Bulgaria's largest port city and one of the most flourishing seaside resorts attracts tourists not only with its sandy Black Sea beaches, picturesque date palm groves, and vast rice fields but also with the deepest liman (lake estuary) that stretches for several kilometers.
With an area of more than 17 square kilometers, the famous Lake Varna has won the love of tourists with its warm water (the lake warms up to 25 degrees in the summer months). Besides, the water in this lake is almost as salty as in the sea, so it is inhabited only by marine fish. Thus, a Lake Varna vacation can be both lake and sea at the same time.
Despite its depth, the shores are mostly flat, especially the northern ones. The deepest lake bed (at a depth of 19 meters) is covered with hydrogen sulfide therapeutic mud. One of the most noteworthy local activities is fishing. Despite the calm atmosphere of the lake, the catch here surprises even experienced fishermen.
The lake is surrounded by green hills covered with forests and equipped with hiking trails. There are many ideal places for picnics with large united families or cheerful friends. Those who prefer educational excursions to a relaxed beach vacation should visit the ruins of an ancient basilica, dating back to the times of the Genoese colonization, or the archaeological site of the Varna Necropolis, discovered in 1972.
The famous Necropolis of the 5th millennium BC is considered one of the most important archaeological sites of prehistoric Europe. On its territory, scientists have discovered more than 3000 gold artifacts, more than 600 ceramic items, and many copper objects that can be seen in the Varna Archaeological Museum. The finds discovered by archaeologists indicate that once the shores of Lake Varna were inhabited by tribes of an ancient civilization. Today, these collections have become world-famous, and the museum hosts lectures about the story of the ancient Bulgarian lake.