Morski Briag Hotel

The Pantheon

by johngayton

When I first encountered this monument in the Sea Garden I automatically assumed that it was the obligatory Soviet monument, as found in most Bulgarian towns and cities. It is however The Pantheon of the Perished in the Fight Against Fascism (to give it it's full title) - a different thing altogether!

There is an "obligatory Soviet monument" but that's on a hill on the outskirts of the city centre.

This monument, erected in 1961, commemorates the partisans and others who lost their lives combatting fascism during the Second World War.

Here's a little background:

In spring 1941 the Bulgarian government joined the Axis alliance despite the Country's earlier attempt at remaining neutral. At the time the Germans had a non-aggression pact with the USSR and so Bulgaria had made a pragmatic decision.

In June 1941 the German invasion of the Soviet Union led to the Bulgarian Communist Party actively opposing the fascist regime. By 1943 the BCP had been joined by other anti-fascist factions to form the Fatherland Front resistance movement. As the Soviets turned the tide against Nazi Germany this resistance movement became more aggressively active, disrupting supply lines and assassinating officials and officers (both German and Bulgarian).

In Spring 1944 the Bulgarian government decided on a major crackdown against the partisans and their sympathisers. According to the Wikipedia article this involved "100,000 soldiers, policemen and gendarmes" and resulted in the deaths of several thousand anti-fascists.

In September 1944, with the Red Army having officially declared war on Bulgaria and the Soviets on the Country's border, the Fatherland Front siezed political power in a Coup d'Etat and welcomed the Soviets as liberators.

It is estimated that as many as 30,000 Bulgarians were killed by German and Bulgarian forces during the 1941-44 period .

This then is their monument and the surrounding square has numerous commemorative plaques dedicated to some of the individuals.

The monument is often visited by newly married couples and graduating students to say thanks for their present-day fortunes.

There are hundreds of places...

by tartanski

There are hundreds of places to go for a night out, you will notice that Bulgaria and Varna have an Italian Style Cafe culture. Davidoff cafes are an institution there. Something you may not notice is the large numbers of live music venues which are usually tuvked a way in basements, dont be shy to go and try the clubs which have a dodgey name like california club , usually they are not Strip clubs , they are simple live music clubs, cheap and often with a great standard of music.

NIght clubs are also great in Varna , i recmmend heading to the Beach wher eyou will beable to dance on the beach in some great venues. I can name any as they are changing all the time, but When I was last there , OScar Wild's and Galliano Bar were my favourite.
You have to experience dancing in the 25 deg night heat with hundreds of beautiful girls to know why I go back there again and again. Not too fussy if you are a tourist.

Here We Did Get Served!!

by johngayton about Coral

Having been studiously ignored for twenty-odd minutes in the restaurant next door the welcoming and prompt service here was an appetizer in its own right. Our bubbly and attentive waitress was quite happy to take our order piecemeal as Marina had already decided what she was after whilst I wanted to take a bit of time deciphering the menu.

The menu wasn't quite as extensive as that of next door, veering more towards being a snack menu but still with plenty of tasty-sounding options. The terrace, as the late afternoon November sun was setting, wasn't particularly busy but still had a pleasant local buzz AND the tables were clean. Marina had already decided that she fancied having Safrid (Scadfish) and so that was ordered first, along with cheesy chips and (of course) beer. I finally decided on the mussels, which the waitress informed me would come deep-fried in batter. Everything was fresh and tasty, the scad meatily-fleshed. We added a green salad as the healthy bit amongst all the ffried stuff and with a couple of slices of bread the whole repast came to just over 25 Leva - hence the 5 Leva tip!

Yep - give the fancy place next door a miss and head straight for Coral!

Varna Ethnographic Museum

by tpk2

Varna Ethnographic Museum is located in a National Revival style house. It exhibits artifacts, such as clothes and jewelry, from the 19th and 20th centuries. For anybody interest in the way the "normal people" lived in Bulgaria this museum is worth dropping by. Half an hour to one hour is quite enough time to see it.

The museum is open Tue-Sun 10-17 in summer and Mon-Fri 10-17 in winter.

Varna

by Vanity666

Varna occupies an area of 205 km² on verdant terraces descending from the calcareous Frangen Plateau (height 350 m) along the horseshoe-shaped Varna Bay of the Black Sea, the elongated Lake Varna, and two waterways bridged by the Asparuhov most. The city has in excess of 20 km of sand beaches and abounds in thermal mineral water sources. It enjoys a mild continental climate influenced by the proximity to the sea.

The city lies 470 km north-east of Sofia and the closest major cities are Dobrich (45 km to the north), Shumen (80 km to the west), and Burgas (130 km to the south-west). Varna is accessible by air (Varna International Airport), sea (Port of Varna Cruise Terminal), railroad (Central Train Station), and automobile. Major roads include European routes E70 and E87 and national motorways A2 and A3; there are bus lines to many Bulgarian and European cities from two bus terminals.

The public transit system is extensive and reasonably priced, with dozens of local and express bus, electrical bus, and fixed-route minibus lines, and there is a large fleet of taxicabs.

Varna is beautiful city on the shores of the Black sea. People all around the city speak english pretty good, and in my case I found a lots of shopkeepers speaking croatian/serbian so there was no problem in communication....
Whole city is paved with stone blocks, palm trees growing all around, sand beaches and warm sea, a lots of bars on the beaches, low prices and cheap liquor.... What more could you want?

This is just one of the many squares in the city.... Always crowded....

This is stage where most of the manifestations are held.... It has seats on two levels, The balcony is smaller but you have better view.... Especially nice to watch performances by night....