Varna

In 1900 in Varna were registered 12 hotels: “Sofia”, “Bulgaria”, “Orel” (Eagle), “Boris”, “Targovski” (Commercial), “Russia”, “Moscow”, “Imperial”, “Shumen”, “Europe”, ”Primorski”, “Preslav”.

In 1902 a new hotel named “Veliko Tarnovo” was opened on “Ohrid” street, opposite to the “Orel” hotel. On the same street, №26, at the intersection with the “Boghossian” and “Omurtag” streets the “Royal” hotel was built in 1905. It was designed by the famous architect Nikola Lazarov, who had completed his education in Paris. The façade of the building still impresses with its beautiful appearance today.

A few other hotels were also opened around the same time: “Dobrudja”, “Bristol”, “Central”, “Lido Venice”, “Paris” and “London”. The last two hotels were designed by the architect Dabko Dabkov, who left a huge architectural heritage in Varna. He graduated in 1899 in Munich and was the state architect of the city of Varna from 1900 onwards.

Hotel “Paris” was built on the corner of the “Preslav” and “Panagyurishte” streets in 1906, designed by eng. D. Guerov. Initially, it had two floors. In 1911, the building was reconstructed following a fire and an additional storey was raised under the design of architect D. Dabkov.

One of the most representative hotels of this period was “London” (from 1942 it was named “Bulgaria”) with owner Peter Arnaudov, designed by the architect D. Dabkov. It was built in 1912 on the “Musalla” square and with its five floors it was the tallest building of its time in the city. The hotel offered many amenities - comfortable furniture, central heating, bathrooms with hot and cold water in each room, large lounges, and even a car garage. On the first floor one could find the biggest and most popular café in Varna – the “London” locale – a place of the type of the “major European cafes”.

The “New York” hotel, built in the early 20^th century by arch. Kostov, made a great impression on the tourists.

The hotel was impressively big and shaped a semicircular public open space in front of the Theatre and the City Garden.

The early twentieth century was the time when the first Bulgarian architects started to shape Varna after having received their education in major European cities, centers of modern architecture - Vienna, Paris, Munich, Prague. The new buildings were characterized by a more large-scale and stylish décor: unorthodox and beautiful facades, decorated with many ornaments; abundance of light, achieved by the use of a large number of windows. They were in compliance with the technical and functional requirements of the modern architecture^[1].

[1] Колева, Св. Хотелите на гр. Варна. – Известия на Регионален исторически музей – Русе. Русе, 2008, т. XIII, с. 234–252.

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Колева, Св. Хотелите на гр. Варна. – Известия на Регионален исторически музей – Русе, 2008, т. XIII, с. 234–252.