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| Balchik |
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Balchik is a relatively large settlement along the Northern Black Sea with a population of
13, 000 people and third in significance among Bulgarian harbors, and it's commonly used for medium-sized passenger and commercial vessels. |
The exceptional view of the town from the sea impressed the great Roman poet Ovid (43 B.C.-17 a.d.), exiled here by Augustus Caesar who exclaimed: "O white stone town, I salute thee for thy inimitable beauty!".
Balchik is perhaps most famous for the "Quiet Nest", the Summer Palace of Queen Marie of Romania and the delightful terraced Botanical Gardens. This region was part of Romania between the First and the Second World wars and has long been associated with the romantic Queen Marie.
Founded by Ionian Greeks in the 6th century B.C. and originally known as Krunoi (springs) the town was later named Dionysopolis. According to a legend a storm washed up a wooden statue of Dionisius, God of wine and feasts, which the locals took as a sign to build a temple and to change the name of the town to honor the god. The Greek colonists also believed that the goddess Aphrodite emerged from the sea here. The colony has a thriving existence during the 2nd-3rd centuries b.c.; coins minted during this period feature the image of Dionysius. Under the Romans, it was a bastion for defense of the Northern empire until overrun by barbarians.
Destroyed by a tidal wave in the 6th century, the inhabitants rebuilt the settlement - and constructed a fortress - almost 200 meters above sea level. The fortress didn't deter the Bulgarians, who subsequently occupied the town and kept it for 400 years. They built a fortress of their own on the nearby "Echo Hill" (later the site of a church, which was destroyed by the Turks and rebuilt in the mid-19th century to function as both a church and school).
During the Medieval era, Balchik (the town had since acquired the name of a local ruler, Balik) was of secondary importance to nearby Kavarna. It achieved more prominence when regional Turkish administrators allowed the port to begin exporting Dobrudzha grain. Balchik's harbor was favored due to its protection from the prevailing north winds. Trading houses and other businesses run by Christians from Constantinople, Genoa, and Greece were founded and they soon became numerous. At the beginning of the 20th century it was a thriving grain port and community with eight daily newspapers (today there is just one).
The town, along with the rest of the Dobrudzha, was ceded to Romania by terms of the 1913 treaty which marked Bulgaria's ignominious defeat in the Second Balkan War. It remained under Romanian control until 1940 when it was wrested away by the Bulgarian army. Following liberation, 67, 000 Bulgarians relocated from the northern Dobrudzha to the south, making the economic situation difficult as the south was poor and undeveloped.
Today, Balchik's motto should be "We Try Harder." This pleasant place is populated by helpful locals who aim to please, a refreshing change from the jaded attitude one tends to encounter in the major resorts. Steep, cobblestone streets lined with whitewashed, red-tiled houses are tucked away amidst the terraces and ravines which dominate the landscape and give the town a distinctive skyline. Balchik's sizeable Gypsy community has by and large replaced the once-numerous Tatars, who now mostly reside in nearby villages. Settled here by the Turks to guard their empire's northern frontier, many Tatars elected to stay in the region following the 1878 liberation.
Besides tourism, agriculture plays a significant role in the local economy. There is also some industry as well. The one thing lacking is a significant beach; sand is shipped every spring to create a small strip in front of the Palace.
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