After Sofia and Plovdiv Varna is the third largest city in Bulgaria, and the largest national port for cargo and cruise ships and has a population of 315,000.
Varna is located on the Black Sea coast (eastern Bulgaria) at the end of the bay of Varna, some 400 km east of the capital Sofia. And 115 km north of the other port of Bourgas (Burgas). As it has the largest port of Bulgaria, Varna is also called the sea capital of Bulgaria. Being near the resorts Golden Sands, Sveti Konstantin and Albena, the city has an international atmosphere. For instance, many sailors on leave in unfamiliar ceremonial uniforms, tourists and local citizens that move along the boulevards.
The city has a total length of 14 km along the coast and a width of 9 km. The city is surrounded by several parks and gardens, vineyards and woods. A striking detail of Varna is that the average age of the citizens is very low, because 20% of the population consists of students. Another striking detail is that the beach of Varna is hardly used by tourists, but almost exclusively by the residents of Varna. Tourists often visit the surrounding resorts and visit Varna as a city.
From the Neolithic Age, the area was inhabited by people whose culture was based on fish from the lagoon of Varna. At about 1200 BC. founded a Thracian tribe, the Krobisae, a settlement here. Ancient Greek colonists from Miletus in Asia Minor, founded in 585 BC. Odessus. In the 4th century BC. Odessus came under the authority of the Macedonian kings, and from 431 to 280 formed a part of the state of Macedonia. Later it became a leader of the Euxine Covenant, along with Tomi, Callatis, Mesembria and Apollonia. Odessus fell into the hands of the Romans in 15 and developed under their rule until one of the mightiest and most prosperous cities of the Black Sea. The city of Varna (a Slavic name) was occupied by the Bulgarians in 681 but in 970 recaptured by the Byzantines. In 1201 Varna was back at the Bulgarian Kingdom. Varna was served for centuries as an important defense fortress against the Ottomans. A Greek-speaking population remained in the city during the Turkish period. Varna was attacked by great Polish armies in 1443 and Russian armies in 1773. The trade flourished, and in particular the export of livestock. In 1828 the invading Russian troops controled Varna for some time and in 1854 the allies of the Crimean War, Britain, France and Turkey, founded  headquarters in the city. The harbor was rebuilt after 1878 by English architects and construction was completed in 1906. After the Second World War Varna was a time 'Stalin', named after the Soviet leader. In 1947, Tito and Dimitrov signed the Varna Convention, a treaty for Yugoslavia and Bulgaria, which was a step closer to a Balkan Federation.
Of the green miracles in Varna there are three absolute musts: the Marine Gardens, the largest gardens in the Balkans; the Euxinogradpark, the former Royal Palace and the paradise of St. Constantine.
During the summer holidays in July and August the sun is present ten to eleven hours a day. Here you will find no chilly Baltic wind or Riviera Heat. The city is green and clean. Varna is a city of old culture, living traditions and ambitious undertakings.
Apart from the capital, there is almost no city in Bulgaria, which has many different museums.
The former Girls Secondary School, which was the largest in the Balkans, houses the Archaeological Museum, one of the richest collections of the country. A special treasury displays gold jewels and amazing ancient works of inestimable value. The icon exhibition and the collection of church silver are impressive.
The National Revival Museum has an extensive and beautiful collection.
The Ethnographic Museum has exhibitions with varying demographic characteristics, the traditional lifestyle and apparel show.
The Marine Museum is located in the shady alleys of the marine gardens.
Other interesting museums include the Museum of the History of Medicine, located in what is the first hospital in the city. It features the most comprehensive collection of paleontological Bulgaria.
The New Museum of History is located in the oldest surviving house in Varna, built in 1851.
The only Aquarium of Bulgaria has a special facade, covered with ivy, and attracts many visitors.
In the archaeological museum, the results of various excavations from Varna can be admired.
The cathedral dedicated to Mary Immaculate Conception is a prominent landmark in Varna. In the cathedral you will find one of the finest altar walls of Bulgaria, and a beautiful bishop's throne. Another interesting church is the St. Nikola church. The Armenian church consisting of white stone is visited by almost all tourists.