Day 5 - Friday, August 7, 2009 by Craig Lundell

On Friday morning we sailed across the river to the Bulgarian port of Rousse, the largest Bulgarian city along the Danube. Rousse has become the primary river port in Bulgaria, and has contributed to the country’s historic and cultural riches. Founded in the 1st century as a Roman military and naval center, the town was called Sexaginta Prista, or the City of 60 Ships. The city’s name changed to Rousse while under Ottoman rule from 1388-1878. During the early 1900s, following its liberation, the Monument of Freedom was erected in the central square. Overlooking the city, the female statue, with a sword in one hand and the other pointing towards the country’s liberators, hails as Rousse’s signature landmark today.

After breakfast, we got on buses for a drive to Varna, the largest city on the Bulgarian Black Sea coastline, with a population of more than 300,000. It is widely referred to as the seaside capital of Bulgaria because of the string of famous beaches along its Gold Coast. Today it is Bulgaria’s main port for both naval and commercial shipping. Over the centuries, Varna has had several name changes. When the Greeks arrived about 600 BCE, they named their colony Odessos. The Romans followed later and after them the Slavs. During the First Bulgarian Empire (681-1018) the city was renamed Varna.

We first visited the Archeological Museum, home to the oldest gold treasury in the world, dating back 6,000 years. Most of the golden treasures were designed more than 3000 years ago during the ancient civilization of the Thracians. After lunch at a beachfront restaurant, we walked along a beach and then boarded a boat for a cruise on the Black Sea.