A Black Sea jewel, Varna is famous as a beach resort, but is also a vibrant cosmopolitan city year-round. If it's your first visit, you shouldn't miss the majestic Cathedral of the Assumption, a Varna landmark, and millennia of history at the Archaeology Museum. But there's more to discover, from the almost-forgotten Roman Thermae baths to evening strolls around the Opera House.
Guarding Bulgaria's northern Black Sea coast, Varna is a prominent port city and popular resort. The flower-filled Sea Gardens line the waterfront, leading to the port, where the Municipal Beach becomes busy in summer. Inland, ploshtad Nezavisimost square forms Varna's cultural hub, where you'll find both the Opera House and theatre. With its fountain, the square is perfect for promenading and people-watching. The well-preserved Roman Thermae, or baths, date from the second century, and local discoveries stretch back 6000 years at the famous Archaeological Museum.
At the golden-domed Cathedral of the Assumption, gaze at the stained-glass windows and wood carvings. Then visit the Archaeological Museum, which houses relics such as an ancient Chalcolithic (Copper Age) necropolis and gold-adorned religious icons. Wander through the verdant Sea Gardens lining the coast and Municipal Beach, where bars and restaurants are buzzing on summer evenings. Look out for immense warships and submarines in the grounds of the National Naval Museum. On busy boulevard ulitsa Knyaz Boris I, join locals for boutique shopping, or hunt down local handicrafts at stalls around the Opera House.
Travel to nearby resort Zlatni pyasutsi (Golden Sands) for a hedonistic day of sun, waterskiing and miles of soft golden sand, pleasantly quiet off season. Scramble around the Roman Thermae, well-preserved baths where Romans immersed themselves in freezing, warm and hot waters to get clean and socialise. For a cultural evening, see a performance at the Neobaroque Opera House then bar-hop your way around busy ulitsa Slivnitsa.
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