Cape Kaliakra hydrophysical characteristics of the Black Sea. Cape Kaliakra: a legendary place. Museum opening hours
I spent my next vacation on the Black Sea coast of 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 a fascinating trip to Cape Kaliakra - one of the most interesting places on the Black Sea coast of Bulgaria. That's what I'll talk about 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 decide on excursions in advance, but I found it difficult to choose. I went to an excursion center I was already familiar with last year, where they recommended this excursion to me. After looking at the photographs 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 Maria in the city of Balchik.
A bus with tourists and a guide rushed along the coast of Bulgaria. Another advantage of this excursion for vacationers in Sozopol, Pomorie, Nessebar, Sunny Beach is that the path to Cape Kaliakra passes 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. The palace of the Romanian Queen Maria of Edinburgh (1875 - 1938) is the visiting card of the city of Balchik. In addition, around the palace there is a fairly large botanical garden, where you can see many interesting plants and flowers.
Already entering the territory of the botanical garden you realize that you have found yourself in a rather interesting and beautiful place. This is how the botanical garden appears to tourists entering through the main entrance.
Moving to the left we find ourselves in an area dotted with cacti.
There are quite a lot of them here, and it looks quite beautiful. 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 proceeded rather slowly; all work was finally completed only by 1936. Swiss gardener Jules Jany was invited to develop the design of the park.
Queen Mary's wine house was located in this building. To this day, the house has retained its purpose, and currently hosts free wine tasting for tourists. Any wine you like can be purchased here.
The wine house offers quite a beautiful view of the sea. Below on the left you can see a rather interesting columnar 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 bathhouse. The water mirror of the bath reflected the sky, and at night - the sky and the moon, so the queen loved to celebrate her birthday and name day here.
Chapel in the park.
Queen Mary's Rosary. The Queen was very fond of roses; here you can find quite a large number of different roses.
Unfortunately, it was not possible to fully see the beauty of the rose garden; many roses, some of which are quite rare, had already bloomed. According to the guide, you need to come here before August, then you will be able to see the rose garden in all its glory.
View of the wine house.
There is even a waterfall in the park. It’s true that you can’t swim here, but the temptation is quite strong, especially considering the heat.
Water Mill.
And here is the palace of Queen Mary itself. When the queen first visited these places, she fell in love with this region, this sea, this coast... It was then that she ordered the construction of a summer residence here. The Queen's Palace is also called 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 she spent the last days of her life in Pelisor Castle in Sinaia. The queen died on July 18, 1938 and was buried in the bishop's cathedral in the city of Curtea de Arges next to her husband, King Ferdinand I. However, according to her will, her heart was transported 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 transported to the Romanian Bran Castle.
After visiting the botanical garden and the palace of the Romanian Queen Maria, we go to the main goal of the excursion - Cape Kaliakra. But before that we stopped at one of the restaurants, where we were given lunch from 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 near 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 convincing victory.
Cape Kaliakra juts out 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 inhabited by Bulgarians. At the end of the 14th century, the feudal lords Dobrotitsa and Balik, having declared independence from the Bulgarian king, built a fortified city on the cape, which they called Klaserka.
View of the gate from the other side.
Finding myself 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 what they had in common were completely different places. The fact is that there I walked among the ruins of an ancient city, and here there are centuries-old ruins of an ancient city around.
Remains of the fortress walls.
Ruins of a 14th century Bulgarian church.
But when you approach the edge, a stunning view of the sea opens up before your eyes. View towards Romania.
View from Cape Kaliakra in the other direction.
Beauty, what more can you say. But let's get back to visiting the ruins.
Remains of ancient housing. Now let’s go to the most extreme point on the cape that can be reached.
Not only are many historical events connected with Cape Kaliakra, but there are also many legends about this place.
At the extreme point of the walking route there 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 associated 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 years from local villages and imprisoned them on this cape. After this, they arranged games and competitions among themselves, according to the results of which the best had to divide the girls among themselves. Knowing their fate, the girls, not wanting to end up in a 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 strewn with coins.
At this point, the visit to Cape Kaliakra was completed, but the excursion was not finished. On the way back we visited another unique place near Varna - a stone forest.
True, there was a possibility that the walk would be canceled due to rain, but, fortunately, the rain passed by.
The stone forest is a rather amazing natural phenomenon that dates back millions of years. The origin of this unique place still remains a mystery. According to one version, there was once a sea and rocky shores here, but later the sea disappeared, but 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 you with positive emotions.
This was the last point of our excursion, after which our bus set off on its way back to Burgas.
Although the excursion took the whole day, we drove about 450 kilometers, but believe me, it’s worth seeing. I paid 100 levs for the excursion, but I don’t regret it at all - I really enjoyed it. Not all the photos are posted in the post, and I’m not a good tour guide. But if you are in Bulgaria, be sure to visit these places!
Cape Kaliakra (or Kaliakra Nose, as the Bulgarians call this place) is one of the main attractions of the northern coast of Bulgaria in general and the Dobrich region in particular. Cape Kaliakra is one of the hundred national tourist sites, so excursions there are very popular. If you wish, you can go to the cape on your own. The rich history of this legendary place and its absolutely fantastic beauty are worth coming here.
The exact location of the attraction can be seen at.
History of Kaliakra
The fortress buildings have been partially restored. The most ancient settlements existed here already in the 4th century BC. The Thracian tribe Tirizi lived here, who gave the nose of Kaliakra its first name - Tirizis. Here was the capital of the Thracian king Lysimachus, one of the heirs of Alexander the Great. On the edge of the cape in a cave he hid countless treasures previously looted in Persia.
Over time, the fortress grew and expanded. In 341-342, round towers were built here and inner and outer cities were established. Then a third fortification was built with 10-meter walls almost 3 meters thick. During archaeological excavations, ancient and early Christian necropolises were discovered here.
In the 5th-6th centuries the fortress was already called Acre Castelium. And in the 7th century, the settlement fell into decay: researchers attribute this to the fact that the Slavs and Proto-Bulgarians showed no interest in settling the cape.
In the 14th century, the fortress flourished under a new name - Kaliakra. Here was the capital of the Bulgarian rulers (princes) Balik and Dobrotitsa. According to written evidence, it was a large medieval city that minted its own coins. The monument to Admiral Ushakov is located right next to the parking lot. The remains of the fortress walls, part of the water supply system and the princely residence have survived to this day. Around the same time, the history of the Bulgarian navy began here: the galleys of Dobrotitsa successfully participated in naval battles. However, in 1393-1394 the principality came under the rule of the Ottoman Empire.
On June 31, 1791, the largest battle in history on the Black Sea broke out near the shores of Kaliakra. The Russian squadron, led by Admiral Ushakov, defeated the Turkish armada, which was significantly larger than it. This victory ended the Russian-Turkish war of 1787-1792. On August 10, 2006, a large monument to Fyodor Ushakov was erected at the beginning of the cape.
The Legend of Forty Girls
Monument to 40 Girls Cape Kaliakra is associated with a legend about 40 Bulgarian girls who tied their braids together and rushed into the sea so as not to fall to the Turkish conquerors. Thus, they preferred death to shame and defended the honor of Bulgarian women. One of the girls was supposedly called Kaliakra, and the cape was named after her, which, however, is unlikely, because the name of the cape appeared before Bulgaria fell under the rule of the Ottomans.
Today, at the beginning of the cape, an obelisk has been built in memory of those girls. In our opinion, it does not look very attractive, and it is located somehow unsuccessfully - somewhere on the side, at the very entrance to the territory. But the memory is respected, and this is the most important thing.
Chapel of St. Nicholas. Unfortunately, there are no dolphins on the horizon. Another legend of the cape is associated with St. Nicholas, the patron saint of sailors. The saint was running away from the Turks, and God lengthened the firmament under his feet - and this is how the cape turned out, protruding two kilometers into the sea. At the very end of Cape St. Nicholas they finally caught it - today there is a small chapel there. They say you can see dolphins frolicking in the waves from there. But when we were there, we didn’t meet any dolphins, so we can’t say anything about it. By the way, during the time of Turkish rule, in the same place there was a dervish monastery in which the relics of the Turkish saint were kept. This is such an interesting place.
The beauty of Kaliakra and personal experience
The views at Cape Kaliakra are stunning. Of course, looking at the place where the proud Bulgarian beauties jumped into the water is quite interesting. However, it seems to us that Cape Kaliakra is worth a visit just for the stunningly beautiful views: a photo as a souvenir of the trip can be proudly shown to distrustful acquaintances, confident that Bulgaria is not a beautiful enough country. However, what to write: look at the photographs for yourself. High (70 meters) steep banks of a characteristic reddish hue are in harmony with the green grass and the endless blue of the sea.
The cape is quite narrow and long - it extends into the sea for about two kilometers.
Antiquity on Cape Kaliakra is adjacent to modern objects, access to which is prohibited. In the upper part of the cape there are some military installations, access to which is prohibited. There is also a meteorological station and a lighthouse. And throughout the accessible territory there are comfortable wide paths - all the way to the tip of the cape, where the small chapel is located.
A small room was carved right into the rock in the middle of the cape - a local museum with various ancient finds and a model of the fortress. Entry there is free, photography costs money. The museum is open from April 1 until the end of October.
The sculpture is one of the symbols of Cape Kaliakra. On the territory of the reserve there is a restaurant and even a small street with souvenir stalls where they sell all sorts of attractive junk at exorbitant prices.
Yes, the most important thing: entry into the territory is paid, and, it seems, for local residents the price is lower than for guests of Bulgaria. Unfortunately, we don't remember the exact prices. If anyone can tell you the cost of travel to Cape Kaliakra, please do so in the comments, we will be very grateful.
And one last piece of good advice: the winds in those parts can be very strong, so even on a hot day it would be advisable to take something windproof with you.
By the way, on the way to Cape Kaliakra (or back) you can stop by and taste freshly caught mussels prepared in a variety of ways.
Secrets of Cape Kaliakra
Despite numerous excavations and seemingly careful study, Cape Kaliakra still keeps some secrets. For example, legends tell about the treasures of Lysimachus, one of the heirs of Alexander the Great. He collected countless treasures and hid them somewhere near Cape Kaliakra. Since then, many people have been searching for these treasures, but so far none of them have been lucky. Another legend concerns a find discovered during excavations at Cape Kaliakra in 2013. This is a bronze ring with a small reservoir for poison - just like in medieval legends. the find dates back to the fourteenth century, a time shortly before the Ottoman Empire's victory over the Bulgarians. it is assumed that the killer ring was used at a time when relations between the despot Dobrotitsa and his son Ivanko Terter became strained, but nothing is known for certain.
Finally, the third legend concerns an almost modern, well-studied time - that same legendary naval battle near Kaliakra, in honor of which a monument to Admiral Ushakov was erected there. In the summer of 1791, a large-scale naval battle took place here, which ended in the unconditional victory of the Russian fleet over the superior forces of the Ottomans. It was a large-scale battle in which many Turkish ships were lost. However, the remains of none of them have so far been discovered at the bottom of the Black Sea. It is unknown where the traces of the ships went.
Can these mysteries be solved? Well, at least scientists are trying to do it. And some enthusiasts look for treasures and scuba dive around the cape. Along the cape itself, in addition to the equipped tourist road, there is also a trail along which trained people can go down to the foot of the steep cliffs, where the waves splash - the same as hundreds and thousands of years ago.
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 tip consists of sheer cliffs up to 70 meters high (like a 23-story building), at the foot of which the waves of the Black Sea rage. There is also a very strong wind constantly blowing here.
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. In honor of them, an obelisk was erected 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. The monument to Admiral Ushakov is also present at Cape Kaliakra.
At the very tip of the cape there is a chapel of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, the patron saint of sailors, who apparently also somehow showed himself here. Unfortunately, we don’t know the details.
Road to Kaliakra
You can only get from Balchik to Cape Kaliakra by taxi. There were 6 of us and the “official” taxi drivers in 7-seater cars asked for 60-70 leva for the round trip. However, not far from Fisherman’s Square there are informal taxi drivers hanging out, with one of whom we managed to negotiate for 50 levs. 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 took us for rides several times (to different places) and each time he told or showed us something interesting.
The road to Kaliakra from Balchik passes through the town of Kavarna and the village of Bolgarevo. It feels like 30-35 kilometers. On the way we came across a wind turbine farm that we had never seen before. We stopped and took photos...
One such “turntable” has a height of 90 meters and produces power up to 7.5 megawatts (I already found this out from Wikipedia)
There are a huge number of wind turbines; they supply energy to surrounding objects and settlements. Despite the apparent cheapness of electricity, it costs more than from thermal power plants. 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, fires occur, and 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 entry to the cape - 5 leva 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 there is an endless sea.
When I posed for this photo, I realized what a fear of heights is. Pay attention to that piece of land about a meter by half a meter on which I am standing. I didn’t dare to step further to the very edge (but someone apparently does this, judging by what is trampled there), since already standing at this place my knees began to weaken, and the wind kept pushing into my chest. And you won’t lean against anything and you won’t lean on anything! Below there is not soft sand, but rocks. Height - 23rd floor :) And as luck would have it, the camera in Natalya’s hands behaved disgustingly - it either focused in the wrong direction, then blocked 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 will not see how it reaches the water - the stone, turning into a point, disappears behind the edge of the cliff.
Groups of tourists walk around 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; during the wars it was destroyed, but the tower with the gate and part of the wall were restored.
In fact, the location for a military facility is very clever - the cape is practically impregnable from the water, and those 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 guys in uniform, sometimes looking through this fence.
The road leading through the cape leads us first to a restaurant, then to the Kaliakra Museum.
You can enter the museum freely, but they ask for money to take photographs. In fact, there is nothing special to photograph there - there are diagrams and information stands on the walls, the exhibition is limited to a reduced model of the cape in the middle of the hall and objects found at archaeological excavations - the remains of tools, household utensils, fishing gear, etc. There is also a restaurant next to the museum with steep prices.
Along the road there are warning signs “Achtung!” Don't climb!
There is a very strong wind blowing at the very edge of the cape, keep your hats on! It’s difficult to describe in words, look at the photos...
That's all. We turn back.
On the way back we took a few more photographs of the sea illuminated by the bright sun.
Text and photo tweak
On the morning of the second day of our road trips around Bulgaria, we leave our Sunshine Beach in the direction of Varna. We immediately begin to climb the easternmost spur of the Balkan Mountains, extending into the sea.
Observation platform at an altitude of approximately two hundred meters.
Nessebar Bay. Below us the resort of Sveti Vlas goes to the left, Sunny Beach stretches straight into the distance.
Beach.
After driving 80 kilometers along a modest, mostly two-lane road, we get to the A5 “Black Sea” highway Varna - Burgas (of which only 10 km from the Varna side have so far been built). Ahead you can see the two-kilometer Asparukhov Bridge, built over the canals connecting Lake Varna with the Black Sea.
View from the bridge of large-panel buildings in the western districts of Varna.
Below us is the largest port in Bulgaria. The sea is visible.
Having cut through the city through the industrial zone along the lake, then past the airport, we take the old road to Sofia. Literally after 10 km we reach our first goal today - the Stone Forest (aka Beat the Stones).
We park.
Box office souvenirs.
Stone forest is a unique rock formation, which consists of stone columns up to 7 meters high and up to 3 meters thick. The columns do not have a solid base, are hollow, filled with sand and are located in groups over an area of several square kilometers. According to the main hypothesis, they were formed as a result of the weathering of rocks formed tens of millions of years ago at the bottom of an ancient sea. They are a natural monument.
Some stone “trees” have absolutely amazing shapes:
A real piece of desert in the middle of green fields.
Planes calling at Varna:
The Airbus of Siberia is carrying our people.
Airbus of the local national air carrier Bulgaria Er.
Self-portrait.
There aren't really many tall stone trees there - mostly just piles of weird porous rocks. Although there are solid large rocks, apparently from which such a wonderful landscape is created over time.
Tourists.
Green.
Red.
It is difficult to imagine that all this is of natural origin. It looks like some ancient Greek ruins:
It is not easy to force the imagination not to see the lying marble columns. But it's just a stone.
For those who want to absorb the energy of this place (for those who believe that this place has some special energy) there is a place for meditation.
A few more views of the Stone Forest:
Structure.
Postcards with portraits of especially outstanding entities with their names in four languages are sold.
Part of the natural monument is cut off by the highway - you can walk around from that side.
Our second goal today is Cape Kaliakra. From the Stone Forest, go there about 100 kilometers along the coast to the northeast.
It's windy here.
Kaliakra is a natural and archaeological reserve. This cape juts out into the sea for a couple of kilometers with a high rock and is famous for the ruins of a medieval fortress and the victory won here by Ushakov over the Turkish fleet in 1791.
Ushakov. The monument was erected in 2006 near the tourist parking lot in honor of the 215th anniversary of that victory.
View from the cape to the west. A boat at anchor is visible on the horizon - on this side the sea is calm. Not far from the shore there is some gear.
Scarecrow. But the bird is not afraid.
We go towards the fortress.
Let's take a walk among the ancient Bulgarian ruins of the 14th century. In those days, here was the capital of a local principality called the Dobrudzhan Despotate.
Back view:
We passed the second line of fortifications (the first one goes a couple of hundred meters before the parking lot - we passed it on foot). The plaque describes it as a fortress wall with a moat from the 12th to 17th centuries.
View along the coast from the east towards Romania (about 40 km away). At this point the width of the cape is only about a hundred meters. Taking into account the height of the rocks, the fortress turns out to be quite impregnable, but the Turks captured it anyway.
We approach the third line of fortifications.
Cormorants are resting below.
The gate is a remake. But with a flag.
View back along the east side.
and on the western:
Did you want a medieval fortress? It is not there - the entire central high part of the cape is occupied by a military zone. There are trays with souvenirs in front of the area, the seller is dozing nearby in the shade.
For tourists, a road has been laid along the cliff along the closed area. Further on there is a restaurant and a small historical and archaeological museum in the rock.
In fact, he was not yet an admiral then. He became one eight years later, when he commanded a squadron united with the same Turks in the war with France.
In 2001, he became a saint - for almost two hundred years the church studied his righteousness in order to canonize him (this was such a sudden idea by the leadership of the Republic of Mordovia, where Ushakov is buried, and the Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy). Our church is separated from the state, so after the naval commander was made a saint at the request of government officials, the Navy command came to glorify the admiral, where they received from the Russian Orthodox Church a banner and elements of Ushakov’s corpse for distribution among the fleets. Religious processions were held in the fleets. A huge cathedral and an alley with a monument were built in the center of Saransk.
There is another military facility at the top; you can’t go there.
An observation deck at the very tip of the cape. There’s not much to see there – just the same sea and rocks. But they say that if you are lucky, you can see dolphins.
There is a sad legend about 40 Bulgarian girls who tied themselves with braids and threw themselves on these stones to avoid communication with the intrusive Turks.
Monument to a Bulgarian archer heroically, but unsuccessfully, fighting his enemies.
Under the observation deck, the chapel of St. Nicholas is built into the rock.
There is a crowd of people on the small platform near the chapel - everyone is trying to take pictures of the sea against the sun.
In the chapel, Ushakov hangs naturally in a central place.
Let's admire the open spaces a little and head back.
On the way we saw a sunflower. They took it with them.
We pass Varna:
Panel houses of the Chaika quarter.
Varna is the third city in Bulgaria (376 thousand inhabitants). Founded in the 6th century BC. like the Greek colony of Odessos. From 1949 to 1956 it was called Stalin. Kirkorov was born here.
We drive through the city to the center along the boulevard of the 8th Primorsky Regiment.
City hall. Women in national costumes. On the left is the sculpture “Icarus”.
Slivnitsa Boulevard goes left to the Primorsky Park and the central beach.
Cathedral Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Or the Assumption Cathedral (1886).
Beryozka store: condensed milk, Alyonka and caviar.
Cape Kaliakra is one of the most popular attractions in Bulgaria. In this place, the stars really “aligned.” And beautiful nature, striking with its almost fantastic alien beauty, and an eventful centuries-old history, in memory of which the ruins of an ancient fortress have been preserved, and a special energy that has a magical effect on everyone who finds themselves on the edge of the legendary cliff.
History of Cape Kaliakra.
Our compatriots know about Cape Kaliakra primarily thanks to the Russian-Turkish war. In 1791, it was here that one of the most famous battles took place, during which the army under the command of Admiral Ushakov defeated the Ottomans with superior forces. However, the history of Kaliakra did not begin with this event - its roots are much deeper.
This place has been inhabited since ancient times - the cape is too successful from a strategic point of view. Rocks 70 meters high are an excellent defense against enemies that could come from the sea. In addition, the sea did a great job over Kaliakra - many natural grottoes and niches were formed at the foot of the rocks, which in ancient times were actively used as warehouses - from here merchant ships were loaded.
Officially, the first to settle in this territory are considered to be representatives of the Thracian tribe of Tiriz. They named the area simply - Tirisis. In the 4th century, the first fortified settlement arose on Cape Kaliakra, which became one of the significant centers of the Black Sea coast.
In the 5th century, the Tyrizian lands became part of the Odrysian kingdom, and soon the first stone fortress was erected on the territory of the cape, the ruins of which have survived to this day. Macedonian colonization and the period of the Dobrudzhan Despotate went smoothly for Kaliakra - no wars or destruction. Only periodic name changes. In addition, the influential ruler of the despotate Dobrotitsa moved the capital to a fortress on the coast. Previously it was Kavarna.
Despite its important strategic position, there are no medieval battles associated with Cape Kaliakra - life here has always flowed peacefully, even during the rule of the Ottoman Empire. The exception was 1791, when Admiral Ushakov defeated Turkish and Algerian ships off the rocky coast. This battle is described in the history textbooks of many countries, because it is considered the beginning of the process of liberation of the Balkans from the Turkish yoke. It's amazing how disparate the losses were on both sides. The Russian fleet lost 17 people killed and 27 wounded, and minor damage to the ships was repaired in just two days. While the Turks lost 450 people killed and wounded, as well as half of the ships. The naval army, considered invincible and invulnerable, was defeated in just a few hours and was forced to flee.
At the end of the Russian-Turkish war, Cape Kaliakra was forgotten for a while. The fortress has long been turned into ruins, the population “moved” closer to the “mainland”. The place has lost its former significance. However, already in 1866, a lighthouse was installed “at the edge of the earth.” In 1901 it was updated to a 10-meter cylindrical one, which to this day serves as a guide for sailors.
Legends and secrets of Cape Kaliakra.
Cape Kaliakra is associated with a beautiful legend about 40 Bulgarian girls who chose death over shame. In order not to give their honor to the Turkish conquerors, they tied their braids and all rushed into the sea together. Most likely, this fact really took place; a monument was even erected in memory of the event, but whether it was so large-scale, and whether there really were so many girls, one can only guess. Or maybe this is just a legend.
Cape Kaliakra keeps other secrets that even archaeologists cannot solve. One of them concerns times not so distant - the events of the Russian-Turkish war. There is no doubt that Admiral Ushakov defeated the Ottoman fleet in this very place. As well as the fact that during this battle many Turkish ships sank. But where they went is a mystery. Until now, the remains of a single vessel have not been discovered at the bottom of the Black Sea.
Another mystery is connected with the name of the Macedonian ruler Lysimachus, one of the heirs of Alexander the Great. According to legend, he managed to collect countless treasures during his life. And they are hidden precisely on the territory of Cape Kaliakra. Since then, many people have been looking for wealth, including archaeologists, but luck has not smiled on anyone yet.
And finally, one of the most mysterious facts associated with this beautiful place. In 2013, during excavations, specialists managed to find a bronze ring with a small reservoir for poison - an object from the distant Middle Ages. It is believed to date from the 14th century and was used at a time when relations between the powerful and despotic Bulgarian feudal lord Dobrotitsa and his son Ivanko Terter became strained. But whether the mysterious object is really connected with these people is not known for certain.
What is interesting about Cape Kaliakra today?
Why do tourists come to Cape Kaliakra? First of all, wander through the ancient ruins (although some of them have been reconstructed) and “turn through the pages” of the history of the Bulgarian land. Each of them is somehow connected with this place. Nowadays, on the territory of the cape there is an archaeological museum - however, the exhibition is located (if you can call it that, of course) at the very edge and in order to get to it you will have to walk 2 kilometers along a paved path - there is not enough time and energy for this everyone has.
Those who are not interested in the affairs of bygone days simply enjoy the magnificent nature and dizzying, in the truest sense of the word, views. If you're lucky, you can see dolphins - they are frequent visitors to the coast of the cape. And cormorants are permanent residents.
Physically prepared tourists do not limit themselves to walking along the beaten tourist path, but also go down to the foot of the Kaliakra rocks - where waves have been splashing for a thousand years, keeping many secrets. And some enthusiasts, armed with scuba gear, go in search of legendary Ottoman and even Macedonian treasures. Whether anyone will ever be able to find them is a big question, but everyone who decides to dive will definitely be able to enjoy the beauty of the underwater world.
Practical information.
The most convenient way to visit Cape Kaliakra is as part of an excursion - from Varna, Balchik or any other resort on the Black Sea coast of Bulgaria. However, those who like to travel independently can get to this place without any problems. First of all, you need to get to Kavarna - by regular bus or minibus. There you can take a taxi (it won’t cost that much, since the distance is not too far), or transfer to another regular bus that goes directly to Kaliakra.
When planning a visit, you need to take into account that the archaeological reserve is open only in the summer season, April 1 to October 31, from 9-00 to 19-00. The entrance ticket costs 5 leva for adults and 1.5 leva for children. You can walk to the museum gates at any time completely freely.