The Bulgarian

Black Sea The Black Sea is a marginal mediterranean sea of the Atlantic Ocean lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bounded by Bulgaria, Georgia, Rom ...

Coast (), also known as the Bulgarian Riviera, covers the entire eastern bound of

Bulgaria Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedo ...

stretching from the

Romanian Black Sea resorts The Romanian Black Sea resorts or the Romanian Riviera stretch along the Black Sea coast from the Danube Delta at the northern end down to the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast in the south, along 275 kilometers of coastline. The most important res ...

in the north to

European Turkey East Thrace or Eastern Thrace ( tr, Doğu Trakya or simply ''Trakya''; el, Ανατολική Θράκη, ''Anatoliki Thraki''; bg, Източна Тракия, ''Iztochna Trakiya''), also known as Turkish Thrace or European Turkey, is the pa ...

in the south, along 378 km of coastline. White and golden sandy

beach A beach is a landform alongside a body of water which consists of loose particles. The particles composing a beach are typically made from rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles, etc., or biological sources, such as mollusc s ...

es occupy approximately 130 km of the 378 km long

coast The coast, also known as the coastline or seashore, is defined as the area where land meets the ocean, or as a line that forms the boundary between the land and the coastline. The Earth has around of coastline. Coasts are important zones in n ...

. The region is an important center of tourism during the summer season (May–October), drawing millions of foreign and local tourists alike and constituting one of the country's most popular tourist destinations. Prior to 1989 the Bulgarian Black Sea coast was internationally known as the ''Red Riviera''. Since the fall of the Iron Curtain, however, its nickname has been changed to the ''Bulgarian Riviera''. The Bulgarian Black Sea Coast has a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...

(

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, nota ...

''Cfa''), with considerable

maritime Maritime may refer to: Geography * Maritime Alps, a mountain range in the southwestern part of the Alps * Maritime Region, a region in Togo * Maritime Southeast Asia * The Maritimes, the Canadian provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Pri ...

and continental influences. The area's average air temperature in the summer is about 28 °C, with the average water temperature at 26 °C. There are more than 240 hours of sunshine in May and September and more than 300 hours in July and August. The

Balkan Mountains The Balkan mountain range (, , known locally also as Stara planina) is a mountain range in the eastern part of the Balkan Peninsula in Southeastern Europe. The range is conventionally taken to begin at the peak of Vrashka Chuka on the border bet ...

cross the country reaching to the edge of the Black Sea at

Cape Emine Cape Emine ( bg, Нос Емине ) is a headland located at the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast. It is located south of Varna, north of Burgas and south of Obzor. It forms the tip of Stara Planina. Cape Emine is said to be Bulgaria's stormiest c ...

, dividing the coastline into a southern and northern part. Parts of Bulgaria's northern Black Sea Coast feature

rocky ''Rocky'' is a 1976 American sports drama film directed by John G. Avildsen and written by and starring Sylvester Stallone. It is the first installment in the ''Rocky'' franchise and stars Talia Shire, Burt Young, Carl Weathers, and Burges ...

headlands where the sea abuts

cliff In geography and geology, a cliff is an area of rock which has a general angle defined by the vertical, or nearly vertical. Cliffs are formed by the processes of weathering and erosion, with the effect of gravity. Cliffs are common on co ...

s up to 70 metres in height. The southern coast is known for its wide

sand Sand is a granular material composed of finely divided mineral particles. Sand has various compositions but is defined by its grain size. Sand grains are smaller than gravel and coarser than silt. Sand can also refer to a textural class ...

y beaches. The southernmost section is included in Strandzha Nature Park. The two largest cities and main seaports on the Bulgarian Riviera are Varna (third largest in the country) and

Burgas Burgas ( bg, Бургас, ), sometimes transliterated as ''Bourgas'', is the second largest city on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast in the region of Northern Thrace and the fourth-largest in Bulgaria after Sofia, Plovdiv, and Varna, with a pop ...

(fourth largest in the country). Varna is located on the northern part of the coast and Burgas is located on the southern coast. The two cities' international airports,

Varna Airport Varna Airport () is the airport of Varna, the historical maritime capital of Bulgaria. Varna Airport is the third largest airport in Bulgaria. It is located 10 kilometers from the center of Varna near the town of Aksakovo. The airport serves V ...

and

Burgas Airport Burgas Airport () is an international airport in southeast Bulgaria and the second largest in the country. It is near the northern neighbourhood of Sarafovo approximately from the city centre. The airport principally serves Burgas and other s ...

, are the main hubs servicing the region. In addition, the Trakia motorway (A1) was completed in 2013, providing fast access between Burgas and

Sofia Sofia ( ; bg, София, Sofiya, ) is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria. It is situated in the Sofia Valley at the foot of the Vitosha mountain in the western parts of the country. The city is built west of the Iskar river, and h ...

, the capital of Bulgaria, and

Plovdiv Plovdiv ( bg, Пловдив, ), is the second-largest city in Bulgaria, standing on the banks of the Maritsa river in the historical region of Thrace. It has a population of 346,893 and 675,000 in the greater metropolitan area. Plovdiv is the ...

, the second largest city.

Hemus motorway The Hemus motorway (, ) or Haemus motorway, designated A2, is a partially built motorway in Bulgaria. Its planned length is 418 km, of which 191 km are in operation . The motorway in operation is divided into two sections — the first ...

(A2), scheduled to be completed after 2020, would make the trip from Sofia to Varna substantially easier and faster, while the

Cherno More motorway The Cherno More motorway or the Black Sea motorway (, ) is a Bulgarian motorway planned to link the major coastal cities of Varna, Bulgaria, Varna and Burgas, passing along the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast. It is part of the Pan-European Corridor VI ...

(A5) is planned to connect Varna and Burgas. Major road I-9 runs along the Black Sea coast between the border with

Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...

, at the village of Durankulak, and the city of Burgas.

Largest cities

* Varna *

Tsarevo Tsarevo ( bg, Царево, , also transliterated as Carevo or Tzarevo) is a town and seaside resort in the Municipality of Tsarevo, Burgas Province, Bulgaria. Etymology In the past, it was known as Vasiliko ( el, Βασιλικόν), and betwe ...

Balchik Balchik ( bg, Балчик ; ro, Balcic) is a Black Sea coastal town and seaside resort in the Southern Dobruja area of northeastern Bulgaria. It is in Dobrich Province, 35 km southeast of Dobrich and 42 km northeast of Varna. It spr ...

Nesebar Nesebar (often transcribed as Nessebar and sometimes as Nesebur, bg, Несебър, pronounced ) is an ancient city and one of the major seaside resorts on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast, located in Burgas Province. It is the administrative cen ...

* Kavarna *

Sozopol Sozopol ( bg, Созопол , el, Σωζόπολη, translit=Sozopoli) is an ancient seaside town located 35 km south of Burgas on the southern Bulgarian Black Sea Coast. Today it is one of the major seaside resorts in the country, known for th ...

Pomorie Pomorie ( bg, Поморие ), historically known as Anchialos (Greek: Αγχίαλος), is a town and seaside resort in southeastern Bulgaria, located on a narrow rocky peninsula in Burgas Bay on the southern Bulgarian Black Sea Coast. It is ...

Major resorts and attractions

* Durankulak * Krapets *

Shabla Shabla ( bg, Шабла ) is a town and seaside resort in northeastern Bulgaria, administrative centre of the Shabla Municipality part of Dobrich Province. Shabla municipality includes the following villages: Bojanovo, Chernomortsi, Durankulak, ...

* Tyulenovo * Kamen Bryag * Yaylata *

Rusalka In Slavic folklore, the rusalka (plural: rusalky/rusalki; ; pl, rusałka}) is a typically feminine entity, often malicious toward mankind and frequently associated with water, with counterparts in other parts of Europe, such as the French Mel ...

* Balgarevo * Kavarna * Bozhurets * Beglik Tash *

Topola Topola ( sr-cyrl, Топола, ) is a town and municipality located in the Šumadija District of central Serbia. It was the place where Karađorđe, a Serbian revolutionary, was chosen as the leader of the First Serbian Uprising against the Ottom ...

* Tuzlata * Albena * Kranevo *

Golden Sands Golden Sands ( Bulgarian: Златни пясъци, ''Zlatni pyasatsi'' ) is a major seaside resort town on the northern Bulgarian Black Sea Coast, adjacent to a national park of the same name in the municipality of Varna. Located 17 km n ...

* Golden Sands Nature Park * Holiday Club Riviera * Chaika * Sunny Day (Kokodiva) * Constantine and Helena *

Galata Galata is the former name of the Karaköy neighbourhood in Istanbul, which is located at the northern shore of the Golden Horn. The district is connected to the historic Fatih district by several bridges that cross the Golden Horn, most nota ...

* Fichoza * Kamchia (resort) *

Kamchia (biosphere reserve) The Kamchia Biosphere Reserve, ( bg, Биосферен Резерват Камчия) is a former UNESCO-listed biosphere reserve on the northern coastline of Bulgaria, comprising the floodplain at the mouth of the Kamchia River. Consisting large ...

* Shkorpilovtsi * Karadere * Byala *

Obzor Obzor ( bg, Обзор ) is a small town and seaside resort on the Black Sea coast of Bulgaria. It is part of Nesebar Municipality, Burgas Province. On February 28th, 2021, the citizens of Obzor and six nearby villages voted in a referendum to sepa ...

Irakli Irakli, Irakly ( ka, ირაკლი), or Erekle ( ka, ერეკლე) is a Georgian version of the Greek name Heracles, and is a popular masculine name in Georgia. Notable people with these names include: Erekle *Erekle I, Prince of Mukh ...

* Elenite * Sveti Vlas * Sunny Beach *

Ravda Ravda ( bg, Равда, ) a coastal village and seaside resort in southeastern Bulgaria, situated in Nesebar municipality, Burgas Province. Ravda is a small seaside resort on the Black Sea, located 3 km from Nesebar and 5 km from Su ...

* Sarafovo * Atia *

Chernomorets Chernomorets ( bg, Черноморец ) is a town on the Black Sea coast of southeastern Bulgaria. Administratively part of Sozopol Municipality, Burgas Province, Chernomorets is a popular seaside resort. Chernomorets lies some southeast of ...

* Kavatsite *

Dyuni Dyuni (Дюни, "Dunes"; also Duni or Dyunite) is a holiday town and seaside resort on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast, 40 km south of the Bulgarian city of Burgas and 7 km from Sozopol. The construction of the resort began in 1987 by a ...

* Primorsko * Kiten *

Lozenets Lozenets ( bg, Лозенец, link=no; also ''Lozenec'' or ''Lozenetz'') may refer to: * Lozenets, Burgas Province, a village in Bulgaria * Lozenets, Dobrich Province, a village in Bulgaria * Lozenets, Yambol Province, a village in Bulgaria * Loze ...

* Strandzha Nature Park * Varvara *

Sinemorets Sinemorets ( bg, Синеморец; also ''Sinemorec'', ''Sinemoretz'', "place on the blue sea") is a village and seaside resort on the Black Sea coast of Bulgaria. Etymology The current name dates back to 1934; prior to that, the village was ...

* Rezovo

Historic sites

* Aheloy * Ahtopol *

* Euxinograd * Kaliakra *

(

UNESCO World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for ...

) *

Islands

St. Anastasia Island St. Anastasia Island ( bg, остров св. Анастасия, ''ostrov Sv. Anastasiya'', formerly called ''Bolshevik Island'', ''остров Болшевик'') is a Bulgarian islet in the Black Sea. It is located 1.5 km off the coast n ...

St. Cyricus Island St. Cyricus Island ( bg, остров св. Кирик, ''ostrov sv. Kirik''), also known as St. Cyril Island or Sts. Quiricus and Julietta Island is a Bulgarian island in the Black Sea, from Sozopol's Stolets peninsula. It has an area of about ...

* St. Ivan Island * St. Peter Island * St. Thomas Island

Rivers

* Aheloy *

Batova The Batova ( bg, Батова) is a river in northeastern Bulgaria. The river flows in a wide valley between the Dobruja plateau to the north and the Franga plateau to the south, ultimately flowing directly into the Black Sea. The Batova is only 39 ...

* Dvoynitsa * Fakiyska * Hadzhiyska *

Kamchiya The Kamchiya (also Kamchia and Kamčija, bg, Камчия ) is a river in eastern Bulgaria. From its longest source, Golyama Kamchiya (Big Kamchiya), it has a total length of (. The river Kamchiya proper starts from the confluence of the two ...

Provadiya Provadia ( bg, Провадия ) is a town in northeastern Bulgaria, part of Varna Province, located in a deep karst gorge (Provadia syncline) along the Provadiya River not far from the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast. It is the administrative centr ...

Rezovska The Rezovo (also Rezovska, Rezvaya and Rezve; bg, Резовска река ; tr, Mutludere ) is a river in the extreme southeast of Bulgaria and northernmost part of European Turkey. The river is situated in Bulgaria's Strandzha Nature Park. R ...

Ropotamo The Ropotamo ( bg, Ропотамо , from the Ancient Greek word Ροπόταμος ''ropotamos'' meaning "border river") is a river in south-eastern Bulgaria Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bu ...

* Shkorpilovska *

Veleka The Veleka ( , ) is a river in the very southeast of Bulgaria (Burgas Province), as well as the very northeast of European Turkey. It is 147 km long, of which 108 km lies in BulgariaTourism in Bulgaria *

Riviera ''Riviera'' () is an Italian word which means "coastline", ultimately derived from Latin , through Ligurian . It came to be applied as a proper name to the coast of Liguria, in the form ''Riviera ligure'', then shortened in English. The two area ...

, featuring links to articles on the many coastal strips around the world which are known as Riviera *

References

{{coord, 42.368, 27.708, type:landmark_globe:earth_region:BG, display=title Landforms of Burgas Province Landforms of Varna Province Landforms of Dobrich Province Black Sea Coast Coasts of the Black Sea