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Balchik
is a Black Sea coastal town and seaside resort in the Southern
Dobruja area of northeastern Bulgaria. It is located in Dobrich
Oblast and is 42 km north-east of Varna. The town sprawls
scenically along hilly terraces descending from the Dobruja
plateau to the sea.
Occupying a succession of sandy cliffs and crumbling sugar-loaf
hills, Balchik’s whitewashed cottages hovers precipitously above
a series of ravines running down to the sea. It’s the kind of
scene beloved to artists, and Balchik-inspired seascapes are
regular sight in provincial galleries throughout Bulgaria.
 Founded
by the Milesians in the sixth century BC and named Krounoi (“The
Springs”), the town was a valued haven for Greek merchants
attempting to pass the treacherous waters around Cape Kaliakra,
as well as an important centre for viniculture – hence its later
name Dionysoplis, honouring the God of the vine. By the sixth
century AD, the harbour had silted up, and the Turks were
subsequently to dub the town Balchik, or “Town of Clay”.
Despite
being popular with the Bulgarians who take advantage of the
numerous private rooms and inexpensive hotels, Balchik doesn’t
see many foreign private tourists, largely because it lacks a
really good beach. Package tourists from Albena are, however
being bussed into town’s main attraction: the summer palace of
Queen Marie of Romania, a reminder of the inter-war years when
Balchik was ruled from Bucharest.
The closest international airport to the town is
in Varna some 50 km away, the renowned resort of Albena is only
12 km south of Balchik and would be the place to go sunbathing.
There are regular bus links between Balchik, Albena and Varna.
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