Today there was a runners’ race in the park, so there were restrictive barriers in front of the entrance to the park. We went through the main entrance to the Seaside Park. The Seaside Park in Varna is undoubtedly a work of art and a real symbol and the main attraction of the city of Varna, after the Assumption Cathedral, of course. It is also one of the largest parks in Europe, created from scratch, by human hands.
The park territory is located directly on the coast of Varna Bay, not far from the city center. If you are in the very center of the city, then you can easily get to the park on foot, within 20 – 30 minutes, but otherwise, the park is separated from the main street of the city by some 100 meters.
The Seaside Park itself was created back in 1878 and was not always so big. In 1950 the park reached its final boundaries, and in its central part the trees were replaced by flower beds, which we can see to this day. The central entrance to the park with its vast area and high columns was created by the Bulgarian architect Georgi Popov in 1939.
Sights of Primorsky Park
The Varna Aquarium is one of the oldest buildings in the Seaside Park, the façade of which combines bas-relief images of the most common species of marine inhabitants of the Black Sea. The Varna Aquarium includes a collection of freshwater and marine species: 140 species of fish in their natural habitat. There are not only inhabitants of the Black Sea, but also of the Mediterranean region.
Sundial – the clock is located right at the main entrance to the Marine Park. The unusual shape of the sundial, in the form of a flying swan, attracts the attention of visitors to the Primorsky Park who have arrived here for the first time.
The zoo was opened in 1961, with donations from sailors from the destroyer “Maxim”, and the terrarium, in turn, was opened in 1998. As expected, the zoo and terrarium are a favorite place not only for children, but also for adults.
Dolphinarium – The only dolphinarium in Bulgaria was opened in 1984. Although the Varna Dolphinarium has seen better times, it still remains the main attraction not only of the park, but also of the city of Varna
Planetarium – The Nicolaus Copernicus Astronomical Observatory and Planetarium has modern equipment and spotlights that project 5,500 stars onto a hemispherical dome with a diameter of 10.5 meters. With the help of additional spotlights, guests of the planetarium can watch a demonstration of the sun, moon and planets in the middle of the starry sky.
The National Museum of History and Art is divided into three sections: geology, flora and fauna. In each section, visitors will get acquainted with the history and present-day reality of the flora and fauna of the Black Sea coast of Bulgaria.
The National Maritime Museum was opened back in 1885, shortly after the opening of the Seaside Park itself. The museum is located near the railway station, on the right side of the main entrance to the park. With an area of 350 square meters, the museum has truly impressive exhibits from the Middle Ages, the Russian-Turkish wars of the 17th – 19th centuries and the liberation war of 1877-78. Outside the museum, in the open air, you will see the Bulgarian torpedo boat “Drazki” – the most famous ship of the national fleet.
