Euxinograd: Bulgaria’s Former Royal Summer Residence
Site at a Glance
- Rating
- 4.4
- Popularity
- Medium
- Country
- Bulgaria
- Primary era
- Modern
- External website
- Open
- Eras represented
- Modern
- Civilizations
- Unclassified
- Site type
- Domestic
- Remains
- Palace
On this page8 sections
History
Euxinograd is a late-nineteenth-century former Bulgarian royal summer residence in Bulgaria, about 8 km north of Varna on the Black Sea coast. It is one of the finest examples of post-Liberation architecture in the country, a period that followed Bulgaria’s liberation from Ottoman rule in 1878. The palace follows the model of an eighteenth-century French château and developed from a site occupied by two small monasteries.
From monastic land to royal estate
On 16 March 1882, the Greek Orthodox bishopric presented the site to Prince Alexander of Battenberg, Bulgaria’s first modern ruling prince after the establishment of the principality. The monasteries dedicated to Saint Demetrius and Saint Constantine were converted into the first royal residence. In 1885, the Viennese architect Viktor Rumpelmayer prepared plans for the estate, which was initially called Sandrovo after Sandro, the diminutive form of Alexander’s name.
Alexander later enlarged the estate to about 80 hectares, although no additional building work took place during that expansion. The palace reached its present form under Prince Ferdinand, who later became tsar. Ferdinand commissioned the Swiss architect Hermann Mayer and the Bulgarian architect Nikola Lazarov to complete the design.
Renaming and royal use
Ferdinand also obtained architectural materials from the right wing of the Château de Saint-Cloud, a former French royal residence near Paris. After the building was demolished following damage associated with the Franco-Prussian War, Ferdinand acquired its pediment between 1890 and 1891. The pediment was incorporated into the foundations of a garden terrace rather than used in the palace elevation.
At the insistence of Ferdinand’s first wife, Princess Marie Louise, the estate was renamed Euxinograd in 1893. The name combines the Ancient Greek term for the Black Sea, meaning “hospitable sea,” with the South Slavic suffix -grad, meaning “town” or, historically, “fortress.” Tsaritsa Eleonore, Ferdinand’s second wife, died at Euxinograd on 12 September 1917.
State residence after the monarchy
The Bulgarian monarchy was abolished through a Communist-backed referendum in 1946, after which Euxinograd became a summer residence of the Communist authorities. Following Bulgaria’s democratic changes in 1989, the complex became a presidential and governmental residence and was opened to the public. It remains a governmental and presidential retreat and hosts summer meetings of the Council of Ministers. The palace and park underwent extensive renovations and remained closed until summer 2016.
Remains
The palace
Euxinograd’s three-storey palace combines a high metal-topped mansard roof, figured brickwork, balconies, and a clock tower. A mansard roof has two slopes on each side, with the lower slope steeper and often suitable for additional rooms. The first storey contains the principal reception rooms, including the music room and dining room. The royal family’s private apartments occupied the second storey, while the third was intended for servants. Mahogany and walnut furniture remains part of the interior, alongside a large chandelier decorated with a royal crown and golden lilies, a gift from the House of Bourbon. Toilet-door handles bear Tsar Ferdinand’s coat of arms, and a sundial was presented by Queen Victoria.
Winery and estate buildings
The palace winery was established in 1891 for the Bulgarian royal family. Its cellars extend across two underground floors, while the vineyards continue to produce twelve varieties of white wine and seven varieties of brandy. French wines more than 125 years old have also been preserved in the cellars since the period of Bulgaria’s Liberation. The complex includes the former royal stable known as Shtala, a name derived from the German word Stall.
The park and water features
The park covers about 55 hectares within the larger estate of approximately 80 hectares and is surrounded by vineyards. Its landscaping began in 1890 and continued for several decades. More than 50,000 trees were purchased from Marseille, and fertile soil was transported from the mouth of the Kamchiya River. More than 310 plant varieties from Asia, South America, North Africa, and southern France grow in the grounds. The design combines the English landscape garden with the French formal garden and Italian elements, and was largely created by the French landscape architect Édouard André.
French-made bronze figures, including a sculpture of Neptune, decorate the park. The Kestrichka Bara River crosses the grounds, where it is spanned by two bridges, one metal and one cement bridge designed to imitate a fallen tree. A small lake filled with lilies is also part of the landscape. Part of Euxinograd beach is fenced and inaccessible to the public, a restriction described as contrary to the Constitution and laws of the Republic of Bulgaria.
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