Northern Black Sea Coast

Published by Kristian Dimitranov on

After visiting Cape Emine, the journey continues further north. The first stop on the road is Beloslav. The city is located on the shores of Lake Varna and is home to the last Bulgarian submarine “Slava” (the name means “Glory:), now turned into a museum.

The submarine was built in 1959 and launched in September of that year. At the end of 1985 it became part of the Bulgarian Navy, sailing until 2010. It was originally named “Lenin’s Komsomol”, and in 1991 was renamed “Slava”. It is 76.6 m long. and 6.7m wide. Since August 2020 it has been turned into a museum, which is located in the yard of the “Museum of Glass” in Beloslav. The submarine was originally prepared for scrap, but thanks to the “union of submariners” was saved. From the “Museum of Glass” provide the place, and thanks to the gratuitous work of the “Union of Submariners” and the collected entrance fees, the restoration became possible.

Next is a visit to the botanical garden in Balchik. It was established in 1955. Today it covers an area of ​​194 decares, as much of its territory has the status of a protected area. University Botanical Garden is located in and is part of the Architectural and Park Complex “Palace” – a group cultural monument of national importance, which is the former summer residence of the Romanian Queen Maria in the early 20th century. Along the coast, on a plot of land with large displacement are terraces – gardens, interconnected by steep stairs, green tunnels and arches.

Continuing further north, follows Cape Kaliakra. Kaliakra is a nature and archeological reserve. Dolphins can often be seen here. There are various legends about the place, the most famous are:

The most famous legend is about the 40 Bulgarian girls who tied their hair together and threw themselves into the sea so as not to fall into the hands of the Ottoman enslavers. One of them was Kaliakra, after whom the nose is named. Now at the beginning of Cape Kaliakra there is an obelisk called the “Gate of the 40 Maidens” in their memory.

Another legend is about St. Nicholas, the patron saint of sailors. The saint fled from the Ottomans and God extended the earthly firmness under his feet so that he could escape, thus creating the nose. He was eventually captured and now has a chapel built there, restored in 1993, symbolizing his grave.

The archeological reserve “Yailata”, the villages of Kamen Bryag and Tyulenovo follows

Yayla is a large rock terrace, located 10 – 15 m above sea level and approximately as much below the continental level. The water area of the place here is open to stormy winds, and nowadays, as in ancient times, offers almost no conditions for a port.

In the area of Golyama Yaila is located a “cave town” of 101 so-called “dwellings” – natural caves, completed by human hands, dating to the V millennium BC. They are located on several levels in the rocks and have been used for millennia.

North of Yailata, the coastline is no different. The known rocks offer many places for rock climbing directly above the water and have formed many shapes. One of the most famous is “The Arch” near the village of Tyulenovo.

Almost the entire distance from Yayla to Shabla there is a dirt road parallel to the shore, running in places a few meters from the edge of the cliff. The road is mostly flat and smooth, but dusty. The lighthouse of Shabla is the most eastern point of Bulgaria.

To the north, the landscape is changing. The steep cliffs have been replaced by long wide beaches. Most of them remain almost empty even during the active summer season, so if you love tranquility – this is your place.

There are also several campsites that are gaining popularity in recent years – Camping Krapets and Camping Cosmos. The lastis the most northern campsite on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast and is visited mainly by Romanians.

Sources: Internet

Categories: Bulgaria