The Quiet Nest
The white palace.
Dan Kollmann — CC BY-SA 4.0 · StefkaVasileva — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Michal Gorski — CC BY-SA 3.0 · StefkaVasileva — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Michał Derela — CC BY-SA 4.0
Balchik Palace is a small summer palace on the Black Sea shore in the seaside town of Balchik, Dobrich Province, northeastern Bulgaria, about 28 km northeast of Varna in a straight line. Known as the Quiet Nest, it is one of the best-known sights on the Bulgarian coast. The palace was built as the summer residence of Queen Marie of Romania, who visited Balchik in 1921 and fell for the place. Work began around 1924 and the whole complex was finished in 1937; the Quiet Nest itself was the first building, and the queen spent most of her time there. The complex became the official property of the Bulgarian state in 1970. The style mixes Bulgarian, Romanian and Ottoman motifs: a slender minaret rises above the white building with its red-tiled roofs, and wooden balconies look out to sea. The complex includes small villas and a large botanical garden that steps down in terraces towards the shore, with bright flower beds, stone paths, cypresses and cacti. Visitors wander between the palace buildings and over the garden terraces, and walk the seafront promenade below. The garden is at its best from late spring to autumn; summer days are crowded, so early morning is quieter.
The white palace.
Terraces to the sea.
On the Black Sea.
Balchik, Dobrich Province, Black Sea coast, Bulgaria
Late spring to autumn; mornings are quieter.
The palace, villas and a botanical garden.