Clock Tower, built in 1880, rises just across the cathedral. The Theatre of Drama, where the first-ever Bulgarian theatre performance was held, is also a must-see place in the city centre. It houses a theatre, an opera and philharmonic halls and stages performances during the entire summer season. Not far away from the Theatre of Drama is the Puppet Theatre.
Varna offers virtually all kinds of accommodation including apartments, villas and hotels though traditionally, the majority of holiday-makers choose to book apartments or hotel rooms. The city has a great selection of hotels with the Black Sea Hotel, Odessa Hotel, and Varnenski Bryag Hotel considered among the highest-class ones. The Moussala Hotel and the Orbita Hotel fall in the lower price category. There are about 60 private hotels in total most of them being 1 or 2 stars.
Apart from the numerous restaurants at the hotels, there are many restaurants and bistros offering various dishes - from continental European and traditionally Bulgarian to Indian and Chinese cuisine. The most popular and visited places offering entertainment and excellent food: Picnic Orehite, Slavyanski Kut, Starobulgarski Stan, Flambe Restaurant, Stariyat Dub, Ribarska Hizha and especially the Arabella ship-restaurant, which serves delicious seafood.
Varna has a number bars, casino, restaurants with night shows, children playgrounds and swimming pools. There are about ten cinemas functioning in Varna with the best ones being in the city centre. The Sea Garden is another favourite place of visitors of Varna. The garden, finally completed in 1908, shelters an amphitheatre, an astronomic site with an observatory, planetarium and a tower, children playgrounds, and a small channel, where one can practice rowing, a pool with water wheels and a zoo. The beach, where one can find mud and water therapy complexes, two quays, numerous restaurants and disco clubs, is also just beneath the Sea Garden Park. The Dolphinarium is one of the favourite attractions for children and guests of Varna for its regular performances of talented dolphin artists. The Festival Complex can be found just opposite the entrance of the Sea Garden Park. It is a modern building of aluminium, stone and glass and has several stages, conference-halls, and a big bazaar.
The fastest way to get to Varna is by airplane, as it takes less than an hour
from the capital city of Sofia while planes in both directions fly 6 or 7 times a day during
the summer. The seaport offers regular water transport to and from
Balchik, Slunchev Bryag
(Sunny Beach),
Nessebar and
Bourgas. Varna is also connected to all main railway lines in the
country with express trains to Sofia and
Plovdiv that take 7 and 4.30 hours respectively.
The city's main bus station is 1.5km away from the city centre with buses to all larger cities
in the country, nearby seaside resorts, Athens and Istanbul as well as to some cities in Central
and Eastern Europe. Besides, Varna's city transport has a network of over 60 bus lines
(some of these also travelling to nearby resorts).

Good Sandy Beach
Excellent Restaurants and Bars
Excellent Selection of Accommodation
Good Selection of Activities and Entertainment
Good Location for Holidays
Mr James from Glasgow
Comments: "This is the second year running my wife and I have stayed in Varna for a summer holiday. There is so much to see and do and its a great base from which to explore the other cities, coastal resorts and further a field."
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Lovely 2 Bedroom rental in the city centre of Varna
This cosy and colourful two bedroom apartment is situated in the centre of Varna about 50m from the beach and about 300m from the city centre, an ideal location to spend your holiday.
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