Varna Varna Wellsburg, West Virginia Category="Cities in Bulgaria"Category="Coastal cities"Category="Pontic Greeks"Category="Port cities"This article is about a city in Bulgaria. See Varna (caste) for the Indian caste system.

Coat of armsMap
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Varna's Coat of Arms		[image]
Location of Varna in Bulgaria
Data
Municipality (Oblast): Varna (Варна)
Altitude: 41 m
Population: 320,668 (2001 census) 349,715 (2005 estimate)
Postal code: 9000
Dialing code: 052
Latitude: 43° 12' N
Longitude: 27° 55' E
Mayor : Kiril Yordanov

Varna (Bulgarian: Варна, Greek: Βαρνα) has a population of 350,000, making it Bulgaria's third largest city after Sofia and Plovdiv. It is the capital of Varna Province. It is a port City in the eastern part of the country, located on the Black Sea coast. It is referred to as "The Sea Capital" or "The Summer Capital" of Bulgaria. The city was named Stalin, from 1949 to 1956.

History

Varna was founded as ancient Greek trading colony ( apoikia), Odessos. which was founded about 580 BCE. Historically Varna is perhaps best known for being the site of the oldest gold treasure to be found by archaeologists. The Roman city had baths, built in the 2nd century CE, that are the largest Roman remains in Bulgaria. The Byzantine/Bulgarian city of Odessos-Varna was captured by the Ottoman Empire in 1393.

On November 10 1444, the Battle of Varna was fought nearby, with the Turks defeating an army of 30,000 Crusaders led by Ladislaus III of Poland which had assembled at the port to set sail to Constantinople. The army was attacked by a superior force of 120,000 Ottomans, led by the Sultan Murad II. Ladislaus III was killed in a bold attempt to capture the Sultan, earning a nick-name Varnenchik. The subsequent retreat of the Crusader army made the fall of Constantinople all but inevitable. Today there is a Mausoleum of Ladislaus III in Varna.

Varna is called the sea capital of Bulgaria, because it is the biggest Bulgarian city on the seacoast. Varna was also the base of the Bulgarian Navy. Currently, there is a Naval Museum with a Museum ship Torpedo boat Draski. The archaeological museum contains some of the finds from the so-called "Gold of Varna", a cache of Chalcolithic grave-goods which are the oldest gold treasure in the world.

The current mayor of Varna is Kiril Yordanov

In 1962, the 15th Chess Olympiad, also known as the World Team Championship, was held in Varna. In 1969, Varna was the host of the World Rhythmic gymnastics Championship. From September 30 to October 4 1973, the Xth Olympic Congress took place in the Sports Palace in Varna.

Economy

[image] Varna is an important economic centre for Bulgaria and the Black Sea region in general. Major industries include trade and transportation (see Port of Varna, Varna International Airport), Shipbuilding, and Manufacturing. Tourism is of great importance to the city, with the nearby resorts of Albena, Golden Sands, SS Constantine and Helena, Riviera and many others each year attracting millions of visitors from all over the world. Together with the nearby town of Devnya, Varna forms what is known as the Varna-Devnya Industrial Complex, home to some of the largest chemical, electrical and manufacturing plants in Bulgaria.

In September 2004, FDI Magazine proclaimed Varna "South-eastern Europe City of the Future", citing its strategic location, fast-growing economy, rich cultural heritage and high quality education.

Higher learning institutions

Entertainment

The residents and guests of Varna have many sources of entertainment. The beaches of the Black Sea provide refreshment on hot summer days. There are several cinemas in the city (Palace Cinema, Mustang,Bulgaran, FC), several theaters, and an Opera House. A walk in the Sea Garden always offers a break from the busy life in the city. There are many night clubs, bars, cafés, and restaurants. You can practice, or watch many sports in Varna. The Bulgarian volleyball team plays in Varna, and usually more than 5000 people come to support the team. Varna has two football teams - Spartak Varna and Cherno More. Spartak Varna is one of Bulgaria's most famous football clubs and the people of Varna enjoy a long-going love affair with the club. Whether times are good or bad, the people of Varna flock to the stadium to see their heroes play for the pride of their city. Many a saturday night you will hear chants of "Varna! Varna!" and "One love, one life, one Black Sea Football club!!!" echo around the small alleys of Varna's old town. You can play basketball, football, tennis, or beach volleyball on one of the many fields. You can also practice most of the water sports on the Black Sea coast.

Night Life

Varna has a rich night life, especially in the summer. If you prefer going to a night club, you will like all the clubs in the Sea Garden, right next to the beach. Popular clubs during the summer months are Avenue, Cocaracha, Exit, Momo. There are many clubs in the nearby resorts as well, including Masai and PR Club in Golden Sands to name a few. For more information about night clubs in Varna, you can visit NightLife.bg If you prefer going to a restaurant, you can enjoy a tasty bulgarian meal in Restaurant "Paraklisa". If you prefer Mediterranean cuisine, "La Pastaria" is the place to go. For a quick meal, "Happy" restaurants offer nice meals at good prices. Of course, there are many fish restaurants especially near the beach.

Twin cities of Varna

Varna's twin cities are:

See also

External links