image source: www.google.com
Hello, guys!
Now that it's getting cold I'm getting lazier than ever and don't feel like doing anything. I just want to relax and stay warm, doing nothing during the winter. Still, I remembered about one really nice place at the seaside I visited a few months ago, called Kaliakra. It reminds of the heat we experienced here in Bulgaria this summer. So, in this blog, I'm gonna share more about it as the location is really worth visiting.
WHAT IS IT?
Kaliakra (Bulgarian: Калиакра) is a long and narrow headland in the Southern Dobruja region of the northern Bulgarian Black Sea Coast, 12 kilometres (7 mi) east of Kavarna, 60 kilometres (37 mi) northeast of Varna and 65 kilometres (40 mi) southwest of Mangalia.
View of the sea from one of the buildings in Kaliakra
Kaliakra is a cape in the north seaside of Bulgaria (the Black Sea), which is beside a natural heritage, also an archaeological complex. The cape is going 2 km inside the sea making it look a lot like a peninsula. It is long and narrow with high cliffs surrounding the place on all three sides. At some points, their height can reach up to 70 m above the sea level. Even though the area of the complex is not small at all - 687.5 daa - currently it has no residents but it's rather a tourist location and attraction. Once there, first is the main gate, then there are some remains of the ancient city and fortress. Other places of interest are a restaurant, a museum, and a chapel right at the farthest edge of the cape.
Ruins of ancient buildings on Kaliakra
Nature of Kaliakra
View of Cape Kaliakra to the sea and the land
Except being a historical place, which I will talk about later, Kaliakra is also famous for its amazing nature. The view of the cliffs is really impressive and a large number of different animal and plant species are available in the area. The famous bird route Via Pontica passes above Kaliakra and many rare and protected birds can be found nesting there. Near the shores were noticed dolphins, which are also protected by national laws and directives. The color of the rocks is orange to reddish, due to the iron compounds contained in their structure. At one of the sides of the cape, a quiet natural bay was created and it was being used in the past for protecting the ships from bad weather. These ships also moored to the shores since in the past there were paths and facilities for using them as an access point, but currently, the cape is only accessible by land. Due to its narrow shape, the water formed multiple sea caves and figures by the coast through the years.
video source: www.youtube.com
History of Kaliakra
Ruins of the walls on Cape Kaliakra
The cape was first inhabited long time ago with the earliest information about people living on it from the IV century B.C. Different tribes and nations contributed to the construction of the city during different periods of time. It is now known that the city was divided into two parts - an inner town and another one outside of the walls of the first one. Many of those walls, the fortress, and the public buildings are now only ruins. However, the main gate, which is kind of a symbol of the archaeological part of Kaliakra, has been fully recovered and has an entirely new look. As most historical places, this cape is also associated with legends from the past, but I'm not going to take the time to clarify them as these are too specific and related to our culture and history.
Remains of a building on Cape Kaliakra
Kaliakra as a Tourist Attraction
The main gate of the fortress in Kaliakra
No matter its other values to different sciences (e.g. Botany, Archaeology, History, Ornithology, Zoology, etc.), I think Cape Kaliakra is mostly popular for its tourist opportunities. As the area is huge, it combines most of the things needed for an excursion or a holiday. At the entrance, souvenirs and postcards are available, as well as many different kinds of seashells, most of them imported. Then there is a restaurant; it's the only one in the entire locality as the closest village to Kaliakra is 6 km away. Right next to and after the restaurant, if coming from the land, is the museum. It is situated inside a natural cave, and displays archeological findings, signs with historical information, objects found inside the town, etc. But the most impressive one is the model of the city with the fortress, the way it was supposed to look before. It is right at the center of the cave and catches the eye immediately after going in. It is clearly visible that many of the buildings and facilities that existed previously are not there anymore or they are just remains.
image source: www.google.com
Around the entire place, there are rocks and the combination of the human-made paths and buildings with nature is making the location unique. There are monuments and designated areas, which are with restricted access. A tiny path is going straight through the entire peninsula, and through the restaurant and different remains, rocks, paths until it reaches the end. After passing the restaurant and the museum, one stone arch is visible on the right side, which lies somewhere in the middle, between the sea and the path. It can be reached, but it's not recommended to do so for safety reasons. It is a small arch tough, but it's interesting. This arch gives the feeling that once you pass through it, you will jump directly into the sea. It was probably used in the past when the ships were stopping nearby in the bay.
image source: www.google.com
And the last part of the complex I'm going to mention is the chapel, which is the last sight before the end of the cape. It is made of stone and to be honest, I found it impressive. It has a small area and it's not possible many people to visit it at once, but the view from the inside of the chapel to the sea is amazing. Many tourists throw coins trying to aim a horizontal rock near one of the windows of the chapel. But that's not always an easy task to accomplish as it is an open area inside the sea, and most of the times it's windy. So the wind is trying to blow away almost every light object that has been thrown.
video source: www.youtube.com
The Area
If you think Kaliakra is the only place to visit and enjoy there, then you're wrong. The North seaside of Bulgaria is actually full of many locations, some famous due to their nature, others are sea resorts for vacations. I'll mention only some of them as they are a lot:
– Tyulenovo - these are naturally created rocks with two arches (one bigger and one smaller) into the sea. Located near the village Tyulenovo.
– Shabla - a seaside town and resort, famous for the biggest lighthouse on our seashore. It is good for a few days holiday or more.
– Kamen Bryag - this is a village, popular for its high cliffs and amazing sunrise during the summer months. It is the exact place where many people gather on the 1st of July for celebration (July Morning).
– Kavarna - this is a city in the North. It's a great place, but the beach is not very close to the city. Other than that, it is full of tourists and visitors in summer.
And with these, I'm going to finish this blog and I hope I provided enough information. I like all resorts at the Black Sea - natural or not, but Kaliakra is one of those that immediately impress due to its uniqueness.
image source: www.google.com
Thanks for reading! See you in my next blog!
- NinaB
