Balchik Dvoretsa Palace and Park — Attraction in Balchik

The Palace and the Botanical garden are a beautiful place to visit. Unfortunately we got a very negative first impression from the minute we entered the complex from one of the three entrances - the pathway "Albena-Balchik". The road was very narrow and we reached the barrier which was guarded by three people who were sitting under one umbrella and neither wanted to come near us and explain the parking and ticket policy. I went out of the car, while the rest of my family waited in the car (in many other destinations the guards go to the tourist's car to collect the money personally but not here) and started asking about the price, etc. - the guards and especially one woman, were very rude and unwelcoming. They seemed annoyed they have to explain anything and were pissed when I asked where exactly the two different pay-desks were. During the whole time they didn't allow us to move the car through the barrier even though we were obviously paying the different tickets at the two different pay desks which took several minutes, so no one else could enter or exit the place as it is very narrow. At some point one of the men decided to show some politeness and tell us which way to go after parking the car - his colleague, the rude woman told him not to tell us anything because "you have a map on your ticket and if you want any additional information you have to pay 30 leva for a guided tour.". She also told us they don't have a stamp for the 100 national Bulgarian touristic destinations and told us to go the Office in the complex, but 15 minutes later another woman gave us a stamp from the same pay desk we initially asked, as we had to go back to the car for something and asked again. They behaved that way with the people coming after us, including foreigners, to whom they were predominantly speaking in very high pitched voice, not trying to say a single word in English. Saying a few welcoming messages to tourists, being polite and being able to adequately manage to flow of incoming and outgoing cars from the parking is something mandatory for a big, expensive and popular touristic destination. These 15 minutes with our two small children under the heavy sun were a very disappointing beginning. Also, considering the solid entrance price, I'm surprised by the very poor state of the one free WC in the complex. Yet, I have to outline we met several very polite and professional employees in the complex too, especially in the wine house. You'd better choose a cloudy day to be able to really enjoy the beauty of the whole complex and garden, otherwise the heat will quickly tire you. I hope the guards on the other entrances behave better and show some customer...

How to enjoy the experience despite the conditions:

Have enough cash, preferably in leva. You cannot buy tickets using a card, you will probably not be able to buy in any other currency except leva. The closest ATM (Euronet) will charge a large fee. The regular bank ATM is located after the gate to enter the palace grounds, so you cannot get to it without a ticket. The exchange rate is not great and you may be surprised to not find anyone at the desk (complain to the entrance staff and they might bring someone).

Pay 14-18 leva per adult. Mentally prepare and emotionally accept that, although it appears to be a scam to be forced to buy two tickets (and probably to also pay for parking if you don't want to be forced to eat at a certain hedgehog restaurant), you can reframe to see all of this as one ticket price that you pay in 2-3 places. It may add up to 6 + 8 leva per adult + maybe 2-4 leva for parking. They apparently have a reason: two different government ministries take care of the two different attractions (botanical gardens and palace) and due to bureaucracy they have to have two tickets.

Reserve 1-2 hours for the botanical gardens and 1-3 for the palace grounds, depending on what you want to visit and how closely you want to study the details. I think it's likely you will be denied two entrances using the same tickets, so better to reserve a bit more time, even if you think you'll only visit one of the two attractions. You may come for the palace and discover that the gardens are to your liking too. There is a restaurant on the palace grounds but it didn't seem to be open when we visited.

Bring water. Once inside you may get thirsty and might have a bit of trouble finding a place that sells water.

Prepare to get a bit lost, even with a map, even though the place is not too large. It's probably a part of it's charm.

Do a bit of research beforehand, to have an understanding of the palace and its' history. The information available on site is a bit sparse and fragmented across different buildings. You are unlikely to be offered/find a guided tour. Not all of the posted information is "official". In one of the buildings (the guest room of the queen) you'll find the claim that her confession is the Baháʼí Faith. Depending on how you interpret the available evidence, this is likely to be a false claim.

There are at least two places where you can buy local wine (with free tasting).

Hope you enjoy! The place...

On June 22, I attended the Balchik Palace with my disabled mother. We drove 200 km one way from Tulcea to visit this monument. At the entry gate, I presented the attendant with valid documentation of my mother‘s disability. According to their own website, persons with disabilities are allowed access to the Balchik Palace free of charge. The attendant at the gate refused free entry and demanded payment for my mother to enter and threw the disability card back to us. The attendant did not provide any explanation why she would not accept the documents.

We did not have enough cash with us and attempted to pay with a card or in Euros. When we provided the attendant with a card, she threw the card back at us and in a loud voice shouted she would not accept a card. The attendant was very rude and did not offer any other options for payment, other than Bulgarian cash currency. Something else I find very troubling, is that the wine shop at the Palace accepts cards. Also the site doesn’t mention the payment for entry can be made JUST in cash Bulgarian currency.

I cannot begin to describe the heartbreaking feeling I had to have to leave my mom outside the gates. I had planned to spend a beautiful Saturday with my mother enjoying the sights of the gardens at Balchik Palace. I came from Canada after many years to spend time with my mom, she wanted to take us on a trip to enjoy sightseeing but this was destroyed by the gate attendants not accepting the valid disability documentation, and then by not accepting a card as payment, and being very rude towards us. Last but definitely not least, my mom has a hard time dealing with the physical limitations due to her disability. It was very humiliating to be denied access and be turned from the gate to have to wait in the vehicle. Also to limit her wait time we had to shorten our visit.

I requested an answer to the complaint and I received just an apology and the mention they are not aware of disability benefits when even their website says they don’t charge for a person with disability. Considering that Romanian tourists are heavily supporting the local economy around Balchik palace such an attitude could be very detrimental. Myself, upon returning to Canada, I would have a hard time sharing my experience in a positive light to friends and acquaintances that could possibly choose to visit or not Bulgaria or the area.

I will not visit again nor would I recommend...