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Kavarna (Каварна) is a small Black Sea resort town in northeastern Bulgaria. Although I didn’t make it as far as the beach, I stopped and took a quick look at the town on my way to visit nearby Cape Kaliakra.
History
Kavarna has an interesting history. It was originally the Ancient Greek city of Vyzoni (Βιζώνη) until it was destroyed by an earthquake and fell into the sea in the 1st century BC. It was rebuilt by the Romans, sacked by the Bulgurs, and destroyed and rebuilt by the Ottomans. Kavarna was part of Romania from 1913 to 1916 and again from 1919 to 1940. There’s a significant population of Gagauz people there.
My Visit
I don’t know if I visited on the wrong day. The town was pleasant to walk through but quite dead. I don’t think I saw more than a few people on the street.
Main Square
The first section was a large main square with a fountain. I was surprised to see a mural of David Coverdale. From there, I pretty much stuck to the pedestrian street of Dobrotitsa Boulevard.
St. George Church
I continued down the street and passed the St. George Church (Sveti Georgi), which was built in 1836, then walked past empty stores and cafés until I reached another square.
More Buildings
At the square, I saw the Dormition of the Theotokos Church (Uspenie Bogorodichno), built in 1860. Further down the street, I saw the Hristo Gradechliev Art Gallery. It was built in 1910 and used as a Romanian school until 1940. From 1941 to 1979, it was a Bulgarian school. It became an art gallery in 1981. My final stop was at an interesting building.
Museums
Kavarna has a couple museums that I had no idea about until after I left. They are an ethnographic museum and a maritime museum and are located not too far from the St. George Church.
Kavarna Rock Fest
Surprisingly, this quiet town is the host of an annual heavy metal and rock festival, Kavarna Rock Fest. It takes place at Kavarna Stadium and has been held since 2006. That might explain the David Coverdale mural.
Getting There
Kavarna is easy to reach by bus from Varna. It takes a little over an hour. If visiting Cape Kaliakra, you can hire a taxi round-trip including waiting time from Kavarna.
