Balchik – A magical town in Bulgaria

How to get to Balchik?

• By taxi – from the Golden Sands area the taxi costs 30 leva (BGN coin)
• By bus- a bus from the Golden Sands costs 5 leva, and from Varna, it costs 7 leva. The timetable for the bus from the central station in Varna is: 09:30, 13:30, 15:00, and 18:00
• Renting a car – you can search for a car in the search engine Papam Papam. Personally, I really like to search through them because they save me time (instead of going to several websites) and they also have the option of filtering out non-recommended rental companies.

The promenade

The promenade is very beautiful with a good breeze from the sea. You can find restaurants, coffee shops, and gelatos along the way. You can also rent bikes and travel with them.
In the area of the promenade, there is a small market where you can buy local jewellery, souvenirs, and more.

The beach

There’s a small beach strip, so if you want to also add some beach time to your visit to Balchik, you can definitely do so (just bring a towel and a swimsuit and you are all set).
The beach has clear water and offers various water activities such as water sports, and you can rent boats, paddleboards, or kayaks. Along the beach, there are restaurants and bars, and there are chairs and umbrellas available for rent.

Botanic Garden

There are two entrances to the botanic garden. The first one is the main entrance and it’s from the town center; the second one is from the promenade area. The difference between the entrances is that when you enter the gardens from the main one, you continue your visit in the gardens downwards and if you enter the gardens from the second entrance, you continue your visit in the gardens upwards.

If you have a problem with climbing stairs, you should probably go in through the main entrance (you can take a taxi from the promenade to the town center which would cost 5 leva). The gardens are very impressive. They are among the botanic gardens that we have liked the most (other gardens that we liked were in Villa Melzi, in Bellagio, Italy).

The gardens are very big and well-maintained. You can spend easily 2-3 hours or more there. There is a gorgeous waterfall and really pretty areas. A good thing about the gardens is that you can visit even on a hot day because there are many shaded areas.
There is also a palace in the botanic gardens, but we must say that, compared to other palaces that we’ve seen, this was the least impressive one. The entrance to the palace is an additional 8 leva. We don’t think it’s a must-see, but it depends on you.

Entrance to the botanic gardens costs 6 leva
Opening hours: every day 08:00-20:00. Directions.

Balchik Dvoretsa Palace and Park

The palace is located near the botanical gardens and is characterized by an architectural style that combines Romantic and Mediterranean elements. It was built in the 1920s and belonged to Queen Maria of Romania, who chose the city of Balchik as her holiday retreat. The palace currently serves as a museum with exhibitions about the life of the queen. Directions.
Book tickets online
Open daily 08:00-20:00

History Museum of Baltchik

The museum was founded in the 1960s and is located in a building that was once the home of an Austrian doctor. It features collections that include archaeological artifacts, photographs, and items related to the daily lives of the residents over the generations. Directions.
Museum’s website.
It’s closed on Saturday and Sunday. open from Monday- Friday 08:00-12:00, 12:30-16:30

The city center

The city center is within walking distance of the promenade and the botanical gardens. It is a small area, but it has several restaurants, including Bistro Kestana and Restaurant The Castle, among others. There are also a number of hotels and guesthouses. In addition, you can find some souvenir stands there..

Recommended restaurants in Balchik

Antik Restaurant

We started our day at a restaurant near the sea. Antik Restaurant. We decided not to eat breakfast at our hotel and instead try it in Balchik and it was a very good decision. To sit in front of the sea in a colorful restaurant is a great way to start your morning.

We ordered 2 omelettes, 2 Parlenkas (a flat, Bulgarian bread with toppings like cheese and garlic), a Greek salad, and Roman also ordered a yogurt soup. The omelet and the Parlenka were pretty big so we could have ordered only one of each of them for the both of us.

Roman ordered a beer and I ordered a cappuccino. The food was good and the atmosphere was so relaxing; we could have stayed there for hours.We ate pretty late, so some of the people were already ordering lunch and their dishes looked really yummy, so I’m sure this restaurant would also be a great choice for lunch/dinner.

Restaurant the Castle

We ate lunch in a local Bulgarian restaurant (in the town center) that our taxi driver recommended. The Castle Restaurant. Honestly, I was still full from breakfast so I just ordered a fresh orange juice. Roman ordered a Bulgarian soup like Chorba and he liked the dishes.

Even though the restaurant is in a central touristy location, the prices were cheap and the dishes’ portions were big.

Where to sleep in Balchik?

If we had more time on the trip, I would have been happy to spend a night or two in Balchik. I really loved this city. It is small and relaxing, and from what I checked, there are a few places with good reviews for accommodation, including:

• Lighthouse Golf & Spa Hotel
• Balchik Sea View Apartments in Princess Residence
• Apartments Poemia, complex Carpe Diem
• Hotel Mistral
• Hotel Samara with Relax area
• Regina Maria Spa Design Hotel

Balchik is definitely a recommended place for a half-day or a full-day trip. Don’t miss it if you are staying in Varna or the Golden Sands area.

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