Summer City Guide: 72 hours in Varna
Short on time in Varna? Start with these five stops
Summer is when we get into our stride,
moving from place to place along the Black Sea coast in search of good food, rest and a change of scene. Those journeys inspired Summer City Guide, a weekly look at how to make the most of 72 hours in one particular place. First up is Varna, Bulgaria’s seaside capital. We’ll take you to places for a meal after a long walk, small corners better known to locals and favourite stops that make a weekend by the sea. Shall we?
A slow start with coffee and something sweet: Café LAVÉ
Our first Varna stop is Café LAVÉ, where we like to begin with good coffee, something sweet and time to ourselves. There’s speciality coffee, interesting drinks and desserts that rarely stop at a single bite. For a change from your usual order,
try a matcha drink or a New York-style cookie,
two of our favourites. The atmosphere feels urban but unhurried, just right before the beach or a walk around town.
Lunch with a taste of the sea: Pechkata
After coffee, Pechkata is somewhere we return to for a proper meal. We like the unpretentious feel, the large summer courtyard and the sense that food comes first. The menu includes parlenka flatbreads, sun-pickled cucumbers, fish soup with homemade salamuriyka, a seasoned brine condiment, and fresh pan-fried fish. Flavours made for a long day by the sea. Pechkata has become a Varna favourite over the years; music evenings in the courtyard give you another reason to stay.
A small detour: the Bridge of Wishes
Walking through the Sea Garden, set aside a few minutes for the Bridge of Wishes. It’s a short stop with a lovely view and the pleasure of a seaside walk without a fixed destination. Local lore says that if you cross with your eyes closed
and make a wish, it might come true.
True or not, it brings a little enchantment to our route, especially towards evening, when the Sea Garden becomes even more inviting.
Sunset over the city: Galata viewpoint
After a day in town or on the beach, we’d head for Galata. The viewpoint looks over Varna Bay and the city, well worth the detour from the centre. It’s a place for a slow sunset, photographs and a few minutes sitting with the sea in front of you. If you have 72 hours in Varna, make room for it near the end of a day, perhaps with a cold drink and no immediate plans.
Cocktails, music and a long evening: Horizont
A Varna day that begins with coffee and continues over lunch can finish at Horizont. In the Sea Garden, with a sea view and a spacious summer garden, the complex
brings dinner, cocktails and nightlife together.
Sit down for an easy evening with friends, stay for another drink or move into the nightclub when music takes over. We like having those options, from dinner by the sea to dancing late. Horizont has been part of Varna’s summer routes for years.
Sofia’s loveliest summer gardens, part II
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