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Palace of Balchik
Two km west of Balchik, build on the tail white cliffs overlooking the Black Sea is the Quiet Nest,
the summer Royal Palace of Queen Marie of Rumania. Edinburgh-born Marie was the grand-daughter of
Queen Victoria and Russian King Alexander II. Upon her marriage to King Ferdinand of Romania,
she asked her husband to construct a palace and a garden in her favorite region of the Romanian
Kingdom which at that time included the Northeast corner of Bulgaria. The area was part of Romania
between 1913 and 1940.The attractive villa has the unusual addition of a minaret,
said to have been built for the Queen's Turkish lover.
The Palace had this Italian-designed palace villa built in 1924 and summered here
from 1931-38 when the Dobrudzha was part of Romania (1913-40). The "Quiet Nest"
was supposedly love nest for Marie and her 20-year old Turkish secret lover, Hasan,
who was Sea Captain. Marie belonged to a sect whose aim was the reconciliation of the
Christian and Muslim religions and she apparently practiced what she preached.
The main component buildings (10 villas and a chapel) freely combine elements of various
architectural styles. The Palace Complex consists of the central palace with a high tower,
numerous buildings in a modern style at the time, a many-terrace park, lanes and paths,
stone summer-houses propped on marvelous columns facing the sea, a throne under an old
tree where Queen Maria loved to sit and watch the sunset, a small chapel where her heart
is preserved
The villa architecture is primarily oriental, but includes old Bulgarian and Gothic styles
as well. Topped by a distinctive spired minaret, the upper two floors contain original
furnishings. The main floor has been turned into a restaurant, Luna, frequented by swim-suit
clad bathers from the neighboring beach. Nearby, a series of six terraces represents each
of Marie's children, the smallest for her youngest who died in infancy. In front of the villa
is a stone throne with crescent moon and a star. The villa has subsequently served
as a rest home for the Bulgarian Union of Writers.
Balchik Botanical Garden
The chief attraction of the place is the wonderful Botanical Garden,
a branch of the University of Sofia. Its ten hectares surround the small
summer palace of the Romanian Queen Marie. The whole complex was called Tenha Vuva
(Quiet Nest).
The gardens are the "residence" of 3000 rare and exotic species plant species
of which cacti alone are over 250, and thus Europe's second most
important collection.
The gardens are set on a steep hillside, and
descend in six terraces to the sea - supposedly one for
each of the Queen's children. There are over three thousand
varieties of shrubs, roses and flowers, set among streams,
waterfalls, and ornamental channels. There is a rock garden,
a formal French one with clipped box cones and geometric beds,
and an astonishing collection of cacti. Interspersed are stone thrones,
seats, pillars and ornaments collected by the Queen. The Botanical
garden is an exotic oasis of diverse flora and interesting grounds
only to the Botanical garden of Monaco. The grounds were designed by
Italian architects, Amerigo and Augustino, who started construction in 1929.
The Botanical garden took five years to complete and additional plant species from
around the world are added to the collection every year.
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