Cape Kaliakra – The Bulgarian Black Sea Coast

Cape Kaliakra is an extraordinary natural reserve and archaeological site.

It is located in the northeast of Bulgaria on the Black Sea and 60 km from Varna.

This unique cliff retains the traces of several civilizations, a chapel and a fortification. In the first century of our era, the Romans conquered the lands of the Thracians and gave Kaliakra the name of Akros Castellum. The outskirts of the land were protected by three rows of fortress walls. By creating their state, the Slavs and Proto-Bulgarians included Kaliakra in it. At the end of the 14th century, after fierce battles, the fortress was taken by the Turks.

Then was born the legend of the 40 Bulgarian girls, who preferred death to dishonor and jumped into the abyss with braided hair. In their memory, at the beginning of Cape Kaliakra, there is an obelisk called “The Gate of the 40 Virgins”.

Today you can go under the arch at the entrance to the fortress and get to know its history in more detail. One of the caves has been turned into a museum, which houses an archaeological exhibit and contains finds found during excavations.

Besides archeology, Kaliakra is also a nature reserve with an area of nearly 700 decarres. The flora here is represented by more than 400 species of plants, and more than 300 birds have been found in its territory. Of these, 106 are of European conservation importance and 100 require special measures to protect their habitats. The area is part of the second largest migration route in Europe – Via Pontica, which passes tens of thousands of birds each year, including storks, cranes, golden eagles, hawks and more. The permanent inhabitants of the place are the Aristotelian cormorant, and from the rocks you can watch the dolphins.

The Kaliakra Archaeological Reserve is one of the 100 national tourist sites.

The slight reddish tint of the rocky slopes gives a unique charm and character. The bizarre shape of the nose has sparked the imagination of the people who created the legend of Saint Nicholas. He was fleeing the Turks and getting closer to the sea. God saw that he was in danger and began to expand the land to help him. This is how the nose was formed. Today, where the saint was captured and beheaded, a chapel is erected in his honor.

Another legend is associated with Lysimachus – one of the generals of Alexander the Great, who seizes the royal treasure and fled to Cape Kaliakra. He perishes in a great storm, or the whole fleet also sinks in Kaliakra. Ships from Russia and Turkey also sunk in this area during the Russo-Turkish War.