Things to Do in Varna, Bulgaria

Quick facts: Inside the cathedral, they keep a piece of the Holy Cross brought to Varna by Russian Tsar Alexander II in the 19th century. The frescoes inside are the work of a Czech artist who needed seven years to complete them.

Highlights: Beneath the dome hides a rare fresco of the Virgin Mary floating among golden stars on a dark blue sky. The shade of blue was mixed with genuine lapis lazuli. Every evening at 6 p.m., choral singing echoes through the cathedral, reverberating across 2,000 square meters of painted walls.

Quick facts: Under 14 meters of the modern Varnica Center lie exceptionally well-preserved remains of Roman baths, which once covered 7,000 square meters. They were heated by complex underground furnaces (hypocausts) and could accommodate up to 3,000 visitors daily, who socialized in a pool measuring 27 by 11 meters.

Highlights: When you stand on the glass bridge above the Roman baths, you look directly through 1,800 years into the past: beneath your feet are the floors that Roman citizens once walked on in leather slippers. The baths were only discovered in 1979 during the construction of a cultural center, and today modern city life literally "floats" above this ancient bathing complex.

Quick facts: Holds more than 100,000 items, of which around 3,000 are regularly displayed. The gold collection includes more than 3,000 pieces of jewelry and vessels from the 5th millennium BC, placing it among the oldest worked gold objects in the world.

Highlights: In showcase number 1 lies the oldest worked gold treasure in the world, over 6,500 years old. Among the 3,000 pieces of gold is also a depiction of a bull that was worn as an amulet, a very small but exceptionally detailed piece that today's craftsmen would struggle to replicate without a magnifying glass.

Quick facts: On the cliffs above Golden Sands beach hangs a 40-meter-high rock monastery with about 30 caves, carved by Orthodox monks in the 13th and 14th centuries. Inside, remains of 14th-century frescoes depicting saints and scenes from the Bible are preserved.

Highlights: Here, the monks lived in complete silence and prayer, without any doors or wooden structures. The only way to the higher cells was by ropes and carved staircases. The most mysterious part is an underground passage leading to a hidden chapel where the monks stored relics from Turkish attacks.

Quick facts: Its collections house over 100 species of fish and marine organisms from the Black Sea and the Mediterranean. Among the most popular inhabitants are seahorses, clownfish, and incredibly colorful jellyfish.

Highlights: In the last pool, you can observe a stunning 4-meter-long tunnel with sharks and rays swimming directly over your head. No one expects to see the Black Sea spiny dogfish up close, which grows up to 2 meters long.

Quick facts: In the retro museum, you can see more than 300 functioning arcade machines from the 80s and 90s, most of which you can also play for 20 euro cents. The collection also includes rare pieces such as the original Pac-Man, Space Invaders, and the first PlayStation console.

Highlights: Most of the exhibits are still fully functional and ready to play, meaning you can touch and play video game history with your own hands. A special feature is the rare "Computer Space" machine from 1971, the first commercially available arcade machine in the world, which you will find in only a few museums around the world.

Quick facts: On almost 4 hectares, more than 60 animal species live, from rare Balkan lynxes to pumas and lemurs. It is visited by around 150,000 visitors a year, mostly families with children from all over Bulgaria.

Highlights: A special feature is the area where you can hand-feed goats and sheep. Children absolutely love it. In addition, they have one of the few rehabilitation programs for injured wild animals in the Balkans, where they have already returned over 30 birds and mammals to the wild.

Quick facts: The dolphinarium in Varna is one of the largest in the Balkans and home to four dolphins that together perform more than 500 shows per year. During the shows, the dolphins can be seen jumping up to 5 meters high into the air.

Highlights: The dolphins here are known for often improvising and playing with the trainers during shows, which makes each visit unique. In the pool with 3 million liters of sea water, you can also swim with the dolphins yourself, a rare opportunity in Europe.