Things to do in  Varna

A summer residence built for Queen Marie of Romania, Balchik Palace (Dvoreca) adds a touch of heritage to the waterfront of Balchik on Bulgaria’s coast. Around its main three-story villa are garden terraces with sea views, while the Balchik Botanic Gardens sprawl around it with vivid floral displays, forest paths, and small waterfalls.

Set in a grand 19th-century building, the Varna Archaeological Museum houses Bulgaria’s finest archaeology collection. Displays spread over 23,000 square feet (2,150 square meters) and run from Stone Age times to the 19th century. Highlights include some of the world’s oldest worked gold, dating back over 6,000 years.

Focused on the period 1944–1989, when Bulgaria was under Soviet influence, the Varna Retro Museum serves up a dash of Communist chic in the heart of Varna’s No. 1 mall. Over 60 retro cars plus wax models of key characters from the era form the core of the collection, but you can also appreciate everyday objects from cigarettes to makeup.

Loud music, sound effects, laughter, and gleeful screams ring out over Sunny Beach Luna Park in the Black Sea summer resort of Sunny Beach. Wedged in the heart of the resort near the water, this amusement park entertains beachgoers with its assortment of rides and attractions.

Sunny Beach is a resort destination on the Black Sea coast of Bulgaria where you go for fun in the sun—and that’s exactly what you get at its original water park, Action Aquapark. This large water park has more than 30 pools, slides, and raft rides to entertain visitors of all ages, from young families to thrill-seeking adults.

In the Golden Sands resort town up the coast from Varna, Aquapolis is a 10-acre (4-hectare) landscaped water park with a lazy river, pools, and a number of slides. Besides adults’ and children’s areas, the extreme zone boasts the Kamikaze, a slide delivering speeds of up to 37 mph (60 kph). There are a number of food options on-site.

Located along much of Varna’s waterfront, east of the city center, the Sea Garden is a sprawling green space with something for everyone. Not only will visitors find promenades, fountains, and monuments here, but also a range of attractions, including the Varna Summer Theatre, the Museum of Natural History, playgrounds, and sports complexes.

Set in Primorski Park on Varna’s coast, Varna Zoo (Zoopark Varna) is a small zoo established in the 1960s. Perhaps the most interesting of the 70-odd species here are the birds, which include black swans, pelicans, and local curios. There are also larger creatures here, including llamas, a camel, lions, tigers, wolves, and kangaroos.