This biking route is a good choice for a whole day biking starting from Varna Sea garden following smooth ascent to Golden Sands nature park via Vinitsa suburb, where one would find a lot of pleasant path to bike along. Going back would be via the TV tower and down to the city. Technically the route is not difficult although there are sections with quite steep and rocky spots.
Shortly, the route is relatively long and panoramic enough. Starting from the entrance of the Sea garden it goes through a lot of urbanized territories but most of the main roads and street are avoided. As with other routes going through the city and going through parts of the city one should follow and watch their GPS more often in order to keep the right way. Have in mind intersections even in the forest are not just a few. On the other hand parts of the route go through a biking route marked by “Ustrem” cycling club as well as along marked tourist trails so this marking would be very helpful at places.
Starting point: Varna, Entrance of the Sea Garden (near the sign VARNA) https://goo.gl/maps/r2yosDKnU2QosWNx9
Length: 51.1 km
Ascent: 1150 m
Level of technical difficulty: low (R1, R2, T1, T2, short sections T3)
Physical activity factor: средно (PAF=7)
Duration: 4-8 hours (depending on the speed, stop breaks, etc.)
Water: 1-1.5 l, (there are three fountains along the route) Храна: за цял ден
Terrain:
- asphalt – 22.4 km
- country roads – 13.3 km
- trails – 15.4 km
Description:
From Varna Sea Garden entrance we go along the central alley to the Northeast. When we reach the Pantheon (point 2) we continuing ahead and follow the alley point 3 (1.6km), where we turn left and then along the first alley to the right (point 4), after that again to the left (point 5) and at point 6 we go along an alley to the right situated parallel to “Knyaz Boris I” Blvd. We go along this alley to point 7 (3.0km) where we turn left and reach a road junction. We go through the junction going under the boulevard and then we continue to the north along a street first, and after that along an alley in the park near the The Park-Monument of the Bulgarian-Soviet Friendship
In point 11 (3.9km) we first go up along an asphalt alley to the monument (point 12), in order to have a look above the town and the sea, and after that we go back to the junction and continue to the right (northeast) along the main street called “Sirma voivoda”. It is a long street, changing its slope and going along it we actually go through a large part of Trakata area (namely Briz suburb and Akchelar area). Here we find blue cycle marking placed by “Ustrem” cycling club – we follow the marking. The most important junctions along this road are at point 13 (ahead and slightly to the right, point 14 (ahead), point 15 (to the right). In point 18 (7.7 km) we turn left and we start a steeper climb. After 200m (point 19) we go along to the street on the right and after 100m more in point 20 we go to the right, in order to go across a deep ravine along an interesting metal bridge. On the other side we continue biking up the street to the left (point 21) and at the T-junction in point 22 we go the left and after that immediately top the right and then up until point 23 (9.1km). Here from the right side there is a vast meadow crossed by several country roads. The route goes along the asphalt road to the left and after that in point 24 to the right and in point 25 (9.7km) we reach the main Vinitsa suburb street.
We go the right along it, on the left side there is cycle lane – you could use that if you prefer. We go through the whole suburb and leave it along the road direction Aladzha monastery and Golden Sands resort. In point 26 there is a U-turn - this place is known as the tire turn because of the frequent whistling/slipping of car tires. If you look to the left in the woods you would see an interesting monument, a little replica of the monument of freedom Shipka.
We continue on the road to point 27 (12.9 km), where a road deviates to the right to the villa zones Byalata Cheshma and Dabravata. We pass through them, following the main street, which is a wide and well-trodden unsurfaced road. At point 28 (14.3 km) we turn left along a wide path that goes steeply up. After 200-300 m (point 29) we go out into an open clearing, cross a unsurfaced road and continue after it on a wide and flat alley in the forest with red tourist markings. We go along it only, skipping various deviations - there are such in points 30 and 31, and in point 32 we reach Kovshak fountain - a popular place for picnics and rest among the citizens of Varna. From the fountain we go ahead on a unsurfaced road, skipping the paths on the left and on the right - the clearer ones are in points 33 and 34. In point 35 (16.0 km) we reach the asphalt road between Aladzha Monastery and Golden Sands. We take it to the left and up and after 300 m we reach the parking lot of the monastery (point 36), where there is a nice fountain.
From here we go along an asphalt road to the right and after 50 m turn right again (point 37). At point 38 (16.6 km) we reach a private property and continue along a paved pedestrian alley slightly to the right. After 50-60 m we leave the alley and continue along the path to the left - it is wide, with a variable slope and with green and yellow tourist markings. At point 40 (17.8 km) the trail goes two ways - we go to the right along the yellow markings, getting ready for slightly steeper and stony sections. In point 41 and point 42 we pass marked paths to the right, and in the first one there is a fountain. There the slope turns upwards. At point 43 (18.7 km) the trail converges again with the other one we left on the left and we continue to the right on green and red tourist markings. After 400 m (point 44) the path widens to a unpaved road, and in point 45 there is a fork where we turn right. It used to be a unpaved road, now it's a great trail - relatively smooth and fast. In point 46 we take on the left and shortly after that we reach a narrow asphalt road (item 47, 20.7 km), along which we turn left and up.
After 2-3 turns in point 48 (21.4 km) we reach the main path with red and green markings again. We go along it to the right and follow it straight ahead. The path goes now slightly up, now slightly down - first it is wide, and then it becomes narrower, passing over a rocky ridge, where in several places views of the sea are revealed. There is one in point 49 – it is mentioned it, because from here the path descends steeply. Cycle with caution!
At the end of the descent (point 50, 25.9 km) we reach the main road from Varna to the north, in the outskirts of the village of Kranevo. To the left there is a narrow asphalt road that climbs to an old military unit - we go up along it. After 1 km in point 51 we leave the asphalt and go along on an unpaved road to the right, which continues to climb with a smooth slope. Then the road narrows and begins to look more like a wide path. We go along it only - it climbs to the ridge and continues to follow it to the southwest. In several places on the left and right there are clearer or more neglected dirt roads (there are some in points 52-57) - skip them and follow the main road. At one point the slope turns down and in point 58 (31.1 km) we reach a narrow asphalt road.
We turn left along it and after 20-30 meters (point 59) we catch an unpaved road the right, which is the main tourist marking (red and green). Here you can expect mud after heavy rain, there are tracks and in several places the road is divided into different branches - choose your line according to your preferences. In point 60 (32.2 km) we turn left on an unpaved road and immediately afterwards we turn right again (point 45) - here we are already in this part of the path, which we passed in the direction of Kranevo. In point 43, however, we keep the right path with green markings. We go further south to Aladzha Monastery along the already known wide path, and in point 38 we turn left along the pedestrian alley. Along it we go out again to the parking lot and the fountain at Aladzha Monastery (point 36).
Here we continue for about 200-300 m to point 61 (35.6 km), where we took to the right on a wide path with blue and yellow tourist markings. For the most part, the trail is smooth and with a slight to moderate slope, skipping forks in points 62 and 63, but before coming out on the plateau, the slope becomes steep and you have to push a little. At point 64 (36.3 km) we reach the plateau and join an unpaved road to the south, the tourist markings also go along it. We follow only this main road straight ahead, and in some places panoramic views of the sea and parts of the city are revealed. At several points the road forks or has intersections: in point 65 we are on the left along a panoramic path; in point 66 we go straight ahead, in point 67 we are keeping to the right; in point 68 and 69 we follow the main road, which is the left one; in point 70 we also take on the left road, which is better.
In point 71 (38.9 km) we reach an asphalt road and on it to the right we enter Lozite villa area. After 700 m (point 72) there is a large fork, where we take on the left street. The asphalt turns into a wide and well-trodden unpaved road passing by the houses. We go straight ahead only until we reach point 73 (42.8 km) one of the main roads leaving Varna in a north direction. We go to the left along the main road for a while. After 200 m (point 74) 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 of it. Then on the way to the left we come out on a narrow asphalt road (point 75), which we take on the right - this is the road to the TV tower. We reach its entrance in point 76 (43.8 km).
There are a lot of options to go down from here but the one that have been chosen is the easiest to find and the easiest technically. First at the entrance of the tower we turn right on a wide unpaved road and immediately after that we turn right again to reach a wide path with red tourist and cycling markings in point 77. We take the path to the left through a coniferous forest. We only go straight ahead. At point 79 (44.7 km) we turn left on a an unpaved road, following the red markings; after 100 m we go left again, now on a wide path, and after another 100 m it turns sharply to the right and passes by a recreation area with tables and benches. At point 81 (45.2 km) we turn left and after another 100 m (point 82) turn left again, where we start descending on a wide and steep path, resembling an unpaved road. It takes us to the upper end of a villa zone (neighborhood) Sotira (p.83, 45.8 km). After a hundred meters we are already going down a steep street, it is called "Ivan Ivanov" - we only follow it, but do not step too fast (a car might come behind the turn)!
We descend along this street all the way to 8-mi Primorski Polk Blvd. (points 85, 46.9 km). We cross carefully and only for a moment we go to the left, just to catch 108-ma Street (or "Dr. Maxim Karadenev" according to some maps), along which we descend and join 113-ta Street ("Dr. Lyuben Popov"), and shortly after that we reach a small square (point 87), where we have already been - near the Monumentof the Bulgarian-Soviet friendship. You can return to the starting point both on the road you know from the beginning of the route, or on a slightly different combination of streets and alleys, following the GPS trail - to the right of the monument (seen from above), through the “Chaika” bazar (points 89 and 90) and then through the Sea Garden.
