Best Things to do in Varna, Bulgaria

When you think about the Bulgarian Coast, empty golden sand beaches as well as giant all-inclusive resorts may come to mind. That’s part of it, of course. However, Varna fits in none of these categories. Varna is the largest harbor city on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast. But beyond the industrial and commercial aspects, there are many things to do and places to explore in Varna.

Let’s take a look!

Best Things to do in Varna

All of the things I am proposing next are within walking distance around the city center. You’ll also find a few things to do outside Varna at the end of this post.

The Sea Garden

The most popular attraction in Varna for tourists and locals alike is its park, the Sea Garden, Where other cities developed large seafront buildings, Varna municipality preferred to preserve that precious land. Instead of steel, glass, and concrete, you get sea views from an ample green area. The mix of greenery and sea is pretty rare and very comforting. The park alone is great but that’s not the only reason to visit.

In the Sea Garden of Varna, you will find plenty of things to do. The park is a long strip following the coastline. Scattered around the park you’ll find the Naval Museum, Aquarium, and Dolphinarium kids will love.

The green strip is about 3,5 km long and you can stop to admire the sea from place to place.

The Sea Promenade

Just under the Sea Garden, another narrow strip is an alley full of restaurants, bars, and terraces. This is a great place to go for lunch or dinner. We stopped at El Kapan and I loved it. The food was great, the service was fast and the place was extremely colorful! If it’s not too hot, you can sit outside and have your meal looking at the sea, with your feet in the sand. Pure therapy!

The Roman Baths

You know I love some good ruins when I stumble across them, whether they are Roman Amphitheaters, Roman Mosaics or Thermae. The building techniques and their sturdiness never cease to amaze me.

Anyway, Varna used to be a large port even in the golden era of Ancient Greece. In 15 AD it was annexed to the Roman Empire.

So, it’s no surprise that like any important Roman city, Varna (or Odessus at the time) had public thermae (baths) in the city. To this day you can visit not one, but two baths complexes in Varna.

I recommend the larger site, at the end of San Stefano Street, a few hundred meters away from…