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A bit about the history of Cape Kaliakra. Translated from Greek, Kaliakra means "beautiful nose". Cape Kaliakra is a narrow, rocky peninsula that ends in almost sheer cliffs of seventy meters. Iron oxides, which are abundant in the rocks, make the cape purple-red. It cuts through the blue waves of the sea like a fiery blade, and its steep slopes make it inaccessible to the enemy.

We enter the central gate. We see the remains of buildings. Only the foundations remain.

The impregnability of the rocks was the reason for the fact that even in ancient times a fortress was built here. The local Thracian Trisi tribe, which was part of the Odrysian kingdom (V-IV BC), called them Tirizis. Under the Bulgarian ruler Dobrotitsa, the fortress was turned into the center of his reign, everything was a great shopping center with port.

The settlement itself then had three parts: the citadel (essentially an inner city) with an area of ​​​​about 2.5 hectares, an outer city of the same area and a suburb with an area of ​​\u200b\u200babout 10 hectares.

Like all the others medieval cities At that time, livestock breeders, sailors, fishermen lived in the suburbs of the city. In the outer city - people of a higher rank - merchants, clergy, officials and part of the aristocracy. The citadel was occupied by the ruler and his entourage, the head of the army. The largest building was the Palace of the ruler, located south of the fortress wall. The fortress had the shape of a closed quadrangle, built of stone and wood. The city had a large and reliable port, which was located in the southwestern part of the cape and was protected from the northern winds and currents.

After the first fortified wall, we come to the gates of the fortress.

In 1388, the fortress of Cape Kaliakra was besieged and captured by the Ottoman Empire. Later, the campaign of the young king of Poland and Hungary is associated with the name of the fortress, Vladislav III Jagiello(nicknamed Varnenchik), for the liberation of Christians who were enslaved by the Turks on the Balkan Peninsula. Wars of the XIV - XV centuries. practically devastate the suburbs of the medieval fortress. During the XVI - XVII centuries. the outer city was also gradually abandoned.

Accessibility, lack of livelihood and constant raids by the Ottoman invaders, forced the Bulgarians to leave the fortress. By the 18th century, Cape Kaliakra had become a small ruined fortification.

The sea around the cape is turquoise. You don't often see the Black Sea of ​​this color.

In 1791, the cape becomes a silent witness to one of the largest naval battles on the Black Sea - the Russian squadron under the command Rear Admiral F. Ushakov brilliantly defeats the enemy many times superior - the Turkish fleet under the command of Hussein Pasha. This explains the presence of monuments to Ushakov at Cape Kaliakra.

Several legends are associated with Cape Kaliakra.

The most famous of them tells about 40 Bulgarian girls whom the Bulgarians had to give as a ransom to the Ottoman invaders. In order not to fall into the hands of the Ottoman invaders, the girls wove braids together and jumped into the abyss of the sea. Today, at the beginning of Cape Kaliakra, a monument called “Gate of 40 Maidens” rises.

At present, Cape Kaliakra is beautiful nature reserve where cormorants nest, and starlings and rock thrushes inhabit caves.

Here you can see dolphins swimming in the sea, which are rare representatives of the Black Sea fauna. A lighthouse, a meteorological station were built on the cape, and in two picturesque caves there is a museum and a restaurant with a beautiful panorama.

We traveled a lot in Bulgaria. I got the impression that all the monuments in Bulgaria are what the Turks / Thracians / Romans built in their time and the Bulgarians did not have time to destroy.

Watching in what a deplorable state the monuments of antiquity in Bulgaria are, it becomes sad.

A sign hangs on the gate - "Military zone". As I understand it, there is a lighthouse there, and, in addition, NATO locators.

Many caves can be seen on the slopes of Cape Kaliakra. Some of them are laid with stones from curious tourists.

Along the wall we go to the restaurant.

If I wasn't driving, I would happily sit in it with a glass of wine.

The views are amazing and the prices are quite reasonable. From the terrace of the restaurant you can enter the Kaliakra Museum located in one of the caves.

There are warning signs along the slopes of Cape Kaliakra. There are no fences in many places.

We go to the very beginning of the cape.

Another memorial table dedicated to Ushakovites.

To whom this monument is dedicated - I do not know.

At the very tip of Cape Kaliakra there is a small chapel. In the chapel, you can light a candle for health and peace.

Cape Kaliakra is a long and narrow cape in the north of the Black Sea coast of Bulgaria, located 12 km east of the city of Kavarna and 60 km northeast of the city of Varna.

The name "Kaliakra" is traditionally translated from Greek as " beautiful cape". On all sides, the cape is bordered by steep rocky shores of a red (sometimes even more red-brown) color, the height of which in some places reaches 70 meters. For thousands of years, sea water has eaten away the shore, creating many niches, arches and caves, many of which are only accessible from the sea. The cape protrudes into the sea for about two kilometers and is a natural and archaeological reserve, included in the list of the hundred largest tourist attractions in Bulgaria. From the IV century BC. e. fortresses were built here, repeatedly rebuilt by the Byzantines. In the 14th century, the Bulgarian boyars built a powerful Klaserka fortress here, the ruins of which can be seen to this day.

According to legend, the rock is so red because a lot of blood was spilled here. There are several historical facts and legends associated with this place. The most popular of them is "40 girls". During the Ottoman conquest, 40 local girls tied themselves together with their hair and jumped off the rocks into the sea, not wanting to end up in a Turkish harem. In memory of this, at the entrance to one of the small bays, an obelisk was erected under the name "Gate of 40 Maidens". Cape Kaliakra is known as a graveyard of ships. There are very changeable sea currents and sharp waves during storms. The famous commander Lysimachus was the first to run into natural disasters, dying along with his entire fleet. The third legend is connected with Nicholas the Wonderworker. Allegedly, it was at Cape Kaliakra that he found his death. This is not documented in any way, however, on the site of the possible grave of Nikolai Ugodnik, a chapel dedicated to him has now been built.

In one of the caves there is a museum dedicated to Admiral Ushakov. In 1791 he defeated the Turkish fleet here. There is a stele dedicated to him. There is also a sunken Turkish ship, which was sunk by the Bulgarians in 1912. Right there, in the neighboring grotto, there is a good restaurant with a stunning panorama.

I spent my next vacation Black Sea coast Bulgaria. I swam in the sea, sunbathed in the sun, went to Burgas where I walked around the city and got acquainted with the local railway))). In addition, I made an exciting trip to Cape Kaliakra - one of interesting places on the Black Sea coast of Bulgaria. This is what I will tell in this post, plus a few photos.

Actually, I made the decision to make a trip to Cape Kaliakra the day before. There are tourists who are determined in advance with excursions, but I found it difficult to choose. I went to the excursion center, already familiar from last year, where I was advised this excursion. After looking at the photos of these places, I agreed. Moreover, the excursion was not limited to visiting Cape Kaliakra, the first point of the excursion program was a visit to the palace of the Romanian Queen Mary in the city of Balchik.
A bus with tourists and a guide raced along the coast of Bulgaria. Another plus of this excursion for vacationers in Sozopol, Pomorie, Nessebar, Sunny Beach is that the path to Cape Kaliakra runs mostly along the coast, that is, you can see almost all the cities and resorts on the Black Sea coast of Bulgaria. On the way the bus stops at Varna. True, there was no stop in Varna, but the guide told a lot of interesting things about this city. After 3 hours of travel, our bus arrived in the city of Balchik - the first point of our excursion program.


Entrance to the territory. Palace of the Romanian Queen Mary of Edinburgh (1875 - 1938) - business card city ​​of Balchik. In addition, around the palace there is a rather large Botanical Garden where you can see many interesting plants and flowers.


Already entering the territory of the botanical garden, you understand that you are in a rather interesting and beautiful place. This is how the botanical garden appears to tourists who entered here through the main entrance.


Moving to the left we get to the territory dotted with cacti.


There are quite a lot of them here, and it looks pretty nice. By the way, this is not the only place in the botanical garden where you can see them. There is also a greenhouse on the territory, there are many more of them.


Cacti in the greenhouse.


Lily. Aquatic plants can also be found in the park.


Queen Mary ordered the construction of a summer residence and a huge park here in 1921. Construction progressed rather slowly, finally all the work was completed only by 1936. The Swiss gardener Jules Jani was invited to develop the design of the park.


The wine house of Queen Mary was located in this building. To this day, the house has retained its purpose, currently there is a free wine tasting by tourists. Any wine you like can be purchased here.


The wine house offers quite a beautiful view of the sea. At the bottom left you can see a rather interesting columned structure called the Nymphaeum water temple. The fact is that there was a source in that place. Queen Mary chose this place to build a bath. The sky was reflected in the water mirror of the bath, and at night - the sky and the moon, so the queen was very fond of celebrating her birthday and name day here.


Chapel in the park.


Rosary of Queen Mary. The queen was very fond of roses, here you can find quite a large number of various roses.


Unfortunately, it was not possible to fully see the beauty of the rose garden, many roses, some of which are quite rare, have already faded. According to the guide, you need to come here before August, then you can see the rose garden in all its glory.


View of the wine house.

The park even has a waterfall. It’s true that you can’t swim here, and the temptation is quite strong, especially considering the heat.

Water Mill.


And here is the palace of Queen Mary. When the queen first visited these places, she fell in love with this region, this sea, this coast ... It was then that she ordered to build a summer residence here. The Queen's Palace is also known as the Quiet Nest. The construction of the entire palace and park complex was completed by 1936. Every summer the queen came to this beautiful corner, but last days she spent her life in Pelisor Castle in Sinai. The Queen died on July 18, 1938 and was buried in the Bishops' Cathedral of Curtea de Arges next to her husband, King Ferdinand I. However, her heart, according to her will, was moved to Balchik and buried in the chapel. But already in 1940, after the territory of Southern Dobruja (including Balchik) became part of Bulgaria, the queen's heart was moved to the Romanian castle of Bran.
After visiting the botanical garden and the palace of the Romanian Queen Mary, we go to the main goal of the tour - Cape Kaliakra. But before that, we stopped at one of the restaurants, where we were fed a lunch of Bulgarian cuisine. After that we went to the cape


Approaching the cape, we notice a monument. This is a monument to the famous Russian admiral F.F. Ushakov. It was not far from Cape Kaliakra in the summer of 1791 that the last naval battle of the Russian-Turkish war of 1787-1791 took place. Russian flotilla under the command of F.F. Ushakova won a landslide victory.
Cape Kaliakra protrudes into the sea for almost 2 kilometers.


Gate of the ancient fortress of Kaliakra. The first settlements appeared here approximately in the 4th century BC.
It was then that a Thracian settlement settled here, and already in the second half of the 4th century, a real fortress with towers and walls appeared. For some time, the Kaliakra fortress was listed as part of Scythia, but around the 10th century, these places were settled by the Bulgarians. At the end of the 14th century, the feudal lords Dobrotitsa and Balik, having declared independence from the Bulgarian king, built a fortress city on the cape, which they called Klaserka.


View of the gate from the other side.


Once in these places, I remembered one of my trips to Rostov-on-Don, when I visited the Tanais Museum-Reserve located at the mouth of the Don. It seemed that there was absolutely nothing in common different places. The fact is that there I walked among the ruins of an ancient city, and here around the centuries-old ruins of an ancient city.


Remains of the fortress walls.


Ruins of a Bulgarian church from the 14th century.


But going up to the edge in front of your eyes opens a stunning view of the sea. View towards Romania.


View from Cape Kaliakra to the other side.


Beauty, what else can I say. But back to the inspection of the ruins.


Remains of ancient habitation. And now let's go to the most extreme point on the cape, to which it is possible to reach.




Not only many historical events are connected with Cape Kaliakra, but there are many legends about this place.


On extreme point walking route is the chapel of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. There is a legend that St. Nicholas died in this place, but it is known for certain that St. Nicholas the Wonderworker died a natural death in the city of Mira, where he served as a bishop and preached.

Before us is the so-called "Gate of 40 virgins." Another legend about this place is connected with this place. The legend takes us back to the time of the conquest of these lands by the Ottoman Turks. Having conquered these lands, the Ottoman warriors selected 40 of the most beautiful girls aged 16-18 in local villages and imprisoned them on this cape. After that, they arranged games and competitions among themselves, according to the results of which the best had to divide the girls among themselves. Knowing about their fate, the girls, not wanting to get into the harem, preferred death to dishonor. They tied themselves with their hair and threw themselves off the cliff.


But there is another legend about this place: if you make a wish and throw a coin so that it remains on the rock and does not fall down, then it will certainly come true. Naturally, people throw coins for good luck, which is why the stones are littered with coins.
On this visit to Cape Kaliakra was completed, but the tour was not over. On the way back we visited another unique place near Varna - a stone forest.


True, there was a possibility that the walk would fail due to rain, but, fortunately, the rain passed by.


The stone forest is a rather amazing natural phenomenon that is millions of years old. Origin of this unique place still remains a mystery. According to one version, once there was a sea and rocky shores, but later the sea disappeared, and the rocks remained.

Some columns have names and resemble one or another character.


According to the local guide, these stones go deep into the ground, about 100-1500 meters (!).


The stone forest has a length of about 800 meters, everything around the stones is strewn with sand, so almost all tourists take off their shoes and walk barefoot on the sand. They say these places charge with positive emotions.
This was the last point of our excursion, after that our bus set off on the way back to Burgas.
Although the tour took the whole day, we drove about 450 kilometers, but believe me - it's worth seeing. I paid 100 lev for the tour, but I don't regret it at all - I really liked it. Not all photos are posted in the post, and the guide from me is useless. But if you are in Bulgaria, be sure to visit these places!

Cape Kaliakra is a place of interweaving of incredible stories and legends, so its attendance is maximum among both the residents of the Black Sea coast and foreigners. The attraction is located 12 kilometers southwest of Kavarna and 6 kilometers from the village of Bulgarevo. How did the history of the most significant tourist attraction in Bulgaria begin?

History pages

Cape Kaliakra (Bulgaria) is widely known for its rich historical heritage. The fact is that it is a narrow peninsula of a rocky nature, crashing into the sea, the length of which is two kilometers.

For a long period of time, waves formed niches and grottoes inside the rocks, which in ancient times served as warehouses, from where products were loaded onto commercial ships. It is important to note that this place has been actively inhabited since ancient times, because the rocks, whose height was 70 meters, served as an excellent defense against attacks from the sea. And the first inhabitants who found Cape Kaliakra a suitable place for life were members of the Thracian tribe of Tiriz (hence the original name Tirizis). In the 6th century BC, they built a stone fortress on the territory of the modern cape.

However, a little later, the lands of Kaliakra were captured by the Romans, as a result of which they received a different name - Akrus Castelum, which means "fortified cape" in translation. Already in the 4th-6th centuries AD, the settlement was called Acre and had a significant (compared to previous) scale.

Thus, to this day, a significant part of the stone walls from the times of antiquity and the Middle Ages have been preserved in the presented territory, which annually attract a huge number of tourists.

Landmark today

Despite the fact that little has survived from the ancient settlements (and after all, during the time of the Dobrudzhan principality, the city was the capital, accordingly, it had a significant amount of incredible beauty of buildings), tourists have the opportunity to contemplate the elements of history, which for the most part have been reconstructed. For example, the gates of the fortress of Kaliakra stand out noticeably from a great many ruins. It should be noted that an archaeological museum has been erected on the territory of the cape. And its location in a cave even more attracts tourists. However, to achieve the goal, it is necessary to master the difficult path along the paved path to the very edge of the cape, for which people often do not have enough energy and time.

Undoubtedly, visitors to this place are pleased with the fact that not far from the museum there is a restaurant with traditional cuisine, as well as a monument to the defenders of the fortress who fought in 1388. In addition, inside the rock is the chapel of St. Nicholas, considered the patron saint of sailors and travelers.

Luxurious Views

Impenetrable cliffs, an incomparable sea rushing into the distance, intoxicating air, rich flora and the smell of absolute freedom - all this is directly related to the cape (Kavarna, Bulgaria). By the way, not only numerous tourists enjoy the latter, but also cormorants, as a rule, nesting in the area. You can also see dolphins near the cape, but for this you need to be absolutely lucky. The cliff is completely treeless, and then - the bare steppe, which the May flowers make simply incomparable, so it is very advisable to visit the sights in the spring.

On the territory of the cape there is a stone lighthouse, the height of which is 68 meters. In addition, the place is decorated with such buildings as an obelisk to 40 girls, as well as a stele in honor of Admiral Ushakov and the chapel of St. Nicholas (1993), mentioned in the previous chapter.

Cape Kaliakra, as a rule, tourists visit in the mode of an organized resort tour. In addition, people are actively transported from Kavarna to the village of Bolgarevo (Balgarevo) by bus. From there you can walk to the cape. It should be noted that the historical landmark has its own information Center located in Bolgarevo.

Holidays in Bulgaria

Any tourist vacationing in such resorts as Sunny Beach, Golden Sands and others can visit Cape Kaliakra, because from time to time they organize interesting excursions. Beyond the legendary place north coast Bulgaria and the Dobrich region in particular, given zone There are many other attractions:

• Aquarium of Varna (part-time Museum of the Black Sea);
• the ancient fortress of Serdika, today in a state of ruins, nevertheless being very popular among the population;
• The Bachkovo Monastery (formerly called Petritsonsky) is one of the hundred national treasures of the country;
• library named after Cyril and Methodius, located in the center of Sofia;
• Lake Varna, which is the largest on the entire coast of Bulgaria;
• the village of Bata with 1,500 inhabitants;
• Rose Valley, located on a significant hill;
• Evksinograd (the summer residence of the royal family on the Black Sea coast) and others.

It often happens that vacation falls precisely in the autumn period. What if you really want to go to Bulgaria, but the summer is already over? No problem! Although beach holiday officially excluded, this resort has a great many other entertainments, in addition, the cost of vouchers for autumn season definitely pleases.

Bulgaria in October is to the liking of tourists who prefer leisure. Such people are happy to attend excursions, see the sights and study with special comfort, because there is no heat as such, and serious autumn colds have not yet arrived. Moreover, it is completely unpredictable.

You can enjoy the most beautiful views without fuss, because the number of tourists is decreasing compared to previous months. If you want to go on vacation with your children, it would be advisable to choose one of the balneological resorts (Sapareva Banya, Sandanski or Velingrad). If the tourist is “lit up” by cycling along the coast or by the usual acquaintance with the area, you can visit another no less prestigious resort.

It is a serious misunderstanding to call winter holidays boring in Bulgaria, because incredible beauty and a great variety of entertainment are its main advantage. Alpine skiing occupies the first position in a number of pastime options. Snowboards, skis, sleds and skates are just as natural for Bulgarians as summer diving or surfing. In addition, you can swim and sunbathe there even in winter period in specially designed hot-type mineral pools.

It is important to note that Bulgaria often lives without snow in winter. This trend is especially true for coastal cities (Varnv, Burgas and others). This is what gives value and beauty to the mountains. And how romantic look snow-covered villages, located at a considerable height! It is important to note that even with a significant delay in snow, specialized generators do not start working. Hence the conclusion: the organizers tourist holiday they do everything in order not to disrupt the season for vacationers, which, of course, deserves praise and respect.

Why Bulgaria?

How do the sights of this area light up the soul? When is the best time to visit one of the resorts? And how much does a trip to Bulgaria cost? Tourists often ask such questions, which, of course, are attracted by the comfort and safety of this country. There the cleanest beaches, exciting entertainment and incredible beautiful views at any time of the year. In addition, a whole firework of impressions can be obtained not only from the contemplation of the surrounding nature and active pastime, but also from the hospitality of the local population.

It is important to note that 80 percent of the guests of Bulgaria prefer to relax on the Black Sea coast, and this is not surprising, because the endless beach cannot but impress. This country has a wide abundance of relaxing factors: bright sun, inspiring sea, endless beaches with golden sand and, of course, interesting sights. Cape Kaliakra (Bulgaria) is one of the most popular of them.

Even the names of the resorts (Sunny Beach, Golden Sands, Dunes) cannot leave anyone indifferent, so every year Bulgaria receives a huge number of tourists who subsequently sincerely enjoy the unusual and such a comfortable atmosphere.

I posted earlier. The topic of today's story will be a trip to Cape Kaliakra- a place of exceptional beauty and rich history.

Cape Kaliakra protrudes into the Black Sea for about 2 kilometers. Its extremity consists of sheer cliffs up to 70 meters high (like a 23-storey building), at the foot of which the waves of the Black Sea rage. There is also a very strong wind blowing all the time.

Several legends are associated with Cape Kaliakra. The first is about 40 Bulgarian girls who, not wanting to be captured by the Ottoman Turks, tied their braids together and threw themselves into the sea from a high cliff. An obelisk was erected in their honor at the entrance to the cape.

At Cape Kaliakra, during the Russian-Turkish war, the Russian fleet under the command of Admiral Ushakov inflicted a crushing defeat on the Turks. A monument to Admiral Ushakov is also present at Cape Kaliakra.

Even at the very tip of the cape there is a chapel of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, the patron saint of seafarers, who apparently also somehow showed himself here. Unfortunately, we don't know the details.

Road to Kaliakra

From Balchik to Cape Kaliakra can only be reached by taxi. There were 6 of us and the "official" taxi drivers in 7-seater cars asked 60-70 leva for the round trip. However, unofficial taxi drivers hang out not far from Fisherman's Square, with one of whom we managed to negotiate for 50 leva. If you suddenly see a dark blue Mercedes minibus with a black hood, then this is the one we drove. The driver's name is Slavi, he speaks relatively good Russian. Slavi rode us several times (to different places) and each time told or showed something interesting.

The road to Kaliakra from Balchik passes through the town of Kavarna and the village of Bolgarevo. Feels like 30-35 kilometers. On the way, we met a windmill farm that we had never seen before. We stopped and took pictures...

One such “turntable” has a height of 90 meters and generates power up to 7.5 megawatts (this has already been found out from Wikipedia)

There are a huge number of windmills, they supply energy to the surrounding objects and settlements. Despite the apparent cheapness of electricity, it is more expensive than from a thermal power plant. The cost of one such “turntable” is several million euros, and it should pay off! And during a thunderstorm, lightning often strikes them, despite all the protection, there are fires, the mechanisms wear out. Among the spinning windmills, there were also those whose propellers were motionless.

At the entrance to Cape Kaliakra, on the right hand, there is an obelisk in memory of 40 girls (see above)

Obelisk "40 maidens"

There is also a checkpoint where they collect money for the entrance (entry) to the cape - 5 levs per adult. The driver parked his minibus in the parking lot and let us walk around the cape. According to the agreement, we had 2 hours (as practice has shown, this is quite enough).

The first thing you feel when you come to this place is a feeling of unprecedented spaciousness. A strip of land with a maximum width of 50 meters, and to the right and left - an endless sea.

When I posed for this shot, I realized what a fear of heights is. Pay attention to that piece of land, a meter by half a meter, on which I am standing. I didn’t dare to step further to the very edge (and someone apparently does this, judging by what was trampled there), because already standing in this place, my knees began to weaken, and the wind kept pushing me in the chest. And you will not lean against anything and you will not lean on anything! Below - not soft sand, but rocks. Height - 23rd floor :) And as luck would have it, the camera in Natalia's hands behaved disgustingly - either it focused in the wrong direction, then filled up the horizon, or did not follow the "rule of thirds" :)

If you stand a meter from a cliff and throw a stone into the sea with all your might, you don’t see how it reaches the water - the stone, turning into a point, hides behind the edge of the cliff.

Groups of tourists walk along the cape, but not everyone dares to approach the edge. For those who have a pronounced phobia, special fenced areas have been made to feel safe.

If you go to the other side of the cape, a similar landscape opens up:

There was once a fortress on Cape Kaliakra, it was destroyed during the wars, but the tower with the gate and part of the wall were restored.

In fact, the place for a military facility is very competent - the cape is practically impregnable from the water, and those who are at the top could fire at enemy ships in all directions.

Now on the territory of Cape Kaliakra there is also some kind of military facility, with a high fence with barbed wire and with serious men in uniform, sometimes looking through this fence.

The road leading through the cape leads us first to the restaurant, then to the Kaliakra Museum.

You can enter the museum freely, but they ask for money for photography. In fact, there is nothing special to photograph there - there are diagrams and information stands on the walls, the exposition is limited to a reduced model of the cape in the middle of the hall and objects found on archaeological excavations- remains of tools, household utensils, fishing gear, etc. There is also a restaurant with exorbitant prices next to the museum.

Warning signs “Akhtung!” are placed along the road. Do not climb!

A very strong wind is blowing at the very edge of the cape, keep your hats on! It's hard to put it into words, see the pictures...

Actually everything. We turn back.

On the way back, we took some more photos of the sea lit by the bright sun.