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The resort of Albena
is situated 32 km north of Varna and just 12km south-west of
Balchik on a long sand stretch in the open northern part of
Varna Bay. The resort was opened in 1968, which made it one of
the most modern holiday cities along the Bulgarian coast. The
complex lies beneath a relatively high hill and is given
particular charm by the near-by forest of Baltata, a part of
which is declared a protected area. The latter is also called
Batova Gora (Batova Forecast) after the Batova river,which goes
through it. The resort's architecture resembles one of Walter
Gropius' urban models as most of the hotels have a terraced
structure aimed at providing as much sun as possible in summer
days. On the north the coast is steep, featuring yellow
sandstone and limestone typical for the area. In fact this stone
was used as basic construction material for building the resort.
According to some
legends, Ovidius came here on his way to the country of his
exile - Tomi (present Kyustendzha in Romania). The resort was
named after Albena, a female protagonist of the great Bulgarian
writer Yordan Yovkov, gifted with extraordinary beauty.
Besides the nearby village of Obrochishte with its
well-preserved fortress dating back to Ottoman times, the
village of Kranevo with remains of the ancient fortress used in
Roman times and the Middle Ages is also located close to the
Albena resort. Kranevo is also attractive for its mineral
springs. The coast between Albena and Kranevo is high and
extremely picturesque with steep rocky formations. Kranevo can
be a good accomodation alternative to Albena with its prices
being far lower and its great capacity of private lodgings.
At the same
time, its proximity to Albena makes it easy for tourists to
sunbathe at Albena's beautiful white-sand beaches during the
day. There are also three big camping sites located on the way
between Kranevo and Albena and they offer accommodation in
bungalows and tents.
The holiday city has a number of tennis courts, bars, casino,
restaurants with night shows, children playgrounds, swimming
pools, and a golf playground. One can rent a bike, cars,
cutters, sailboats, yachts, waterwheels and jets or give it a
try with horse riding. The whole range of water sport facilities
is on offer with instructors available for those who need.
There is an
annual auto-rally called Albena and held at the beginning of
May, a folk festival for singers and dancers from the Dobroudzha
region, the Zlatnata Antena (Gold Antennae) Festival for TV
programs, a bridge competition (in June), beach volleyball
competition (in June or July), etc.
There is regular bus transport from Balchik, Varna, the Golden
Sands resort and Dobrich to Albena, complemented by private
minibuses, route and ordinary taxis, and even sea transport from
and to the small port in the resort.
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