The town of Shabla has a population of around 4000. It is situated 24 km South of the border with Romania, 66 km north of Varna, and 536 km north-west of Sofia. The town itself is situated some kilometers from the beach, but there is a camping area called ‘camping Dobrudja’ where some sleeping facilities are available.
Camping Dobrudja was visited in the past by many tourists, especially from Czech Rep., Poland, Hungary, East Germany. Most of the tourist facilities were built 20 years ago. There were a restaurant, a cinema, night bars, shops, etc. Unfortunately last years Dobrudja camping has very little visitors, mainly Bulgarians. The resort infrastructure is not in a good condition, although there are still some shops and places to eat.

As for the town of Shabla itself, three kilometres away from the town is located the Shabla lake where various species of wild geese nest; at the same time it is a wonderful place for fishing and recreation. The lake near the beach has curative mud, which some people use.
In the town of Shabla there are an old communal cultural center, a museum collection and a small art gallery in the town. On 24th May each year a grand fest of folklore is held with songs, dances and crafts exhibitions.
There is a small hotel in Shabla called Drujba offering 60 beds, a number of private lodgings, and a camping site. The prices are low even in the active seasons because foreign tourist very rarely come to visit the town. Phones of the hotel: +359 578 30 22, tourist office telephone: +359 578 3038.
Beside the restau-rant at the hotel, in recent years Shabla has been offering sufficient catering opportunities at the small private restaurants and snack bars. There are grocers stores, off-road caravans offering food and refreshments. Agricultural products can be bought from at low prices from the local producers.
Transport: There are buses going from Varna to Shabla, and via Kavarna to Dobrich. The road from Varna to Shabla is in good condition and it leads to the Romanian border to the north.
Besides the Lake of Shabla, there is the Ezerets reservoir close to the town. By the fishing settlement of Krapets, approx. 16 km North-East of the town there is the camping site of Dobrudja. The Durankulak Moor is further northwards and is famous for being a reserve for a number of marsh birds; some of them are registered in the Red Book of the species in Bulgaria. Quite near the town is the yachting club where the annual yacht-regatta along the Black Sea coast starts.

A town and seaside resort, situated terrace-like on a small bay on the Black Sea, 31 km North of Varna, 37 km south-east of Dobrich and 500 km East from Sofia. Third in significance Bulgarian port after Varna and Bourgas, used for medium-
size passenger and trade vessels. Population of 13 500.
It springs to life towards the end of the 6th C. B.C. as the ancient Greek colony Crunoi (later Dionysopolis) in place of a Chalcolithic (4th-3rd millennium B.C.) and a Thracian (1st millennium B.C.) settlement.

The exceptional view of the town from the sea impressed the great Ovid who exclaimed: “O white stone town, I salute thee for thy inimitable beauty!”. The Milesian colonists believed that the goddess of beauty, Aphrodite, was born there out of the sea foam. The spouting karst springs gave the town its first name Krunoi (meaning spring or source in Old Greek). The next name was Dionysopolis. During the Middle Ages the town was named after the local feudal lord, Balik In Roman times it has the statute of a municipius. Later on it was included in the territory of Bulgaria. In 13th – 14th century it moved to Dzhina Bair, a natural fortification. It was ruled by the Boyar
Balik, and so it was called Balchik. After the Crimean War (1853 – 1856) the town flourished and grew into a big corn-trading centre.

After the Balkan War in 1913 it was included in the territories of Romania. Struck by the natural beauty of the place Queen Maria built a palace and a botanical garden, a chapel and a villa complex for the Romanian aristocrats.
The town turned into a luxurious resort at that time.
After 1940 Balchik was again included in Bulgarian territory.
The town has many historic and natural attractions, narrow beach strips, hotels, camping grounds.

Apart from the palace, the palace complex and the botanical garden – the biggest and most diverse in the Balkans, the town is attractive to tourists with its ancient atmosphere that has been preserved for centuries now.
It is interesting to walk along and observe the Tatar Quarter with the pebbled streets and the houses made of stone and adobe.
The old palace – built in 1924-1931 by the request of the Romanian queen Maria. The authors of the construction design are Italian architects.

The main component buildings (10 villas and a chapel) freely combine elements of various architectural styles. The Palace Complex consists of the central palace with a high tower, numerous buildings in a modern style at the time, a many-terrace park, lanes and paths, stone summer-houses propped on marvellous columns facing the sea, a throne under an old tree where Queen Maria loved to sit and watch the sunset, a small chapel where her heart is preserved.

The picturesque park is arranged in 1924-1936 on the project of the French garden designer Jules Janine. It comprises more than 200 tree species, numerous flowers, boasting of a unique collection of cactus plants (more than 250 species).
There are more than 3000 rare and exotic species of plants in the botanic garden. It is part of the teaching facilities of Sofia University. The whole complex was called Tenha Vuva (Quiet Nest).

The Art Gallery of the town is very interesting.
The local museum is housed there as well.
The coastal alley, 4 km long, is a nice place to stroll, so are the harbour and the small streets around. There is a small ethnographic museum and a beautiful old church called St. Nikola Church (1866).
The Revival complex with the old school in the town is quite well preserved.
Apart from the big restaurants in the palace, in the hotels and downtown, there are a number of small private restau rants, coastal stalls offering seafood, pizzas, spaghetti and other kinds of European cuisine. The grocer’s shops are a good opportunity for practical tourists who cook for themselves.

How to reach Balchik. There is regular bus transport from/ to Sofia, Dob rich, Varna and Albena. Apart from buses, there are numerous taxis and private mini-buses, boats and water transport to other beach resorts on the Black Sea.

Near Balchik. The area of Touzlata is located 4 km east of the town and is well known for its curing mud. A spa-centre was built t here beside the two lakes, formed by old landslides. The lake bottom is covered with black hydrogen sulphide peloid It receives patients suffering from joint disorders. A large recreational complex, a lot of villas, bungalows and a camping site are built here. There is a mineral spring with water temperature of 31 °C.
Near Balchik are the two big camping sites – Sandrino Camping and Belia Bryag Camping. They offer various opportunities for rest and water sports, clubs, bars, numerous bungalows for tourists having no camping equipment, small restaurants and stalls for sea and continental food.
15 kilometres south-west of Balchik is the village of Obrochishte with a well-preserved fortress dating back to the early Ottoman rule.

Apart from the main stream of the tourists visiting Bulgaria and by all means not very known to the world, Balchik was preserved until today in its own multicultural authenticity. In this small town and in the region are living peacefully people whose ancestors are (in order of settling) ancient Greeks, Bulgarians, Turks, Tatars, Romanians.

12►

The village of Byala (population: 2 330 inhabitants) is a small (population: 2 330 inhabitants) romantic piece of the Bulgarian nature, situated 50km south from our sea capitol – the town of Varna and 79 km north of Bourgas.

Founded in the 3 rd century before Christ, Byala today is a mix of traditional working village and tourist resort. Byala is a prosperous Bulgarian village due to the thriving local wine industry. The wine of the extremely fine vintage “Dimyat” is produced there.

It also boasts an impressive setting atop bluffs that end abruptly at the water’s edge. Stairs lead down to a secluded beach that curves north toward rocky Cape Atanas. To the south, another promontory separates the small sandy strip from the beach at Obzor. Bjala with its favorable conditions – crystal sea, sandy beach and a forest – offers wonderful opportunities for recreation.