Cultural tourism in Varna district – specifics and

perspectives for development

Proceedings of the XIV conference „Natural Sciences‘2016“,

58-61, ISBN 978-619-201-104-8, Shumen university press,
Shumen, 2017

Assistant Sevdjan Sabrieva, assoc. prof. PhD Vanya Vasileva

Bishop Konstantin Preslavski University of Shumen
Natural Sciences Faculty, Department of Tourism
e-mails: sevcan_s@abv.bg, vvpost@mail.bg

Abstract: Cultural tourism is a type of alternative tourism. It

originated most - earlier. The cultural tourism is defined as one of
the most - promising directions of tourism. The aims are to present
the current status and opportunities for development of cultural
tourism in Varna district.
Keywords: Varna district, cultural tourism, tourism resources,
tourism product, development perspectives

Introduction
Cultural tourism one of the most promising and fastest growing
types of tourism in the world. It contribution to the European tourism
is 7.8% [4]. In Bulgaria it is the most popular types of tourism among
the sea and ski tourism. It is the most practiced specialized type of
tourism of foreign tourists arriving in the country.
Cultural tourism is a specialized type of tourism. It is one of the
most perspective directions of tourism. WTO's forecasts are that in
2020 the cultural tourism will play a leading role globally. In it there
are an aesthetic enrichment, spiritual experience and lofty respect to
the cultural heritage of the world. Thanks to it provides an opportunity
for communication between people for understanding and respect for
other cultures. [8]
Balkans and Bulgaria are among the earliest populated land in
Europe.. In the long historical development in the Bulgarian lands
they have gone and settled a number of tribes and nations (Thracians,
Greeks, Romans, Slavs, Bulgarians, Byzantines, Turks). It has
different cultures and religions (paganism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Islam).
All they have left tangible traces that are of interest to tourists.
Essence and characteristics of cultural tourism
WTO gives the following definitions of cultural tourism:
  1 / "Movement of people with strong cultural motivation - fine
arts, travel to festivals and other cultural events, sightseeing and
cultural monuments"
2 / "All movements of people to satisfy human needs for
diversity, aimed at raising the cultural level of the individual and the
acquisition of new knowledge and experience"
According to the European Association for tourism, leisure and
education /EATLE/ it's "Movement of persons to cultural attractions
away from their permanent residence to collect new information and
experiences" to satisfy cultural needs "[1]
Consequently "Cultural tourism can talk when tourists take a
trip to satisfy the cultural interests and needs by visiting various
cultural sites and events" [2].
Characteristics of cultural tourism are:
• the seasonality is less pronounced;
• cultural attractions are visited once by a person;
• cultural events presuppose multiple visits;
• tourists stay is shorter than the recreational trips;
• it practiced in urban areas, because there are concentrated
most cultural sites and events;
• motivation for practicing cultural tourism is not only a need to
improve knowledge and education, but above all to new experiences
with intellectual accent.
Tourist - geographic location of Varna district
Varna district is located in northeastern Bulgaria. It bordered on
the north by Dobrich region, on the east by the Black Sea, to the south
of Burgas region and the west - region of Shumen. The region falls
into the North Eastern Planning Region in Varna Black Sea tourism
region. The scope of the district includes 12 municipalities - Avren,
Aksakovo, Beloslav, Byala, Varna, Vetrino, Valchi Dol, Devnya,
Dolni Chiflik, Dalgopol, Provadia, Suvorovo.
 Varna is a multifunctional transport junction of national and
international significance. Varna International Airport liaise with 57
countries and 100 destinations. Expanding passenger functions of the
port of Varna would contribute to the enrichment of the tourist
product.
Resource availability of cultural tourism in Varna district
The cultural tourism is one of the main types of alternative
tourism in Varna region. There are a number of cultural - historical
monuments, architectural, archaeological sites and other landmarks. It
conducives to the development of cultural tourism in Varna regoin.
Varna region is rich in real cultural values - 1466. 21 of them have
national importance. Much of the objects of cultural - historical
heritage located in Varna municipality. [11]
Varna is a sea capital of Bulgaria. It allows for a relaxing
holiday near the beach and cultural tourism too. The city has many
museums, galleries, theaters and monuments such as the
Archaeological and Historical Museum, Cathedral "Assumption", the
Clock Tower and many other attractions. In resorts near Varna are
held many cultural events, conferences, seminars and some attractive
sports events too.
One part of the cultural - historical heritage of the city are
museums. The municipality of Varna has 6 museums of interest to
tourists - Regional History Museum, Naval Museum, Park-museum of
the combat friendship "Varnenchik", Museum of the History of
Medicine, a Private museum "Old Varna", Museum of dolls.
The Regional History Museum is one of the largest and
richest, It includes the following departments and exhibition sites [12]:
 - Department "Archaeology" / Archaeological Museum /
 - Department "Bulgarian lands XV - XIX century." (Museum
of the Renaissance)
 - Department "New History" (Museum of Contemporary
History of Varna)
 - Department "Most - new history"
- Department "Ethnography" (Ethnographic Museum)
- Department "Art" (House - Museum "Georgi Velchev")
- Department "Nature" (Natural History Museum)
- Exhibition based on the Natural History Museum "Terrarium"
 - Object "Roman Baths"
- Object "Aladzha Monastery"
The beginning of the Varna Archaeological Museum was
founding by a group of teachers from the Varna School for Boys and
public figures whose love for the history. They have created a small
collection of archaeological monuments. This collecton has lasted too
short, but the beginning of lastin interest in the past of Varna and
Varna region. The creation of the museum and its development is
associated with the brothers Shkorpil of Czech origin. They come
after the Liberation to support the development of education and
culture in Bulgaria. They established in Varna and restored the
museum in 1895. A group of public figures and teachers create the
Varna Archaeological Society in 1901. It opened the Archaeological
Museum.
The Museum of National Revival is housed in a building from
1861. It declared a cultural monument. The museum exhibition was
opened in 1959. The ground floor is original arrangement of "St..
Archangel Michael. "
Ethnographic Museum is housed in a Revival house from the
XIX century. It is a typical arrangement of Varna home. There are
exposed many jewelry, clothes, festive costumes, household items and
works of manufacturing in the city and the region.
Museum of Natural History was established in 1960 and
revealed examples of the flora and fauna of the Bulgarian lands,
geological and Speleological models, the stages in the creation of the
earth's structure. The exhibits are divided into three halls - geology,
flora, fauna.
Museum of Art‘s History has a rich collection. Same unique
exhibit is the Varna gold treasure - the oldest processed gold in the
world discovered today.
The Naval Museum is located in the Sea Garden and collect all
the important material from foundation of the Bulgarian Navy in
1878. It created by K. Shkorpil in 1923. In the yard of the museum has
exhibits in the open - cannons, old anchors, vessels and others.
Park-museum "Varnenchik" is located northeast of the city
near the crossroads for Sofia and Dobrich. It was built in honor of the
historical battle in 1444 when Czechs, Poles, Romanians, Croats,
Hungarians and Bulgarians tried to stop the Turkish invasion to the
Europe. A mausoleum Varnenchik was built In 1934. It erected on the
foundations of an ancient Thracian tomb.
The Museum of Medicine is unique in Bulgaria. It presents
medicinal plants, herbs and tools used in medicine since ancient times.
It founded in 1869 as a private hospital with a small museum.
Other interesting landmarks conducive to the development of
cultural - cognitive tourism are:
● in the municipality of Varna - the Aquarium and Museum of
the Black Sea, the Roman Baths, Sea Garden, Festival and Congress
Centre, Varna Palace of Culture and Sports, Delfinarumat in Varna
Drama Theatre, the Clock Tower, the Pantheon Palace Evksinograd;
● in the other municipalitys - Museum of Roman mosaics in
Devnya, Historical museums in Dalgopol, Provadia and Suvorovo;
The archaeological remains of Martsianopolis, Antique amphitheater,
Episcopal Basilica in Devnya Municipality; Medieval fortress
"Ovech", Ethnographic Complex Lambova house, object "Prehistoric
salinas" Neolithic settlement - Neophyte Rilski - Municipality
Provadia; Medieval rock monastery "Keshishlik" and medieval
fortress "Petrich Kale" in the municipality of Avren; Historic site
"Tepavitsata" near by town of Beloslav; Ethnographic collection in the
Dolni Chiflik; The newest member is the Museum of Glass in
Beloslav.
Varna has over 20 galleries that represent resource for tourism
products. Here are the Art Gallery "Boris Georgiev" Center for
Contemporary Art, Gallery "Kavalet", Gallery "Anti", Gallery
"Navilart", Gallery "Darzalas", Gallery of Graphic art, Art house and
antiques and others. [11]
Notable monuments of tourist importance are: Memorial
pantheon of those who died in World War II, Monument of Bulgarian-
Soviet friendship, Monument Primortsi who died in the wars (1912 -
1916 years); Monument "Janos Hunyadi", Statue of Nicolaus
Copernicus in front of the Astronomical Observatory; Monument to
the Liberators of the Russian - Turkish war in front of the municipality
of Varna; Monument of British soldiers who died during the Crimean
War (1854 - 1856 years); Memorial Stefan Karadzha near by "Black
Sea" hotel; Monument to victims of the Patriotic War in the borough
of Asparukhovo; Monument to victims of the Patriotic War in the
borough of Vinnitsa; Patrev,s monument of Hristo Botev's detachment
- Asparukhovo borough; Monument of Khan Asparuh; Memorial of
border guards.
Architectural landmarks of the city are represented by
landmark buildings from the late 19th and early 20th century.
Intresting are the buildings of the Cathedral-Temple-Monument
"Assumption of Mary", the Naval Club, the State Archives, the
Town,s Clock, the Archaeological Museum, University of Economics,
Naval Academy, Drama Theatre and State Opera, the Naval Museum,
the former Royal residence in the Sea Garden, Ritual home, the
Aquarium, the Temple "St. Athanasius".
Religious temples of interest to tourists in the municipality of
Varna are concentrated in the city. Varna has 11 Orthodox church -
the Cathedral "Assumption of the Holy Mother" Orthodox Church
"Virgin Mary Panagia" Orthodox Church "St. Paraskeva, Orthodox
Church "St. Athanasius", Orthodox Church "St. Nicholas", Orthodox
Church "St. Archangel Michael", Orthodox church "St. Demetrius",
Orthodox church "Sveta Paraskeva Petka", Orthodox church "Saint
Elijah the prophet," Orthodox church "St. Boris", Orthodox church
"Assumption". The city has an Armenian church "St. Sarkis ", two
mosques and two synagogues. It have destroyed.
A number of cultural events with international and national
importance are conducted in Varna district. Only the municipality of
Varna are held over 15 international festivals. Some of which are:
International Music Festival "Varna Summer" International Theatre
Festival "Varna Summer" International Ballet Competition,
International Jazz Festival, International Folklore Festival,
International Short film Festival, International film Festival "Love is
madness" International Festival of popular music, European music
festival, International biennial of graphics, Ehnic Festival. The
National Music Competition "Sv. Obretenov " in Provadia is the only
prestigious forum, which is held outside the regional center. [10]
Varna Municipality participated actively in organizing and
conducting various annual exhibitions through its company "Palace of
Culture and Sports" LTD. It attracts visitors to the city. Among the
biggest international events are:
 - The exhibition "Tourism and leisure" with annual editions in
February and November;
- The exhibition "Three Keys" with editions in March and
November;
- International Film Festival "Love is madness ".
Prospects for cultural tourism development
The rich cultural-historical heritage, cultural events and
activities promote the development of cultural tourism in Varna
district. Cultural tourism, however, is unevenly distribute in the
different municipalities of Varna district. The greatest opportunities
for development of cultural-cognitive tourism is primarily in the
municipality of Varna. The most of the major cultural sites and events
fall within the Municipality. Cultural tourism has a significant
contribution to the formation of positive image of the region. Strategic
aim of Varna Municipality is to become the cultural capital of Europe
for 2019.
Guidelines for better development of cultural tourism can be
[9]:
- Broader use of cultural resources and turning them into
complete tourist product;
- Acquiring still undeveloped cultural – historical objects;
- Diversification of the product of cultural tourism with
different nature and timing events;
- A more balanced territorially distribution of cultural tourism
in the district; a gradual and wider participation of other
municipalities;
- Organization of training and retraining of personnel in the
cultural tourism;
- Implementation of professional advertising;
- Promotion of tourism product offerings among foreign tour
operators.
It can be expected that:
• cultural tourism in the Varna distict will diversify supply with
new still poorly known objects, places and events; It will be promoted
to the needs of tourism;
• It will be work on increasing the attractiveness of cultural
attractions;
 • cultural tourism will maintain its good position in the tourism
product of Varna district;
• cultural tourism will contribute to a more even allocation of
tourist flows and consequently to reduce the negative effects of the
seasonal development of the sea tourism;
• It can extend the stay of visitors through cultural tourism; It
contributes to the increase in incomes from tourism;
• cultural tourism will contribute to the sustainable development
of tourism in Varna distict;
• cultural tourism will be among the leading specialized types of
tourism that attract most significant number of foreign tourists in
Varna distict;
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development of cultural tourism in Dolni Chiflik municipality,
XIX International Conference for Young Scientists. 2010
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cultural tourism, Black Sea Tourism Forum. 2015, 375-385
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development of cultural tourism in the municipality of
Balchik, National conference with international participation
40 years Shumen University. 2011
10. Regional development strategy of Varna district 2014 - 2020
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12. Program for tourism development in Varna Municipality for
the period 2014 – 2020
13. http://www.kulturenturizam.com/