Marine Tourism

The Bulgarian Black Sea coast is a wonderful place for a summer holiday. Cape Emine is the place where the Balkan Mountain ends at the sea shore, and this place conditionally divides the Black Sea coast into north and south part. The coast line is 378 km long and it has 209 beaches with total area of 16 square kilometers. A large part of them are wide, others are small and nested in picturesque marine bays. The beaches and the sea offer conditions for practicing various types of water sports (surfing, water ski, diving, underground archaeology) and fishing (including underwater). In 2011 with a blue flag are awarded the beaches in Albena, Bunite (Varna), Dyuni, Elenite, Pomorie (east beach), Harmanite (Sozopol), St. Vlas (central beach and Venid beach), Sunny Beach (north and south beach) and Sunny Day. The salinity of the Black Sea is low (in the coastal waters – 16-17‰), and the high and low tides are insignificant. During the summer, the average water temperature is 22-24°С, and in the shallow parts up to 26°С, which makes it particularly pleasant for swimming.

During the past few years a part of the elite marine complexes and resort towns acquired yacht ports. The ports in the resorts Rusalka, Tyulenovo, Balchik, Golden Sands and Varna offer serious opportunities for yachting along the northern Black Sea coast. Options for yacht tourism on the southern Black Sea coast are offered in Burgas, the resorts St. Vlas, Nesebar, Sozopol, Dyuni.

Besides the combination of sun, sand and sea, the Black Sea resorts offer hiking, biking and horse riding tourism, as well as eco tourism, photo safari, visiting of natural, cultural and architectural landmarks. In the northern part of the Black Sea there are 3 golf courses, offering conditions for world level practicing of this type of sport.

Some of the Bulgarian rivers flow into the Black Sea. Their mouths are surrounded by dense and breezy moist loving forests. A part of the rivers are floatable (Ropotamo, Kamchia, Veleka) for small motor boats and offer unforgettable trips along the currents for tourists. The unique dense forests of the rivers Batova, Kamchia, Ropotamo and Veleka are suitable for nature admirers. At the Southern Black Sea you can enjoy the coolness of Strandzha and the centuries old traditions in the villages, nested in the mountain. Tourists can also enjoy the wonderful Black Sea lakes: Alepu, Arkutino, Atanasovsko lake, Balchik Tuzla, Beloslav lake Burgas lake, Varna lake, Durankulak lake (where an Eneolithic settlement mound 4600 - 4200 years BC was found, as well as a temple of the goddess Kibela), the Ezeretsko lake, Nanevska tuzla, Orlovo swamp, Pomorie lake, Stomoplo (swamp) and Shabla lake. Multiple rare plants and animals can be seen in these coastal lakes (lagoons and firths), and deposits of medicinal mud (firth mud) had been found, based on which mud treatment is performed – Pomorie lake, Varna lake, Balchik Tuzla, Shabla, Rusalka and Atanasovsko lake.

Along the coast line there are also mineral springs, and the combination of these natural facts is the reason for the successful combination of spa, balneological and wellness tourism with sea holiday.

Tourists also have the opportunity to visit the five Black Sea islands – St. Anastasia, St. Ivan (where the relics of St. John the Baptist were found), St. Peter, St. Kirik and Yulita, St. Tomas.

The resorts, located on the Black Sea, are suitable for family vacation, as well as for individual holiday and entertainment: Albena, Rusalka, St. Konstantin and St. Helena, Riviera, Obzor, Elenite and Dyuni are some of the most preferred mostly for families with children.

Younger tourists prefer Sunny Beach, Golden Sands, Primorsko, Kiten, Lozenets, because of the large number of clubs, bars, and entertainment options. Sunny Beach is the largest resort complex in the country and it is often a host to the parties of world famous DJs and performers.

Sozopol and Nesebar (UNESCO) are famous for their combination of beautiful coastal nature and historical landmarks. These two towns with thousands of years of history attract the romantic summer tourists.

Excellent conditions for relaxation are offered in the resorts Kranevo, Chayka, Sunny Day, St. Iliya, St. Vlas, Ravda, Pomorie, Chernomorets, Tsarevo, Ahtopol and Sinemorets.

The Bulgarian Black Sea resorts offer various accommodation options – from luxurious 4-5-star hotels to small romantic family hotels, which correspond to global standards.

A part of the hotels in the Black Sea resorts work all year long and offer options for congress tourism, conducting of various events and incentive undertakings. Visitors of the Bulgarian Black Sea shore have the opportunity to enjoy multiple cultural events, including Kavarna Rock Fest, Varna Summer, Apolonia, Spirit of Burgas, the International Folklore Festival in Burgas, fire dancing shows, etc.

Cities

The first settlement forms in our lands were the caves along the lower currents of the rivers Iskar, Yantra and Rusenski Lom. In the 6th century BC the most developed settlement network was the one of Thrace. Later, under the influence of mining, stock-breeding and agriculture the settlement network developed in the Rhodope, the Balkan Mountain, Sofia area, Vratsa area, etc.

In the beginning of the 4th century BC in the present Bulgarian lands there were about 3,000 settlements. In the 3rd century BC the first stone fortresses appeared.

As of the end of the 2nd century BC the settlement development in our land was closely related to Thracians and it reflects their culture. Sofia (Serdika), Plovdiv (Pulpudeva), Yambol (Kabile), Stara Zagora (Vereya), Kyustendil (Pautaliya), Blagoevgrad, etc. were established as Thracian settlements.

In the 8th century BC the first Greek cities appeared – colonies (apoiki) in Aegean Thrace, in 7th century BC most of our Black Sea settlements were also established – Varna (Odesos), Sozopol (Apolonia), Pomorie (Anhialo), Tsarevo (Vasiliko), Nesebar (Mesembria), etc.

In the 2nd century BC in the present Bulgarian lands appeared the first Roman settlements – fortresses along the river valley of the Danube and along the Balkan Mountain passes, as well as at road station in the Danube Lowlands. From Roman times are Vidin (Bononia), Svishtov (Nove), Ruse (Saksiginta Prista), Silistra (Durostorum), Montana (Montanesium), Lovech (Melta), Pleven (Storgozia), Razgrad (Abritus), Stara Zagora (Augusta Trayana), etc. By the establishing of the Bulgarian state, the number of settlements grew fast. In the period of the Second Bulgarian State (681-1018) their number reached 20,000. New settlements appeared in North-east Bulgaria, such as Pliska, Preslav, Shumen, etc. In the period of the Second Bulgarian State (1185-1396) settlements such as Tarnovo, Cherven, Boruy, Krakra, Karvuna, Kran, etc. were established.

In the end of the 17th century Bulgarian settlements were established near inns and farms, and as of the beginning of the 18th century the following mountain settlements developed as crafts centers: Kotel, Koprivshtitsa, Elena, Tryavna, Gabrovo, Sliven, Samokov, etc.

In and around the cities, established during the times of Thracians, Greeks, Romans, the First and the Second Bulgarian State, there are preserved remains of fortresses and settlements. Nowadays the towns and cities in Bulgaria are 256. The largest ones are Sofia, Plovdiv, Varna, Burgas, Ruse, Stara Zagora and Pleven. In the eastern part of the country are the Black Sea towns-resorts: Shabla, Kavarna, Balchik, Varna, Byala, Obzor, Nesebar, Pomorie, Burgas, Sozopol, Primorsko, Sveti Vlas, Chernomorets, Tsarevo, Kiten, Aheloy and Ahtopol.

The towns and cities with developed mountain tourism are: Samokov, Bansko, Dobrinishte, Chepelare, Smolyan, Elena, Troyan, Teteven, etc.

In our country there are also multiple towns with holiday and balneological functions: Bankya, Varshets, Velingrad, Hisarya, Sapareva Banya, Strelcha, Kyustendil, Devin, etc.

Interesting for tourists are also the Danube towns: Vidin, Lom, Kozloduy, Oryahovo, Nikopol, Belene, Svishtov, Ruse, Tutrakan and Silistra.

Many of the Bulgarian towns have preserved their Revival architecture: Kotel, Koprivshtitsa, Kalofer, Sopot, Elena, Tryavna, Bansko, Melnik (the smallest town in Bulgaria), etc.

In some of the towns and cities there are preserved or restored architectural and ethnographic complexes: Plovdiv (the Ancient Plovdiv), Nesebar (The Old Town - UNESCO), Gabrovo (Etara), Sozopol (the Old Town), Dobrich (the Old Dobrich), Zlatograd (Areal Complex), Lovech (Varosha), Smolyan (residential sections Raykovo and Ustovo), Blagoevgrad (Varosha), Sevlievo (Ethnographic Complex), Malko Tarnovo, Veliko Tarnovo (Samodovska Charshiya), Pleven (the Revival Complex), Razgrad (Varosh), etc.

The ancient Bulgarian capitals: Pliska, Veliki Preslav and Veliko Tarnovo are of great interest for tourists.