The Palace

Queen Marie of Romania had this Italian-designed palace villa built in 1924 and summered here from 1931-38 when the Dobrudzha was part of Romania (1913-40). The "Quiet Nest" as it was known was supposedly also a love nest for the 60-year-old monarch and her 20-year old Turkish lover, Hasan. Marie belonged to a sect whose aim was the reconciliation of the Christian and Muslim religions and she apparently practiced what she preached. The villa architecture is primarily oriental, but includes old Bulgarian and gothic styles as well. Topped by a distinctive spired minaret, the upper two floors contain original furnishings. Nearby, a series of six terraces represents each of Marie's children, the smallest for her youngest who died in infancy. In front of the villa is a stone throne with crescent moon and a star. The villa has subsequently served as a rest home for the Bulgarian Union of Writers.
Queen Marie died in 1938 while reputedly attempting to intercede between her two sons dueling over a woman. Her wish to have her heart buried in the small chapel east of the villa was fulfilled; guarded by soldiers, it was removed to Romania two years later when Bulgaria re-captured the Dobrudzha. On the chapel door, Marie is depicted holding a church in her hands and her daughter, Irina (patroness of the sea), a ship.
The botanical gardens were begun in 1955 by horticulturist Daki Yordanov, remembered by an attractive caretaker-cottage just inside the main entrance. In the past, 3000 species of plants graced the extensive grounds, including many white poplar - some over 300 years old - and 1000 cacti, the second largest such collection in Europe. Some 450 botanical gardens worldwide contributed to the collection. The grounds also include springs, waterfalls, and summer pavilions. There are amphorae from Spanish Morocco, stone crosses and grave stones from Moldavia and Besarabia, a marble throne from Florence, and a whole church transferred from a Greek island. top

Art Gallery

Opened in 1977, the gallery occupies a large white building - formerly a school. The first floor galleries have temporary exhibitions, changed every 15 days from among the vast collection of works by Bulgarian and foreign painters. Perhaps most impressive are the impressionist-style scenes of Balchik by Romanian artists from the 1920's and 30's. The second floor has traditional and contemporary works by Bulgarian painters, graphic artists and sculptors. The museum galleries, which are large and bright, feature a number and variety of works matched only by the Varna Art Gallery. The gallery sponsors a "Process Space" festival for twelve days in early June which attracts Bulgarian and foreign artists. Across the street is a Greek Church used as a concert hall for performances by town choirs. Excellent acoustics make the Orthodox chants a memorable experience. A trip here is normally included as part of organized tours. top

Revival Complex

This National Revival-style house, rebuilt in its entirety in the 1980's, contains a one-room mutual school that functioned until 1909. The schoolroom contains rows of desks with sand-trays for writing; beneath the teacher's desk is a "student prison" where miscreants were kept. A slogan on the back wall bears the following admonishment: 'Children, learn while you are young so you aren't sorry when you are older." A second room displays nationalistic materials from the Revival period, including books and sketches. Another smaller room provided residential living quarters for teachers, all of whom came from other towns.
Located nearby is a church. Built on the spot of Balchik's first Bulgarian church (1841), which was destroyed by the Turks, the present Saint Nikola dates from 1865 and was restored in the early 1980's to commemorate the 1300th anniversary of the founding of the Bulgarian State. The church has services only on Christmas, Easter and December 6th - Saint Nicholas Day (patron saint of fishermen). The interior, including the exquisitely painted blue-and-white ceiling, is beautifully restored and decorated with 19th century icons by Tryavna masters. Above the iconstand is an unusual icon, the history of which is unknown: when viewed from varying angles it depicts, separately, the Holy Trinity. The balcony also has a display of icons but is inaccessible as the flooring is deemed unsafe. top

History Museum

This museum is small but surprisingly diverse and its two rooms do a commendable job of covering the area's long, rich history, from fossilized mammoth bones through World War II. Of note is the fascinating collection of exhibits and old photographs chronicling the town's role in the Balkan and World Wars, in particular of the 1940 liberation. The prison garb, shackle irons and photos of Bulgarian prisoners were gifts from Romania. Items from antiquity include Greek and Roman coins, pottery, and funereal statuary. Of special interest is an actual-sized model of a Thracian carriage, patterned after remains (exhibited nearby) unearthed from a first-century b.c. mound that was discovered during construction of the local airport in 1965. There is also a maquette of a Roman tomb discovered by the Shkorpil brothers in 1907. Although the Varna museum has most of the finds, as it sponsored the dig, some of the tomb's contents can be seen at the original site - now the Krunoi restaurant, located on Cherno More near the bus station.
The museum building itself has an interesting history. Built in 1907 as a trading house, it later served as the town hall for Romanians and then Bulgarians. It was altered significantly to its present appearance in 1961 when it opened as a museum. Prior to then, the contents of the museum (the Dobrudzha's first) were housed in another building near the harbor. When the Romanian authorities fled in 1940, they took the museum contents with them. Balchik has been negotiating for their return.top

Ethnographic Museum

The exhibits in this authentic 1860 house are as diverse as those across the street. The first floor highlights local crafts and trades: fishing, tailoring, barrel-making, coppersmithing, woodworking, stock-breeding. In addition to tools, implements and photos, there are master's diplomas issued by industrial-trade councils authorizing the craftsmen to practice their respective trades. The second floor has a furnished room from a tum-of-the-century town house and a work room from a village. There are also traditional costumes and clothing from Dobrudzha and Kotel. top