Varna

Explore the robust port town of Varna, Bulgaria, renowned as a scenic tourist destination in the Balkan regionSee all videos for this article

Varna, also spelled Warna, seaport and third largest city in Bulgaria. Lying on the north shore of Varna Bay on the Black Sea coast, the city is sheltered by the Dobrudzhansko plateau, which rises to more than 1,000 feet (300 metres) above sea level. A narrow canal (1907) links Varna Lake—a drowned valley into which the Provadiyska River flows—to the Black Sea. The city is an important administrative, economic, cultural, and resort centre. It is a modern city, with wide, tree-lined boulevards, a fine park on the waterfront, and spacious beaches. Along the coast north of Varna are several popular resort towns, including Druzhba, Zlatni Pyassŭtsi (“Golden Sands”), Albena, and Balchik, the last once the summer retreat of Romanian royalty and aristocracy.

Varna was founded as Odessus by Milesian Greeks in the 6th century bce; later it was Thracian, Macedonian, and Roman. In 681 ce it became part of the First Bulgarian empire (c. 679–1018) and was named Varna. During the reign (1218) of Ivan Asen II, it became a thriving centre of trade with Genoa, Venice, and Dubrovnik. After falling under Ottoman domination in 1391, it continued to grow in importance. In 1444, in a pitched battle fought nearby, the Turkish armies of Murad II routed the armies of the last Christian Crusade against the Turks in the Balkans, defeating the Crusaders, who were led by King Władysław III Warneńczyk of Poland.

The Russians captured Varna in 1828 during the war for the liberation of Greece, but, when they left, the city reverted to the Turks. In 1854 Varna became a base for Anglo-French troops operating against Sevastopol during the Crimean War. It was liberated from the Turks in 1878 and ceded to Bulgaria by the Treaty of Berlin. After the building of the Ruse-Varna railway in 1866 and the rail link to Sofia in 1899, the town expanded further. A modern harbour was constructed in 1906.

The city has regular domestic airline services and, in the summer, international flights. Regular boat and bus services connect the Black Sea towns. Much of Bulgaria’s maritime and river transport passes through Varna’s harbour, which accommodates vessels up to 20,000 tons. Major export items are livestock, grain, and processed foodstuffs. Industries include flour milling, boatbuilding, and manufacturing. Varna is major seaside resort.

The city has several universities, a naval academy, an oceanography and fishery-research institute, a medical school, museums, a theatre, an opera house, and an art gallery. The 4th-century Aladzha Monastery, one of the earliest Bulgarian monasteries, overlooks the city from the north; its cells and chapel are carved out of the rock. A 5th/6th-century basilica is a reminder of an ancient Genoese colony. Between 1949 and 1956 Varna was renamed Stalin. Pop. (2004 est.) 312,026.