Sofia Airport → Balchik

Balchik rises in white limestone terraces above the sea, and its skyline of windmill-topped cliffs is one of the most distinctive on the whole Bulgarian coast. The town's main attraction is the Queen Marie's Palace and Botanical Garden, built in the 1920s as a summer residence for Queen Marie of Romania and now home to one of the richest plant collections in south-eastern Europe, including a serious cactus garden that thrives in the dry, sun-baked cliffs.

Below the palace, a working harbour and a promenade lined with seafood restaurants make for a pleasant stroll, and several wine cellars carved directly into the soft limestone still produce and age local white wine the traditional way. Balchik makes an easy, scenic half-day trip from Albena or Golden Sands, or a quieter overnight stay of its own.