Varna Bulgaria in 2021. Prices, sea, beach, housing

Today we will talk about the sea capital of Bulgaria – the city of Varna .

History of Varna

The history of Varna can be told for a very long time. I will limit myself to just a few interesting facts.

The earliest traces of human presence in Varna are attested from the Old Stone Age, about 100,000 years ago, and from Mesolithic finds from the Pobiti Kamni area. The earliest settlements on the site of Varna appeared more than 7,000 years ago. During construction work in Varna, the Varna Eneolithic Necropolis was discovered, dating back to about 4400 BC. It contained the oldest gold treasure in human history, as well as other items made of silver, copper, bronze, flint and clay.

One of the ancient names of Varna is Odessos. And in the Soviet era, the city bore the name Stalin for almost 6 years from 1949 to 1956.  

Varna is the place where the last crusade ended, back in 1444. On November 10, 1444, near Varna, the combined Polish-Hungarian crusader forces of King Vladislav III Varneczyk and the Transylvanian voivode Janos Hunyadi were defeated by the Ottomans, putting an end to the anti-Ottoman coalition of crusaders.

This battle of Varna is called the “Battle of Nations” because it was the last attempt of Christian Europe to oust the Ottoman Empire from the Balkans. After this battle, the Balkans became part of the Ottoman Empire for almost 500 years. Today, a mausoleum of the Christian commander has been built in the sea capital and is called the Vladislav Varnenchik Park Museum.

Climate in Varna

Varna has a humid subtropical climate with Mediterranean influences in summer and especially continental in autumn and winter.

The warmest month in Varna is August, with an average air temperature of 24.7°C. Varna is considered to be a city with one of the largest number of sunny days. The largest number of sunny hours per month is July – 300 hours and August 299. 

The average sea water temperature in May is +15.8°C, in June it is already +21.5, and the warmest sea water is in August +24.8°C.  

Location

The city of Varna is located on the Black Sea coast of Bulgaria on the shores of the Varna Bay. 

Near the city are the resorts of Saints Constantine and Helena and Golden Sands. 

Transport

You can get to Varna by any means of transport. By plane, there is an airport in Varna. By train, there is a railway station. Also by bus, the bus station accepts buses from many countries of the world. And by sea, the sea station even accepts cruise ships.

Varna has well-developed public transport, buses and trolleybuses. The price of a ticket around the city is 50 cents. Comparatively low prices for taxis. Those who visit the city by car should know that the city is divided into zones. The blue zone implies paid parking. Parking costs 1 euro per 1 hour. If you do not pay for parking, your car will be towed. There is also free parking, I will tell you about it later in this video.

Accommodation in Varna

Varna offers, without exaggeration, an excellent choice of accommodation at prices, from the cheapest hostels to luxury accommodation if you book in advance.

To be honest, despite the huge choice of accommodation, we had to work hard to find something available for occupancy, since 90% of the accommodation was booked until the end of the summer.

We found one of the most inexpensive budget accommodation options, the Gagarin House hostel. The hostel is located in the very center of the city, this is what it looks like. It is a sleeping place on a bunk bed. The hostel owner greeted us warmly and showed us the conditions and furnishings inside. There is free Wi-Fi, air conditioning, shower, toilet, microwave oven, electric kettle and TV. The cost per day is about 8 euros. Reviews on booking com are very high 8.3.

And we move on. Here is an option – the golden mean. Three-star Classic Hotel . To be honest, it has a great location, located right in the Primorsky Park, surrounded by greenery, next to the sea and not far from the city center. A double room costs 58 euros. Positions itself as a family hotel. Reviews on booking 8.9, and this is very good. 

And here is an example of premium class accommodation. Five-star Grand Hotel London . Situated in the very centre of Varna, not far from the Opera House. A double room costs 100 euros. And this is the price with a discount from booking and plus a genius discount. This price includes only breakfast. Reviews on booking 8.5.

Food and prices for products in Varna

Varna has a huge selection of restaurants, cafes and other catering establishments.

There are hotels that offer their own meals, including full board or all inclusive. 

If you prefer to eat on your own, you can buy food in stores such as Kaufland , Lidl , Billa, Metro at normal prices and WITHOUT resort markup. You can find out what food prices are there from the video on our channel.

In Varna there is a market where you can buy vegetables and fruits at prices that are cheaper than in stores. There is also a small clothing market. There is a small fish market with such a range and prices. 

Beaches in Varna

Varna’s beaches stretch for more than 4 km.
Holidays in Varna are remarkable in that while in one city you can visit a beach with fine sand or with stones. You can choose from beaches with a gentle entrance to the water, which is suitable for small children. There are beaches with a steep entrance, where after a few meters the depth is as deep as a person. There are beaches protected from the open sea by breakwaters, so there are almost no waves.

Access to all beaches is free. There are paid areas on the beaches where you can rent an umbrella and a sun lounger, and free areas where you can settle down with your own beach accessories. Lifeguards work on almost all beaches. 

Let’s walk along the beaches of Varna from south to north. 

The southern beach is the widest. The southern beach has fine sand, the entrance to the sea is gentle. Adjacent to the beach is a complex with swimming pools, a SPA center and a fitness room. There are playgrounds next to the cafe.

Between the Southern and Central beaches there is a mini water park. 

The Central Beach continues the Southern Beach and contains a large number of night discos, bars and clubs. It is noisy and fun here. The Central Beach has the same fine sand, the entrance to the sea is even more gentle. The Primorsky Park adjoins the Central Beach. A very successful combination: sea, sun, sand and greenery, where you can find coolness in the midst of the daytime heat.

Next comes Fisherman’s Beach, which is not very suitable for swimming, as it is mostly rocky. But along it stretches a string of cafes with a variety of cuisines and you can drive up here by car. And all the beaches further have the possibility of parking a car right next to the beach, and what is nice is that it is free. 

Next comes the beach – Ofitserskiy – Zapad. You can get here by car, there are lifeguards, showers, changing rooms. But the water here is not very clean. Nearby is one of the local attractions – a pool with hydrogen sulphide water, located right on the seashore.

Next comes the Ofitserskiy-Vostok beach. The peculiarity of the beach is that due to the breakwater there are almost no waves here and you can swim even when there is a storm on other beaches. 

On Raponga Beach, renting an umbrella with a sun lounger will cost 5 euros, and to comfortably settle on a bed you need to pay an extra 18 euros, and if you need a tent, then another 28 euros. Nearby there is a small sports ground and a place for volleyball.

On the way to the beach “Bunite 2” there was an exotic bar for surfers, most likely it works in the evening, you can see in the photo. There is also a place called “Wake Park Varna” – here you can do wakeboarding. Beach “Bunite 2”. The price for an umbrella and a sun lounger is 5 euros. 

The beach “Pochivka” with sand and large stones, the entrance to the sea is sharp, a few meters from the shore the depth will be as deep as a person’s height. Not suitable for small children. 

Next to the beach “Pochivka” there is a wild beach – “Hidden” or also called “Nudist”. To get there you will need to overcome a barrier of stones.

There is also a beach of the same name on the other side of Lake Varna in the Asparuhovo quarter. 

What to see in Varna?

Varna offers a wide range of cultural attractions, historical buildings, theatres, more than 10 museums and thirty galleries.

The symbol of the city is the 19th century Cathedral of the Assumption of the Holy Virgin, which is currently being restored. It is located in the very center of the city. 

The most popular place for a walk in Varna is, of course, the central pedestrian street. Which starts from the largest fountain in the city on Independence Square and goes to the central entrance to the Seaside Park.

Varna Seaside Park is the largest park in the Balkans, declared a work of park art. The park offers a view of the sea and Rapongi Beach. Here in the park you can also visit the Varna Dolphinarium.

Varna traditionally hosts festivals and exhibitions, some of which are located right on the street, like this one in the seaside park. The exhibition features a selection of souvenirs to bring back from your holiday.

One of the attractions is the functioning Varna Opera House.

Did you know that a necropolis was found in Varna in which 3,000 gold objects were found, weighing more than 6 kg. The age of the objects is about 7,000 years, this is one of the oldest finds of processed gold in the world. Now these gold objects are in Varna, which can be seen in the Archaeological Museum.

The Roman Baths or Roman Thermae in Varna are the fourth largest complex in Europe.

We also recommend visiting the Aladzha Monastery .

For shopping lovers, Varna has shopping centers, the most popular are: Mall Varna, Grand Mall Varna, Delta Planet. Each of these shopping centers has cinemas.

Pros of Varna resort

Disadvantages of Varna resort

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The resort is also perfect for people who love cultural events: exhibitions, galleries, festivals.

Sea water temperature in Varna by month