Pictures

Queen Marie

During Romania's administration, the Balchik Palace was the favourite summer residence of Queen Marie of Romania and her immediate family. The town is the site of Marie's Oriental villa, the place where her heart was kept, in accordance with her last wishes, until 1940 (when the Treaty of Craiova awarded the region back to Bulgaria). It was then moved to Romania. Today, the Balchik Palace and the adjacent Balchik Botanical Garden are the town's most popular landmarks. Currently, three 18-hole golf courses are being developed around town, two designed by Gary Player and one by Ian Woosnam.

History

The place was first inhabited by lonians in the 5th century BC. At that time, the settlement was called Kmuni or Krounoi after the Greek word for springs, due to the abundance of karst springs in the area. Later on it was renamed Dionisopolis after the name of Dionisius, the Greek god of wine and feasts. According to one of the most popular explnations, the town received this name after a statute of Dionisius was dragged there by the sea. The god’s image appeared also on the the coins minted there. Noteworthy, the town was a rather important centre on the northern Black Sea coast till the beginning of the new era and it was second in significance only to Varna (named Odessos at that time). Later on the town was included in the territory of Bulgaria. Around the 13th - 14th century AC it was moved to a natural fortification, called Dzhina Bair. Following tis rule by the Boyar Balik, it received its present-day name of Balchik. The town flourished and grew into a big corn-trading centre after the Crimean War (1853-1856). Yet after the Balkan War which ended 1913, it was annexed to the territory of Romania. Struck by the natural beauty of the place, The Romanian Queen Maria built a summer palace and a botanical garden there. The royal complex also included a chapel and a villa for Romanian aristocrats. The town turned into a luxurious resort at the time. After 1940 Balchik was again included in Bulgarian territory.

Balchik-Bulgaria

Balchik is a small seaside town in Northern Bulgaria which combines the romance of its steep streets with the beauty of the sea.
For a long time it has been known as the White Town for the mainly white colour of its lime rocks. Balchik has a 21 centuries history and has preserved traces of many cultures. All that can be seen in the Historical museum situated in the town centre.

The nearest big towns are Varna /40 km/ and Dobrich /35 km/. Albena, one of the biggest Bulgarian resorts is only 10 km away. There is regular bus transport to them. On the north /35 km/ the furthest eastern point of Bulgaria - cape Kaliakra juts out deep into the sea. The present guide is the first one aiming at helping people that don’t tknow Balchik to learn more about it and be able to easily find the right place to stay, eat and go out. Here you will find useful pieces of advice that will help you find your way if you don’t know the town.
The site is updated daily and is the only one aiming at collecting noncommercial information about all hotels, restaurants, rooms and villas to let, institutions, museums, banks etc.