The town of Balchik is 36 km north–east of Varna and 501 km away from Sofia. It is situated on the coast itself. There is a big harbour used for medium–size passenger and trade vessels.
The place was first inhabited in the Vth century BC. A settlement was found here and called Kruni or Krounol. The name of the town comes from the Greek word “izvori” (“springs”) as there are a lot of Karst curing springs in the area. Later on it was renamed Dionisipolis after the name of Dionisius, the God of wine and feasts.
The image of this God was on the coins minted here, and the town was also the most important center, second only to Odessoss /Varna/ on the northern Black sea coast till the beginning of the new era. After a sequence of invasions at the time of the Roman Empire the town fell to decay. It became possession of Boyar Balik, and so it was called Balchik.

Landmarks
Apart from the Palace complex and the botanical garden – the biggest and most diverged on the Balkans, the town is attractive to tourist with its ancient atmosphere that has been preserved for centuries now. It is interesting to walk along and observe the Tartar quarter with the pebbled streets and the stone and adobe houses.
The Art Gallery of the town and the Historic–archeological museum are very interesting. The coastal alley, 4 km long, is a nice place for strolling, so are the harbour and the small street around the mosque. There is a small ethnographic museum, a beautiful old church called “St. Nikola” and an old mosque. The Renaissance complex with the old school in the town is quite well preserved.

Surrounding areas
The area of Touzlata is located 4 km east of the town and is well known for its curing mud. A balneological center was built here beside the two lakes, formed by old landslide. A large recreation complex, a lot of villas, bungalows and a camping site have been built here. There is a mineral spring water with temperature of 31 degrees C.
15 km south–west of Balchik is the village of Obrochishte with a well–preserved fortress dating back to the early ottoman rule.