Varna

Varna is a town in northeastern Bulgaria situated on the shores of the Black Sea and Varna lake and it is the administrative center of the homonymous municipality and district. Varna is a town of 334,870 residents, making it the third largest city in Bulgaria and the largest city in North Bulgaria and on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast.

The town is located on the north and west coast of Varna Bay and near Varna lake. The most southern and the central part of the town are connected by Asparuhov bridge. Varna occupies an area of 238 km2. South of the strait connecting the bay and the lake are located the quarters Asparuhovo and Galata. An industrial zone and the port complex are located on the north coast. Northeast of them is the central part of the town with its historic center (the so-called "Greek neighborhood") and the central beaches.

An agglomeration is gradually forming around the town with the villa areas near "Evksinograd", "Vinnitsa" quarter, up to "Golden Sands". The territory towards the town of Aksakovo is also under construction. Within the boundaries of the town are the resorts St. Constantine and Elena and Golden Sands. There are numerous sandy beaches in the town itself and in its surrounding areas. There are hot mineral springs in the town with a temeratura of 35-50 °.

West of Varna is located Varna airport - the third largest in Bulgaria. It serves more than 65 Bulgarian and foreign airlines that operate scheduled and charter flights to more than 35 countries. The airport is one of three international airports in the country with year-round operation.

As a major cultural center in the region, the town has many theaters (drama, children's and puppet). Varna is one of the few towns in Bulgaria with its own opera. The Festival and Congress Centre of Varna, from its inception, has established itself as the center of the most prestigious events in the field of art and culture. The Palace of Culture and Sports in Varna is a multifunctional complex for congress, cultural and sporting events.

There are numerous museums in the town - Varna Archaeological Museum, the Naval Museum, Museum Park "Vladislav Varnenchik", House-Museum of Georgi Velchev, Museum of History of Varna, Museum of the Renaissance, the Ethnographic Museum, the Museum of Natural History of Varna, Puppet Museum, Museum of the history of medicine, Historical and Ethnographic Complex "Proto-Bulgarian settlement Fanagoria". In addition to the Town Art Gallery "Boris Georgiev" Varna has nearly 30 other galleries. There are over 7 cinemas and outdoor scenes. The town also boasts the Astronomical Observatory and Planetarium "Nikolay Copernicus" - the first astronomical complex in Bulgaria opened in 1968. The complex consists of an astronomical observatory, a planetarium and a tower with a Foucault pendulum. It is located in the central part of the Sea Garden.

From the numerous historical sites in the town 14 Orthodox churches stand out, the most famous of which are the Cathedral "Assumption of Mary", one of the symbols of the town, and the fourth largest in the country, "St. Nicholas" Church, " St. Paraskeva Petka” and "St. Athanasius” next to the Roman Baths. 7 Orthodox chapels in the town also belong to the diocese. There are two monasteries near Varna: "St. St. Constantine and Elena "in the homonymous resort and" St. Demetrios "in" Evksinograd " area. At about 30 km northwest of Varna is located the operating monastery called "St. Marina". The Roman baths of Odessos are among the best preserved architectural monuments of antiquity in the country and are located in the southeast of the present town near the harbor. The baths were built at the end of II century. According to surveys, the height of the arched structure was more than 20 meters and the total area of the facility approximately 7,000 square meters. The baths were operational by the end of the III century. In the 19th century the vaults of the baths were used as a prison. Nowadays in the summer baths operate as a summer theater to host concerts.

With its 800 acres Evksinograd is a national monument of garden and park art. Its architectural and historical monuments, as well as its past of a spiritual center make it a desirable place to visit and rest for locals and tourists. It is a natural extension of the Seaside Park to the north and a link to the park of Constantine and Elena resort.

Varna Sea Garden is a national monument of garden and park art. Here are Varna aquarium and dolphinarium. Natural park Golden Sands is situated near Varna with its 13,207 acres where is the so-called Aladzha rock monastery. Other parks are Asparuhov Park, "Vl.Varnenchik" Park "Mladost University Botanical Garden, Zoo.

Varna is among the most important university centers in the country with eight universities which educate more than 30,000 students. Some are the Naval Academy, the Economics, Medical, Technical Universities, Varna Free University and others. Sports facilities are also many and varied - football stadiums, volleyball and basketball playgrounds, running track, ice rink, squash court, golf course, skateboard park, roller sites, multiple swimming complexes and pools.

(http://bg.wikipedia.org/wiki/Варна, http://www.varna.bg)