Innovative property investments
Investment Property in Bulgaria
Coastal Areas
Balchik
The White Town
The seaside town of Balchik sits on a small bay, 41km north of Varna.
Steep, cobblestone streets, lined with whitewashed, red-tiled houses, tucked amidst the terraces and ravines dominating the landscape are its distinctive features.
That’s apart from the whiteness of its limestone rocks which earned it “Silver Riviera” as a name and reportedly had Ovid exclaiming over its white beauty.
Lots to see and do
For a small seaside town, Balchik squeezes in a lot of amenities.
Beside the all essential beach and new waterfront swimming pool and water slide complex, culture vultures can enjoy an art gallery which hosts an arts festival in June and whose collection of works by Bulgarian and foreign painters is so extensive that they change their temporary exhibitions every two weeks.
There’s a National Revival complex to visit, along with a National Revival house-cum-Ethnographic Museum and a History Museum displaying ancient finds and chronicling the town's role in the Balkan and World Wars. The Greek Church doubles as a concert venue but the main musical events are held in neighbouring Kavarna.
If you’re feeling peckish, dining on the waterfront is popular and becomes lively later on when the young ones catch a bite to eat before heading to the disco.
To the west, the new restaurants of the White House and New Beach have opened their doors.
In town, Vechernaya Odessa’s menu offers traditional Russian cuisine.
Above town, Koraba restaurant juts out of the hillside with its ship-like prow of a patio.
Bird sanctuary
Balchik is great for peckish birds too and consequently for bird lovers, probably for the same reason that the town became a thriving grain port at the beginning of the 19th century: its harbour is protected from the prevailing north winds.
The seaside cliffs to the south of the town are the chosen home of the alpine swift and black-headed bunting, whilst the pied white ear makes it their European summer residence before returning to Asia.
Summer Palace
The favourite place to visit when in Balchik is the summer palace of the 60 year old Queen Marie of Romania where she spent many summers entertaining Hasan, her 20-year old Turkish lover.
It was also the resting place she chose for her heart when she died in 1938.
Designed by her, the architecture reflects her life-long desire to reconcile the Christian and Muslim faiths.
Also within the complex are a botanical garden, a lovely stone summer house with sea views and a replica Cretan labyrinth in which to lose yourself.
Three golf courses
As of this year - 2007 - the palace and gardens will have major rivals to its visitor number totals.
Golf is about to explode on the Black Sea Coast and Balchik is about to find itself one of the best located seaside towns for the sport.
Three professionally designed courses are opening around it.
Black Sea Rama Golf
Black Sea Rama Golf is in the Tabiata area near Balchik and due to open this summer.
It’s a Gary Player signature, 18-hole, international course extending right to the lip of a 150m high seaside cliff, offering spectacular views of the Black Sea.
The 103 million EUR complex will include hotels, residential properties, swimming pools, a spa centre, gyms, football pitches and a riding school.
Thracian Cliffs Golf
Thracian Cliffs Golf is situated between the villages of Topola and Bozhurets near Kavarna.
Covering an area of 1,400 decares and costing 120 million EUR, this is the largest of the three projects.
It too will boast a Gary Player designed course along with a 3,000-bed five star hotel, residential properties, boutiques, restaurants, nightclubs and a marina.
The architectural emphasis has been on simple, small-scale buildings in keeping with the traditional fishing villages in the vicinity and using locally sourced building materials.
Digging began in 2006 and it is scheduled to open at the end of 2007.
Lighthouse Golf Resort
The cliff top course of Lighthouse Golf Resort, just outside Balchik town, has been designed entirely by Ian Woosnam.
It too will see many balls lost to the sea as players become distracted by its magnificent views following its opening in September 2007.
Year round resort
For property investors, the arrival of the courses and their broader sports offering signifies an extension to the potential letting period; the breaking free of the constraints imposed by the summer sun and the ability to attract high spending visitors.
Property guide
There is a large choice of off-plan property in the area, which generally cost 10-15% less than the finished product.
At an average square metre price of 700-1,500 EUR (470-1,000 GBP) last year, property on the golf complexes is more expensive.
Other options include village houses in need of renovation around Balchik or expensive villas in Balchik itself.
Downloadable Reports and Documents
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