The city of Varna (population 314 539) is situated at the Bay of Varna, 470 km east of Sofia.
Varna is the biggest city at the Bulgarian Black Sea coast. It is situated at the same latitude with Cannes, Nice, Monaco and Livorno. It is nestled in the deep valley between the Frengen Plareau and the Avren Plateau, where two lakes were formed during the polyotsen - the Beloslav Lake is to the west of the city and the other - Varna Lake is within the limits of the city itself. Varna is a city over 110 km long, its width, including the new residential quarters is nearly 9 km. The city is like an amphitheatre and follows the curves of the Bay of Varna.
It is surrounded by lots of gardens, vineyards and deciduous groves. Almost the whole territory is occupied with private country-houses and their small farms. The city is a regional admin- istrative centre.
History: Varna has a history that could be traced back for thousand years. Due to its favourable location and visibility of almost 270 degrees the small cape, which now hosts the sea station, was inhabited by an ancient Thracian tribe - Corbisy in their small fishermen's settlement. In 6th century BC a Greek polis (settlement) inhabited by colonists and settlers from Millet emerged here under the name of Odessos.
The town became a fishing and farming colony and later on in the 5th century BC it turned into a real centre of commerce. Up to the Roman domination the Thracian god Darzalas was worshipped rather than the common gods Apollo and Dionyssus. Old Greek and Roman sources evidence that in Darzalas' honour processions, mysteries, games and competitions were organised. The town had been under the siege of the troops of Alexander of Macedonia in the middle of the 4th century BC but after the siege was put down the town was given autonomy within the limits of his Empire. After the uprising and its liberation during the rule of Lisimah the town re-established its supremacy at the north Black Sea coast.
