Varna is about 20 minutes away by bus or car. Taking the bus from Alen Mak is probably the best option as it stops outside the Cathedral in the town centre, and parking in Varna is sometimes a bit tricky. Lonely Planet describes Varna as one of the most interesting and cosmopolitan towns on the Black Sea coast. It has a great mixture of clubs, Restaurants and bars as well as a really nice beach.

The Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin (next to the bus stop) is really worth a visit. Further up the street is a small market with lots of tiny clothing and jewellery shops, I believe this opens every day, all year round. Opposite the Cathedral is another traditional fruit and vegetable market, again this appears to open everyday all year round, though is much better on Saturdays. During the summer, you may also find stands selling handmade cotton table cloths etc., as well as stalls selling everything from books to local handcrafts. Behind the Cathedral is the Varna flower market (Chataldja market), during the summer this opens every day.

Close to the market is the Opera house and the start of the main shopping street. Here you will find plenty of big name stores as well as a host of small privately owned shops.

There are many museums and art galleries in Varna, including the Archaeological Museum, the national Naval Museum and the Ethnographic Museum.

The Roman Thermae are claimed to be the largest in Bulgaria and the third biggest in Europe. Only a small part of the original complex, estimated to be 7000 sq metres, still remains.

This is a small beach resort about halfway between the apartment and Varna. The main attraction here is the mineral baths, though I have never been, which apparently offer relief from stress and many other ailments.

About 5 minute drive, 15 minutes walk, from the apartment. This is a 4Km stretch of beautiful sandy beach lined with bars, night clubs, restaurants and hotels. This is one of Bulgaria's most popular resorts and consequently gets very busy in the summer months.

Behind the resort is the 1320 hectare Golden Sands Nature Park which has plenty of tracks and paths for you to get lost in. Access to the same park can be gained about 1Km further up the hill from the apartment.

Also worth a visit is the Aladzha Monastery which is a few Kms inland from Golden Sands, 10 minutes drive from the Apartment. Estimated to have been inhabited during the 5th century BC, but most of what you will see was probably created around the 13th and 14th centuries.

The resort of Albena is smaller and quieter than Golden Sands, but the 4Kms of beach is equally as good. Like Golden Sands, most people that come here never leave the resort as they have everything that they need in one location. The downside is that everything is three or four times more expensive than everywhere else, though is still relatively cheap compared to the UK.

This is a pleasant and quiet fishing town, it has a nice setting and atmosphere. It is a good place to visit before or after visiting the nearby palace and superb botanical gardens.

Continuing up the coast from Balchik you reach the Kaliakra Cape. Most of the area is made up of the Kaliakra Nature Reserve. The entry fee in 2008 was 3 leva. Several people have reported seeing dolphins and seals from official lookouts on the cape. The reserve also has ruins of an 8th century citadel, churches and various tombs.