Kavarana- Culture on the Coast

Author Petar Kostadinov, 22.05.2006
Date 29 May 2006

Like every city in Bulgaria, Kavarna has a long and ancient history. The town has experienced the influence of Thracian, Greek, Slavonic, Proto-Bulgarian, Byzantine, Bulgarian and Ottoman civilizations, making it a great example of the cultural mix of the Balkans. The town was a significant economic and cultural centre in Antiquity and the Middle Ages, with rich and various cultural remains - stronghold walls, early-Christian basilica, medieval churches and public buildings. After the beginning of the 20th century, Kavarna achieved rapid progress as an economic and cultural centre of the region, interrupted in 1913, when the town came under Romanian rule. The Bulgarian population opposed the assimilatory policy of the Romanian authorities by means of active cultural and social activities of the church, community centres and libraries. In 1940, the town again became part of Bulgaria. Today Kavarna has a population of almost 12 000 people. The town is 48 km north of Varna and just 12 km from the picturesque Kaliakra cape. The coast to the north of the town is high and steep, shining with its limestone rocks against the sea, while the south of the town boasts an excellent beach. The remains of Roman villas and walls, medieval buildings and churches can be seen on the high hill of Chirakman. There is a town museum hosting interesting exhibits of the town’s history, including an impressive Thracian collection, and also an art gallery and an archaeological museum. Kavarna has always been famous in Bulgaria for the magnificent Cape Kaliakra. Surrounded by vertical crimson rocks, Cape Kaliakra juts 2 km out to sea and closes a huge horseshoe-shaped bay, protected from the northern and eastern winds. It is a view worth seeing, especially because the road reaches to the very edge of the cape, which is the eastern-most point of Bulgaria. As for accommodation, besides the higher-class Siana Hotel and Dobrotitsa Hotel, a less picky holidaymaker can also get a good bargain at private lodgings. Rosalka (Mermaid) resort is another option for accommodation. Close to the town is the camping resort of Morska Zvezda (Sea Star), which offers reasonable prices for rented bungalows, tent pitches and caravans.

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