On my trips in Bulgaria I very often come across these high-rise buildings built in what we often call typical Eastern European style. Tall, often a bit boring grey buildings. These were built in the 1960s and were to meet the need for cheap housing in large and actually also smaller cities. When I drive around Bulgaria, in smaller towns there can suddenly be one or more of these large towers towering over the village's slightly more traditional Bulgarian houses.
These come in two styles according to our AI friend:
Khrusjtsjovka (Хрушчовка):
Built primarily in the 1960s.
Low budget, quickly built to meet housing needs.
Typically 4-5 stories.
Built of concrete or panels.
Very small apartments with minimal comfort.
Brezhnevka (Брежневка):
Successor to the Khrushchevka.
Typically taller (5-9 stories or more).
More solid construction and better insulation.
Larger apartments, but still standardized.
The apartment is located in this building on the 12th floor.
I decided to try living in such a high-rise building in Varna. Partly because it was cheap and partly because my host on AirBnb lured me by calling the apartment "The View" - on the 12th floor with a view over the whole of Varna.
The apartment is located in the area of Hristo Botev (Христо Ботев) which is incredibly charming with a nearby school, small cozy shops and a small vegetable market nearby. If you want an authentic Bulgarian experience well outside the tourist areas and souvenir shops, this is highly recommended. And it is also recommended to know a little Bulgarian to get around in the shops, as you can't be 100% sure that people here speak English.
Hristov Botev area
I decided to take some pictures for Dimitars AirBnb page, as they might look a bit cold and were taken at night and might not sell the apartment optimally. Also to find out if I have a future in apartment photography. (Geek info: found out that it might require a tripod and a 16mm lens to get the whole room in one shot, so I stuck to some close-ups of gadgets instead).
The staircase and elevators were old and worn out (unfortunately no pictures) and here and there were wires sticking out for electricity and telephone. Tired old building with a slightly sad smell.
But inside the apartment was quite nice and the view was absolutely fantastic with a view of the south side of the city and the harbor. There was a long balcony that stretched the entire width of the apartment.
Another little useless info: There were a lot of doors in the apartment! I counted 10 (10!) doors in the 80 m2 three-room apartment: 3 to the long balcony, 1 to the toilet, 5 in the hallway to the exit and to the kitchen and rooms and 2 in from the bedroom.
Here are some pictures from "The view". Good view over the bay and to the hotel Cherno More and the Cathedral:
Day and night
Pictures from above. The neighborhood was nice with a soccer field and school nearby. And I have to take pictures of some trash - otherwise it wouldn't have been a complete trip :-)
Here I try to take a little more decadent pictures of the apartment. As mentioned, you should have a 16mm lens to be able to get an entire room and either on a tripod or with a large aperture. So it became more of a close-up than pictures of rooms. In addition, I found that adding a little "noise" to the pictures - especially of the furniture - gives them a more cinematic and exclusive look. Unfortunately, the bed could have been tightened up before the pictures were taken.
All in all, a good stay in an exciting part of town. I love seeing places that are full of life.
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