Honestly, for us the resort of St. Constantine and Helena was a discovery. The resort of St. Constantine and Helena is the oldest resort in Bulgaria. As a resort, its development began more than 100 years ago.
The resort is named after the monastery of “St. St. Constantine and Helena”, which is located here. According to legends and traditions, the monastery was built in the 14th-16th centuries. The monks, persecuted by the Turks, found refuge in the forest (this is where the resort is located today). There they found an icon of St. Constantine and Helena. And they decided to build a small monastery near a mineral healing spring. The building was constructed of heavy stones, which have been well preserved to this day.
After the conquest of the Bulgarian lands by the Turks, the community of monks fell into decline. And the monastery practically ceased to exist. But in 1832 it was reopened by the monks Theodosius and Agapius. Over time, the monastery developed again. And at the beginning of the 20th century, it already owned a large estate with gardens, meadows, a mill and vineyards with a total area of 1,600 hectares. The monastery produced the famous wine “Kalugersko shushukane”. The monastery was restored three times – the last time in 1973. The Bulgarian Orthodox Church reopened the monastery in 1992. It and the healing mineral springs are still known as healing springs.
The healing water is used for baptisms, water blessings and church services. Each guest can visit a small church at the monastery, which is very interesting in construction and is recommended for visiting. By the way, Saints Constantine and Helena are not husband and wife, but son and mother. Since then, only a small church has survived to this day.
Art Gallery Under the Stars
Walking through the greenery of the resort, you will discover that the park today is not only a place for walks, but also a place for encounters with art. For several years now, the resort of St. Constantine and Helena has been a kind of open-air art gallery. And the collection of sculptures for the park environment is growing every year. The creation of the park at the resort is associated with the name of the Czech park builder Anton Novak. He is known for the construction of the Schonbur and Belvedere palaces in Vienna and the Sea Garden in Varna.
At the moment, the Saints Constantine and Helena Resort has 7 hot mineral springs. They are located at depths of 1800 to 2000 meters with a total water pressure of 175 l / sec and a water temperature of 40 to 60 degrees.
The resort of St. St. Constantine and Helena is home to:
Aquahouse Thermal & Beach – a new thermal complex located right on the beach, which offers many opportunities for spa and wellness tourism. It has 14 outdoor and indoor pools. There are also reservoirs of various depths and temperatures with mineral water.
Hotel Azalia Balneo & SPA – a spa hotel right on the beach, offering a variety of spa treatments, the opportunity to cure a number of diseases with the power of mineral water.
Under the location of the ship-restaurant “Sirius” there is the so-called “Hot water”, where mineral water from a hot spring flows into the sea from above through a wide pipe on therapeutic sea mud. Even in winter it is actively visited. It is visited mainly by Bulgarian, Russian-speaking and Romanian tourists.
Diving location
A unique world diving location is located in the waters of the resort. St. St. Constantine and Helena is a 50-meter Tu-154 aircraft (FORMER BOARD #1 OF BULGARIA), which served the Bulgarian government for 20 years, and on which Todor Zhivkov once flew. The aircraft made its last flight in 1999 and has not been used for many years.
The plane is located 700 meters from the pier of the resort of St. St. Constantine and Helena. It is under water at a depth of 22 meters. Access to it is free for all certified divers.
To get from Varna to the diving site, tourists pay 50 leva per person for a group of at least 10 people. Renting an aqualung costs about 30 leva.
Dives usually last 40-50 minutes, enough time to inspect the plane both inside and out, Markov said.
Coordinates of the Tu-154 underwater: 43° 13’404 N 28° 01’464 E.
The resort of St. Constantine and Helena offers a wide range of accommodation options for every taste and budget. Prices for apartments (flats) vary from 25 euros per night for two, this will be a whole apartment, you can find even cheaper, but it will be further from the sea, behind the road from 13 euros for a whole apartment. Prices for accommodation in a hotel from 18 euros for two, for this money you can find a 2-star hotel, it is clear that this will not be the first line and far from the sea.
