Summer Palace of Queen Marie & Botanical Gardens
After visiting the monastery we moved on. The main goal of the day was Balchik and royal gardens. We were curious if something has changed for 10 years. I do not think too much. We spent a long time walking between the flowers.The greatest landmark of Balchik – the Palace – has remained from the
period of the Romanian occupation. The Palace was the former summer
residence of the Romanian Queen Maria Alexandrina Victoria De Edinburgh
(1875 – 1938). The residence was constructed in 1924. The Botanical
Garden – another great landmark of the town – is also situated within
the borders of the residence.
At the far western end of the seafront, this palace was completed in
1926 by King Ferdinand of Romania for his English wife, Queen Marie,
when Balchik was part of Romania. Size-wise, it's a relatively modest
villa, though the architecture – a blend of local, Gothic and Islamic
styles topped with a minaret – is unique. Behind the palace are the
extensive botanical gardens. The complex also includes a water mill, a
winery and the tiny Chapel of Sveta Bogoroditsa.
The half-dozen or so rooms on show contain original furnishings,
including paintings by Marie, and several photographs of the queen
striking dramatic poses on the grounds. Also here is a curious
collection of local archaeological finds, including Roman pottery and
mammoth bones. In the garden, around 600 species of flora are featured
throughout a series of themed terraces, including an impressive
collection of cacti.
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