Bothanical Garden Balchik

Once you enter the botanical garden Balchik it’s like entering through new dimension that will purify your mind. This is the biggest botanical garden in Bulgaria, second biggest in Europe, spread-out on 65 000 m2. We were dazzled by the smell of the thousands flowers that welcomed us at the entrance of the garden. But that was just the beginning and the surprises keep coming while we were exploring this amazing place. Every corner of the garden is hiding gems and you need to spend hours to discover them all.

The botanical garden is located 45 km from Varna and it is worthy to be visited. Incredibly maintained, the garden hosts a palace completed in 1926 by King Ferdinand of Romania for his wife Queen Marie, when Balchik was part of their kingdom. The complex includes some villas, a winery – wine degustation is included with the ticket, a monastery, a holy spring, the bridge of sighs, Chapel of Sveta Bogoroditsa, a mosque… a lot to be explored wile being amazed by the views to the see.

The king and the queen had a strong passion for plants and flowers and together they created this garden also known for the 3000 different plantes and for it’s 250 sorts of succulents, some have grown so much that you have a filling like you are walking through a succulent woods.

• 

• 

In this flower kingdom, Queen Maria gave a name to each garden and alley.

Here you can go through the “Walk of wine”, “Walk of Ages”, “Hanging terraces”, “Divine garden”, “English garden”. Some of the most attractive are “The garden with water mirror”, “The Bridge of the palace” and “The Bridge of Sighs”.

They are all unique in their own way and worth your time.

One of the most popular parts for the visitors is the Temple of Water – Nimfeum. A corner of the Queen’s garden, where a 0place to rest on hot summer days is located and the water of four springs was captured in a pool.

A perfect place for conversation and admiring the sea that can be seen a few dozen meters beyond the garden fence. The Water Temple is one of the most romantic places in the Castle gardens, overlooking the rose garden, the garden called the Blue Veil.

You will recognize the Temple of water easily because it sticks out from the other buildings. You will see a small fountain in the “Garden of Allah“, that dates back from 1865 and was formed into the walls of the Nymphaeum.

There is no roof over the temple of the water, so the stars reflect in the water, as if they are coming down from paradise…

The queen loved the art and she was artist herself. She created a paradise for the artists during the wars, she was always encouraging and supporting them her whole life.

The whole atmosphere is so relaxing that you will not want to leave this place. Even the air combined with the see and all these plants is so pleasant. The waterfall was also a nice surprise. As you walk up and down the hill your energy is renewing and you want to see more and more.

Don’t start without a plan, every place is marked with number and you will see the maps on more places, it’s good to have a good strategy so you will avoid unnecessary walking up the stares.

There are also a very nice restaurants by the coast if you need a brake or if you are there for lunch time. Just keep the ticket if you want to return and spend more time in the garden.

The complex is open to visitors all year round, but the best time to visit is between May to October when you can enjoy the colors and the smell. It is open every day from 08.30 to 17.00 (during the winter) and from 08.00 to 20.00 in the summer. Visitors are offered guided tours, educational courses and other services, including wine tasting and accommodation.

I hope you enjoyed this article. Let me know if you have been in Balchik and how did you like it, and if you haven’t this is a place you have to add to your list and see it with your own eyes and consume it with all senses.