VARNA CATHEDRAL..............................1 KMTHE 19TH CENTURY CATHEDRAL OF THE ASSUMPTION OFTHE VIRGIN IS AN IMPOSING LANDMARK AT THE CITYCENTER, WHICH CONTAINS A FINELY CARVEDICONOSTASIS AND BISHOPS THRONE, SOME INTERESTINGMURALS AND STAINED GLASS. THE CATHEDRAL IS ONE OFVARNA SYMBOLS. YOU CAN ENJOY THE SPLENDID VIEWFROM THE BELL TOWER BUT YOU HAVE TO CLIMB UP THENARROW AND SPIRAL STAIRCASE OF 133 STEPS. IT WASPRINCE ALEXANDER BATTENBERG WHO PLACED THE FIRSTSTONE IN THE FOUNDATIONS OF THE CONSTRUCTIONSTARTING ON 22 AUGUST 1880. THE DESIGN WAS MADEBY MAAS, AN ARCHITECT FROM ODESSA. THE BUILDINGWAS COMPLETED IN 1886 BUT ITS CONSECRATION WASDELAYED UNTIL 1910.THE ROMAN BATHS...............................1KMTHEY DATE BACK TO THE TIME WHEN THE REGION WAS APART OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE AND THE SETTLEMENT WASCALLED ODESSOS. THE PRESERVED PARTS OF THEBUILDING GIVE GROUNDS TO BELIEVE THAT THE ROMANBATHS WERE ONE OF THE LARGEST BUILDINGS IN THEEASTERN PART OF THE EMPIRE AND A PROOF FOR THEWEALTH AND IMPORTANCE OF THE TOWN.THE HEIGHT OF THE DOMED CONSTRUCTION IS SUPPOSEDTO HAVE BEEN NO LESS THAN 20 M. THE BUILDING WASCONSTRUCTED IN THE SECOND HALF OF THE 2ND CENTURYON AN AREA OF ABOUT 7000 SQUARE METERS AND WAS INUSE UNTIL THE END OF THE 3RD CENTURY. ITS THICKWALLS WERE BLOCKS WITH 5 6 LAYERS OF SOLID CLAYBRICKS.DOLPHINARUIM..................................3KMIT IS THE ONLY DOLPHINARIUM ON THE BALKANPENINSULA AND IT IS ONE OF THE GREATESTATTRACTIONS THAT VARNA CAN OFFER TO ITS GUESTS.THE SHOW LASTS 40 MINUTES. THE VISITORS WILLENJOY THE INCREDIBLE INTELLIGENCE AND PLAYFULNESSOF THE SEA MAMMALS. A CURIOUS FACT IS THAT IN1992 A BABY DOLPHIN WAS BORN IN THE DOLPHINARIUMIN VARNA. THE EVENT WAS A SIGN THAT THE ANIMALSFEEL AT HOME IN THEIR SURROUNDING.THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM...................0.6KMTHE ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM IN VARNA IS HOUSED INTHE MAGNIFICENT BUILDING, WHICH IS DESIGNED BYTHE BULGARIAN ARCHITECT PETKO MOMCHILOV.