When spring is generous, as it is in 2014, seaside beaches come to life as early as March. There are days when temperatures literally “step into their summer shoes”. And though the sea water may still be cold, the pleasure of soaking in the sun on the beach in a swim suit, months before the active tourist season is beyond compare.

To the North, all is peace and quiet but… only on the face of it. In Balchik, Albena, Varna and Golden Sands the first tourists form abroad are arriving, long before the Easter holidays. The most eager among them can’t wait to take a walk on the golden beaches. Others take in the view of the sea from their hotel, lying comfortably back in their reclining chairs by the poolside. Taking in the sun, swimming… Just a stone’s throw away is the spa centre, where you can unwind or indulge yourself with aromatherapy. Many of the hotels offer Roman or Oriental baths, Jacuzzi, sauna, vitamin showers, massage, gyms, wellness or beauty procedures. Well, these are things you can spend your whole day doing, but you could also take time for strolls and daytrips. Because it is not just the Northern Black Sea coast, the whole of Dobroudja is there, right in front of you.

Dobroudja is an amazing part of the country, known as the granary of Bulgaria. Fertile land that produces the fragrant flour used to make delicious bread, buns, cake, banitsa… At Easter that same Dobroudja flour is used to make the sweet Easter cake. But before Easter, there is St. Lazarus day and Tsvetnitsa or Palm Sunday and they are something not to be missed. In this part of the country every village has preserved delightful traditions that have come down to us through the centuries. It is only in the Eastern part of Bulgaria that the ancient dance called buenek can be seen during Lent. But how else can we describe Dobroudja? The works by much-loved writer Yordan Yovkov are seeped in its atmosphere - the popular resort Albena is named after one of his fascinating characters. In fact, the Black Sea coastline is Dobroudja’s easternmost part. Let us take a trip, starting from the north and traveling southward – that means from Cape Sivribouroun, right after the country’s border with Romania. Starting from that point and going southward begin dazzling beaches and breathtaking views. There are landmarks here that are a must-see like Kamen Bryag and Yailata archaeological reserve with its cave town consisting of 101 “dwellings”, dated to around the 5^th millennium BC. During the Middle Ages these caves were used as a cloister.

Another site not to be missed is Shabla lighthouse. If you visit it you can say you have been to Bulgaria’s Northernmost point, but also that you have seen the oldest functioning lighthouse, in the entire aquatoria of the Black Sea and the Mediterranean, erected in 1768.

Some fifteen kilometers from Shabla shimmers Dourankoulak Lake – one of the most important coastal wetlands. Above it passes the ancient international migration air route known as Via Pontica. Dourankoulak Lake is a protected area and an archaeological reserve; its waters have been declared a natural wild carp habitat. If you are into ecotourism, there is another must-see in this region – the Sreburna reserve.

Following the coastline we reach Kaliakra – a rocky promontory jutting two kilometers into the sea with sheer cliffs soaring 70 meters above the water. This is the place to take pictures that will always remind you of the romantic spirit of Kaliakra and its unforgettable legends…

But if you want a different kind of holiday by the sea, take a trip to Aladja rock monastery. It is only 17 kilometers from Varna and 3 from Golden Sands. And of course the towns of Shabla, Kavarna, Balchik and the Black Sea capital of the country Varna have much to offer – a host of cultural landmarks, museums, spring festivals, exhibitions concerts… But what would a spring holiday on the northern coast be without a visit to the Botanical Garden in Balchik? It is known as the Palace, the one-time summer residence of Romanian queen Maria. There you can see more than 2,000 rare tree and plant species, like rubber, paperbark and ginkgo trees, metasequoia, large-flowering magnolia, there is a cactus greenhouse as well… In springtime the park literally explodes in flaming colours as if painted by a magical paintbrush. And the people coming here from near and afar can marvel at all this spring lavishness, at so much beauty in just one garden.

English version: Milena Daynova