Kavarna - Page 2

Location
Kavarna is one of the relatively bigger towns along the Black Sea coast: its population is 12,225, while the town's port handles passenger and cargo vessels of medium size. The town is situated 48 km north of Varna and just 12km away from the picturesque Kaliakra cape. The coast to the north of the town is high and steep, shining with its limestone rocks against the sea while the south of the town boasts with an excellent beach.
   
History
The town dates back to Thracian times. In ancient Greek times, the area was dominated by the Greek fortress of Bizone established in the 5th century BC. In the 1st century BC, however, the town was almost completely ruined down by a severe earthquake. Later on, it was rebuilt and grew into a strong Bulgarian fortress – Karvuna, only to be destroyed again soon afterwards by an invasion of Tatar tribes in the Middle Ages. Following a thorough reconstruction by the Boyar Balik, the town became an independent principality named Karvounska Hora. After the foundation of the Bulgarian State the town changed its name a few times, from Karvuna to Karbona and then to Karnava, before it eventually received its current name, Kavarna. The Turks conquered it in 1393. Shortly before the liberation of the Bulgarian state from Ottoman yoke, Kavarna's witnessed a ruthless suppression of a rebellion of the local Bulgarian population, which ended up with setting the town on fire and a death toll of about 1,200 people. The town of Kavarna was once again rebuilt into agricultural and fishing centre.
   
Places of Interest
The high hill of Chirakman keeps the remains of Roman villas and walls, medieval buildings and churches. There is a town museum hosting interesting exhibits of the town's history, including an impressive Thracian collection, and also an Art Gallery and an Archeological Museum. Old buildings dating back to the Ottoman era, as well as remains from Greek and Roman times, are also preserved. Six kilometres away from the city to the east is the Kaliakra cape, where an ancient fortress called Tirisis was located. According to legends the fortress was guarding the treasuries of Lyzimah, successor of Alexander the Great. Today there are quite many remains of those ancient settlements. One can also reads there a legend telling the story of several Bulgarian girls who chose to jump from the high cape into the sea but not to be captured and converted to Islam by the Turks.

Catering
There are several big restaurants offering seafood and traditional Bulgarian cuisine in the centre of the town and close to the port. The small restaurants offer local dishes, pizzas, spaghetti, etc. The prices in the town are moderate and the products in the grocers' shops are cheap. The local producers sell fresh, fruits and vegetables. There are enough small snack-bars and pavilions in the town.
   
Transport
Kavarna is connected to Varna with a road passing through Balchik. Regular bus transport is complemented by private minibuses and taxis. One can also negotiate low-fare sea transport from the town to the nearby town of Balchik, the Kaliakra cape, nearby villages or camping sites with local boat owners.