The University Botanical Garden in Balchik is a unit of Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski”.
It was established in 1955 and in 2020 the garden celebrates its 65th anniversary.
That is way the farmers have planted huge colored panels depicting the numbers 6 and 5.
Currently, the botanical garden occupies an area of over 190 acres and for the most part has the status of a protected area. Within the protected area, professionals, guests or just amateurs can observe the natural ecosystems and appreciate the incredible biodiversity of the region.
The Botanical Garden is included in the 100 national tourist sites of Bulgaria under number 24a.
Believe me, you will be enchanted, breathless and delighted by the incredible variety of plant species, colors and shapes, colors and patterns! She's just adorable!
The University Botanical Garden is part of the Palace Architectural and Park Complex - a group cultural monument of national importance, which is a former summer residence of the Romanian Queen Maria in the early twentieth century.
Along the coast, on a terrain with large displacement are terraces - gardens, interconnected by steep stairs, tunnels and arches.
Nursery Garden
As soon as you enter here, you will find the Nursery Garden. This is the newest part of the botanical garden, which is adapted for people with disabilities with a special sector for the blind. Here you will find various collections of roses, medicinal plants and ornamental grasses, as well as a beautiful flower floor with seasonal blooms.
The Botanical Garden specializes in the development of collections of tropical and subtropical exotics, as well as other unique plants.
The second largest cactus collection is located here, after the one in Monaco.
The permanent exhibition includes a unique variety of cacti and succulents. It is interesting to note that some of them bloom once every 100 years, while others are able to withstand really severe weather conditions.
Specialists and guests are also interested in the exotic species successfully preserved in the park since royal times, such as rubber, candy, book tree, ancient ginkgo, metasequoia, large-flowered magnolia, lyre tree and others.
In the greenhouses of the garden ripen lemons the size of a handball, as well as many other exotic fruits such as bananas, papaya and others.
The Divine Garden
The carpet bloomig in the "Divine Garden" is emblematic - a unique colorful rug of incredible colors and shapes, located opposite the vast expanse of the sea.
There are beautiful ground floors and corners with annual spring and summer flowers, alpine and aquatic vegetation, ferns, protected and rare species, lianas, flowering and evergreen shrubs, and among them you will find places for relaxation and rest. Nearby is the fragrant garden and the majestic ancient poplar.
More than 4600 plant species are grown in this unique garden.
The individual gardens are interconnected by bridges, stairs, various stone alleys, tunnels, paths, and the numerous reservoirs further beautify and bring charm and freshness.
Alpineum (the Rock garden)
Next to the ancient poplar is the "Alpineum", where the plants are aesthetically arranged with pieces of rock.
Rosary
In this part you will see a collection of over 50 species of climbing, polyanthus, stem and trailing roses. Near the Rosary is the large-flowered magnolia, which is among the oldest on the Balkan Peninsula.
Italian architects have contributed to the unique terraced architecture overlooking the sea, and a Swiss gardener has turned their ideas into a fabulous spectacle of greenery and flowers.
The Garden of Gethsemane
After the Rosary you will go down to the bottom of the park, where the Garden of Gethsemane is located. In this part rises a huge representative of the two-part ginkgo biloba and the rare exotic candy tree. There is also a paradise apple, pomegranate and fig. There you will also find a small chapel and a holy spring.
From the Garden of Gethsemane you move to the Mavi Long Garden (or Blue Wave). It is built along the lowest coastal terrace.
Garden by the waterfall
One of the romantic places in the whole complex is the "Bridge of Sighs".
There is a legend that if you make a wish and cross the bridge with your eyes closed, it will come true. It offers a beautiful view of a waterfall over 25 meters high. There is a lot of greenery and flowers around the waterfall, making it an exceptional photo experience.
Apart from being a beautiful part of Bulgaria, the University Botanical Garden in Balchik is a place for research and scientific activities, student internships, initiatives related to environmental education and art.
The garden is a rescue center for rare and endangered species under the Washington Convention. She is a member of the World Council of Botanical Gardens BGCI, the European Consortium of Botanical Gardens, the Educational Network for Environmental Education in Botanical Gardens (EBGEN). Participates with its collections in the exchange of Index Seminum seeds with botanical gardens from around the world.
The garden is well maintained and almost all plants have signs written in Bulgarian and English.
I wish you an exceptional and impressive walk!
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