Hello everyone. Now we will talk about a city that is not considered a full-fledged place for a beach holiday. But, it is considered an ideal place for a weekend. After reading this article, you will find out whether it is worth going on holiday to Balchik? And we will also evaluate the resort according to all the main criteria. You can also take part in the assessment of the resort – by giving your rating at the end of the article.
And also Balchik is the third largest port city after Varna and Burgas and this is Balchik.
General information
In Balchik, it seems, time has stopped here. It is not like other resort towns. Beauty and grace surround you from all sides. Vacationers walk along the small streets. The streets of the city are fancifully spread out on the slopes of the hills in tiers, creating a romantic mood.
The name of the city is emblazoned on the top of the hill. The local houses add a special touch to the resort – all of them are built of white stone with a red roof.
If you want to see Balchik in all its glory, we recommend looking at it from the sea or from the hill at the very beginning of the city. We saw most tourists from Romania.
This was evident from the number of license plates and souvenir flags. The largest number of tourists, not counting the City Beach, we saw at the palace of the Romanian Queen Maria “Quiet Nest”.
Location
The resort of Balchik is located in the northern part of Bulgaria, 42 kilometers from Varna. The city is located on the southern slope of the mountain and is protected by a bay. Recently, quite a lot of Englishmen, Irishmen and other foreigners have settled here. Balchik is connected by a pedestrian embankment with another resort – Albena, the length of which is more than seven kilometers.
It is so nice to walk or ride a bike along the sea’s edge.
How to get there?
The nearest airport to Balchik is in Varna, which is 47 km away.
There are regular buses from Varna to Balchik every half hour to an hour. You can also take a taxi. Paid parking costs one and a half euros per hour, but even paid parking in the center is often full.
Beach
The central beach of Balchik is the largest and most popular among the nearby beaches.
But it is large only if you compare it with other, even smaller beaches.
The central one is barely two hundred meters long. On the map, the beaches are highlighted in orange, and the rest of the coastal space is occupied by a dam with an embankment and piers for boats and ships.
It is located next to the city port. This beach is great for children because of the shallow water. The beach has fine sand and there are small shells in it. There are lifeguards on the Central Beach, there is also a medical team, showers, changing rooms.
As on other beaches, you can use the opportunity to rent umbrellas, sun loungers, water bikes, etc. In addition to the zone with paid umbrellas, there is also a zone for free use of the beach.
But you should keep in mind that the road to the beach is absolutely not landscaped, you will have to go through a parking lot with passing cars. There are no sidewalk tiles or even asphalt, but there is dirt, small stones and dust.
In addition to the central beach, there are very small improvised and unequipped beaches near the bars.
Our traditional rubric is measuring the water temperature in the sea. We took a measurement on one of these small beaches. The water in the sea was +26.8 degrees.
Prices on one of the beaches. Umbrella – 3 euros, Sunbed – 2.5, Tent – 12.5 euros. On the central beach the prices are the same, only a sunbed costs 3 euros.
Prices for water attractions on the central beach can be seen in the photos in the gallery.
It should be noted that the beaches in Balchik have not been awarded the Blue Flag. Visually, the water in the sea also seemed dirty, there was no desire to swim.
Near the city there is Lake Tuzlata with healing mud.
Accommodation
Accommodation prices start from 25 euros per night for a double room when rented for a week.
This is the price of a room in a guest house and is relatively far from the sea. Moreover, you will have to go uphill to return. There are hotels of various star ratings in the city.
You can rent a room in a hotel on the first line near the sea. So the price for a double room in the Mistral hotel with 4 stars in the season is 90 euros. But usually there are no vacancies in such hotels.
Nutrition
Balchik has a wide choice of catering establishments. Many bars by the sea. You can sit in one of the bars on the embankment with a view of the Palace.
Prices in one bar on the embankment by the sea. There are snack machines on the streets. Closer to the city center, at the top of the hill, there is a Lidl store.
What to see in Balchik?
Balchik is home to two of the 100 national tourist sites in Bulgaria. These are the Botanical Garden and the architectural and park complex Palace. Along with them, Balchik has lesser-known but interesting tourist sites such as the Historical Museum and the Art Gallery.
The most beautiful part of the palace is undoubtedly the gardens. They were created by the famous Swiss gardener Jules Jani. Entrance to the palace is paid, paid at a separate ticket office before entering the botanical garden. The cost for one adult is 3.5 euros. There are queues at the ticket office.
The botanical garden in Balchik covers an area of about 6.5 hectares. The total number of plant species grown in the garden exceeds 2,500 species.
To enter the park, you will need to pay 6 euros per adult at the cash desk.
There is a small exhibition-fair on the embankment where you can try and buy honey-based products.
You can rent a boat, a motorboat or take a ride on a ship.
Pros of the resort
- There is a city beach that is also suitable for children.
- Average prices for accommodation and low prices for food.
- There are attractions in the city itself.
- There is a promenade along the sea.
Cons of the resort
- The beaches are relatively small and become very crowded and cramped during peak season.
- The approach to the Central Beach is not well-maintained.
- The cleanliness of the water in the sea also raises questions.
- The city is located on a steep slope in several tiers, so upon returning from the sea you will have to climb up the mountain or rent accommodation on the first line by the sea.
- Parking problem on weekends – all parking lots were occupied.
Conclusions
Balchik is suitable for people looking for a quiet holiday in a small town on the sea surrounded by attractions. We cannot recommend this resort primarily for people for whom the quality of the sea and the beach are in the first place when choosing a place to relax.
Have you been to Balchik and what did you like, write in your comments?
Sea water temperature in Balchik by month
