A long and panoramic biking route. In one way it will lead you through some of the most popular resorts along the coast to the north of Varna, as well as through interesting places in Vinitsa suburb. On your way back the route will take you through a variety of paths in Golden Sands nature park, some of which may make you sweat up or challenge you down.
In general, many cycling routes are possible between Varna and Kranevo and all of them are long and offer variety. It is possible to combine lighter paths and roads, even a lot of asphalt, as well as some more technical sections. It depends on what you are looking for… The current route has everything, really everything, including seaside promenades and hotels, which during the active summer season can full of crowds of tourists. The route is not the best in terms of mountain riding exactly because half of it actually passes through urbanized (resort) areas. But for people with a tourist attitude, who want to explore the coast and resorts north of Varna and cycle as close as possible to the sea with all the accompanying views, this is one of the best options, while avoiding (where possible) the main road, although after Golden Sands we have to travel a few kilometers along the road to Kranevo. The route can be useful for any guest of Varna who wants to combine sunbathing and mountain biking – along it you can reach the resorts "St. Constantine and Helena”, “Golden Sands” and even Kranevo itself (although in general the route does not go down to the beach there, but at the upper end of the village enters the forest and goes back to Varna). And if the first half of the route is leisurely and quite light as terrain (practically mostly asphalt), then the return to Varna is mainly along paths, and in some places includes both steep climbs (requiring even a little pushing) and technical descents.
Starting point: Varna, junction of the boulevards “Knyaz Boris I”and “Slivnitsa”. The place is known among citizens of Varna as Sevastopol.
https://goo.gl/maps/RhawXihkvmC5KCpc8
Length: 50.8 km
Ascent: 870 m
Level of technical difficulty: medium (R1, R2, T1, T2, T3)
Physical activity factor: medium (КФН=7)
Duration: 4-8 hours (depending on the velocity, breaks, etc
Water: 1-1.5 l, there are several fountains along the route
Food: for the whole day. At the first part of the route there place to eat, along the second there are no places to eat
Terrain:
- asphalt – 34.1 km
- country roads – 6.1 km
- paths – 10.6 km
Description:
01 (0.0 km) The start is in the center of Varna, in a place known in the city as Sevastopol (the intersection of the boulevards "Knyaz Boris I" and "Slivnitsa", where they turn into pedestrian zones). We take the pedestrian street to the southeast (Slivnitsa Blvd.) to the entrance of the Sea Garden (point 02) and enter it. We go on one of the first two alleys to the left - after a while they merge, forming one of the main alleys in the park. We continue only along it in a northeasterly direction, passing by the Pantheon monument. In some places there is a view of the sea, in others we are under the shade of the trees in the park.
At point 03 (3.8 km) we reach the end of the alley and turn left along an asphalt road. After a while (point 04) we reach the main boulevard "Knyaz Boris I" and continue along it to the right for about 500 m to point 05, where there is a crossroad with traffic lights. We cross to the left and continue immediately after that to the right on Dragoman Street (or "architect Stefan Venedikt Popov" on some maps). It runs parallel to the boulevard and in point 06 we go out on it again, staying on the left sidewalk and driving carefully a few hundred meters on it opposite the traffic to point 07 (6.0 km), where we go along the street to the left again. (Its name is “6th”) and we enter Vinitsa suburb. In point 08 we go to the left and go up to point 09 (7.3 km), where we turn right and reach a very interesting metal bridge over a deep ravine. We cross the bridge and in point 10 we start descending to the right along 13th Street, being careful not to miss the sharp fork to the left in point 12 (8.5 km) on 20th Street. At the end the street turns into steps, we go along them and we reach the main road (point 13), direction Golden Sands and Northern Black Sea coast. Again we stay a hundred meters on the left sidewalk opposite the traffic to go through the underpass under the road in point 14 (9.3 km).
There we continue 20-30 m along the main road and turn right in order to enter the "St. Constantine and Helena resort. In point 15 we go the right, in point 16 - to the left and, following the street between the hotels, we go out near the beach and bike along the seaside street, and in some places along alleys that vehicles are not allowed to enter. In point 17 there is a panoramic playground where it is worth stopping. Then we continue along the alley, which turns left and in point 18 we join a street straight ahead. In point 19 (11.8 km) we reach a roundabout - on the island in the middle there is a fountain. We continue along the second street to the right and reach again the main road in point 20, continuing along it to the north.
In point 21 (12.9 km) we take atreet to the right to Kabakum beach and Golden Sands. We follow it behind the hotels located on the first line, mainly straight ahead. In point 22 (16.6 km) the road is blocked due to a landslide, but crossing on foot and by bicycle is possible. On the other side of the landslide we continue straight ahead (in point 23), and in point 24 we are on the right street. We are already in Golden Sands resort. At point 25 (18.7 km) we turn right and continue along the seaside promenade between hotels, shops and restaurants. Keep in mind that in the active season there are a lot of people here, so you could bike normally in the mornings only. At the end of the alley we go out again on the street behind the hotels, and in point 26 we turn left and climb a few serpentine roads to the main road (point 27), where we continue to the north. We have to bike a few kilometers along it, be careful there is traffic!
In point 28 (25.3 km) we reach the outskirts of the village of Kranevo and the middle of the route. Here a narrow and neglected asphalt road goes to the left. We carefully cross the main road. In addition to the asphalt road, on the left (back to our previous direction) a steep and wide path with red markings begins. We start going up along it, and in the first 500 m you will probably have to push, unless you want to bike very, very hard. In point 29 the path splits, we follow the left part. On the left there is a place with a wide view of the sea. We continue to the south, following the main path only, which cuts the slope and changes sections with dense forest shade and open places, providing sea views. In this part the trail has red tourist markings. The slope is variable - slightly up, slightly down. In some places there may be forks to the left and right which we skip.
At point 30 (29.8 km) we go out on a narrow asphalt road and go to the right along it for about 200 m to point 31, where we continue to the left on an unpaved road with red tourist marking (here we will find green marking as well). In many places the road is divided into sleeves with tracks, which are getting into one again - choose the right one according to the conditions. In point 32 (31.0 km) we join another unpaved road - turn left along it and after 40-50 m turn right (point 33), following the red markings. After a while the road turns into a path, which in point 34 (31.9 km) divides - the red marking is on the left, we continue to the right along the path with green marking. After a short steep ascent it goes flat, and in point 35 another path on the left appears with yellow markings and we continue straight ahead (south). In point 36 we turn right into a paved pedestrian alley, follow it in point 37 to the left and reach the parking lot at Aladzha Monastery (point 38, 34.3 km), where there is a nice fountain. If you want to visit the monastery, you will have to consider more time, as well as "security" for the bikes - one option is one of the group to stay guard them, the other is to tie them with padlocks somewhere around the security booth.
From the parking lot of the monastery we continue for about 100 meters along the asphalt road to the southwest and we search for the continuation of the path with red and yellow tourist markings (point 39). This alley was once paved, now it is rather rocky and even includes a steeper and more technical section with steps and serpentines. After it we reach an unpaved road (point 40), which we continue to the south. We pass Kovshak fountain and go straight ahead, the road turns into a wide path. In point 41 we skip another path to the right. In point 42 we reach an unpaved road - the red marking continues up along it, but we cross it and go along a path to the left (again with a red marking), which with a fast descent takes us down to the villa zone Dabravata (point 43). We continue along the street (unpaved road) to the right and follow it until we reach an asphalt road (points 44, 37.6 km).
We turn right along the road and after 150 m (point 45) we reach the entrance of the cemetery park "North 2". To the left a steep and narrow asphalt road through the forest begins - we go along it. In some sections the slope is very steep and you may have to push. The road takes us to the plateau and at the crossroads in point 46 (38.5 km) we continue straight ahead and enter the villa zone Lozite, moving along a broken asphalt road. We still follow the main street only and in point 47 (39.2 km) we continue along the left road. We go straight ahead only until we reach point 48 (42.4 km) one of the main roads leaving Varna to the north.
We go to the left along the main road for a while. After 200 m (point 49) to the right through the forest there is a narrow path - if you want, go along it and you will reach a small shop with a resting area in front. Then on the way to the left we reach a narrow asphalt road (point 50), which we take to the right - this is the road to the TV tower. We reach its entrance in point 51 (43.4 km). Here we turn right on a wide unpaved road and immediately afterwards we turn right again to reach a wide path with red tourist and cycling markings in point 52. We take the path to the left through a coniferous forest and watch out for point 53 (44.1 km). Here on the left there is a hidden path - we go along it, a fork immediately follows, we go to the right and then to the right again. In point 54 the path splits again and this time we go to the left. The last descent on a narrow and fun path begins. At the beginning it is more flat, and then the slope is getting steeper. The trail ends at point 55 near the first houses in the villa zone (neighborhood) Sotira. We turn right along an unpaved road and immediately after that (point 56) we start cycling along a steep concrete street ("Ivan Ivanov") to the left. We along this street all the way to 8th Primorski Polk Blvd. (point 57, 45.8 km). We cross carefully and we go to the left just for a moment, in order to reach 108-ma Street (or "Dr. Maxim Karadenev" according to some maps), which we go down and join 113-ta Street ("Dr. Lyuben Popov"), and shortly after we reach a small square (point 59), where we go to the right and in point 60 (46.7 km) we go aside for a short climb to the Monument of the Bulgarian-Soviet friendship (p. 61), which reveals a nice view of the city. We return to point 60 and continue first to the left, then sharply to the right, and then again to the left to reach the underpass (point 62), which we pass under Vasil Levski Blvd. On the other side we continue along Rupi Street until we reach Chaika Bazaar (point 63). Here you will find a variety of delicacies for your needs a long ride. In point 64 there is again an underpass that takes us to the Sea Garden (point 65). We continue along the alley to the right, but in point 66 we go to the left to a tiny forest, in which jumps and something similar to a pump track are built (point 67). We return to one of the alleys in point 68 and for a change we cross the main alley in point 69 and pass along another one, which is even closer to the sea. In point 70 we return to the main alley and return to the starting point.
