Byala Бяла | |
|---|---|
 Overview of Byala, Varna Province | |
  Byala Location of Byala, Varna Province | |
| Coordinates:42°53′N27°53′E / 42.883°N 27.883°E /42.883; 27.883 | |
| Country | Bulgaria |
| Provinces (Oblast) | Varna |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Anastas Trendafilov |
| Elevation | 42 m (138 ft) |
| Population (15.06.2022) | |
• Total | 2,171[1] |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (EET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+3 (EEST) |
| Postal Code | 9101 |
| Area code | 05143 |
Byala (Bulgarian:Бяла[ˈbʲałɐ]lit. 'white') is a smalltown and seaside resort in easternBulgaria, located on theBulgarian Black Sea Coast inVarna Province. It is the administrative centre of the homonymousByala Municipality and lies in a semi-mountainous region in the easternmost branches ofStara Planina about 50 km south of the city ofVarna and 70 km north ofBurgas. As of June 2022, the town had a population of 2,205.
.jpg)
The first known settlement here, nearCape St. Athanasius (Sveti Atanas) just south of town, is dated back to the 6th century BC. Its Greek name was perhapsLarissa, later,Aspros (White). Later theRoman road service stationTemplum Iovis (Temple of Jupiter, today'sObzor) was erected with a fortress nearby. The region became part of theFirst Bulgarian Empire in 681 AD; the Bulgarian fortress ofVicha stood later perhaps on cape Beli Nos (Cape White) north of town.
In the Ottoman period (from the late 14th century through 1878), a village known asAkdere (White creek) existed at the town's present location; it was later renamed Byala. A customs office between thePrincipality of Bulgaria andEastern Rumelia was temporarily established in 1878. Until the early 1900s, the majority of the population was ethnicGreek[citation needed]; with the population transfers between Bulgaria and Greece following World War I, about 75% of them are now ethnic Bulgarians tracing their ancestry to the village of Athira (Bulgarian: Bozets) inGreek Macedonia. Byala was declared town on 5 September 1984.
Byala's economy is based mostly ontourism andagriculture, includingviticulture. There are several hotels, camping areas and beaches. There are attempts to develop "village tourism", a new concept that is believed to be interesting to foreigners.Nature landmarks outside Byala includeKaradere, one of Bulgaria's last remainingwild beaches with pristinedunes and freshwaterwetlands, and theWhite Cliffs (Белите скали,Belite skali) displaying a classicCretaceous–Paleogene boundary exposure; there is a demonstration centre.
The town is less developed compared to other tourist areas. The local government supports a few environmental and tourism projects. Byala's port is currently under reconstruction and is planned to become a yacht marina. There has been much new residential building undertaken between 2003 and 2006 due to perceived higher interest from foreign (particularly Danish and Dutch) investors and tourists.
In December 2007, plans were announced for a carbon-neutral resort atKaradere beach, some 3 km north of Byala,Norman Foster's first project in Bulgaria. A series of car free hill towns in a setting of oak forests, meadows and river gorges, Black Sea Gardens will create a year-round community for up to 15,400 residents.[2]
Local groups oppose the project. They say it will turnKaradere beach into a 6-star closed resort complex. The territory is extremely important from an ecological standpoint being part of theNatura 2000 protected zones network and also vital part of bio-diversity zones in Via Pontica for preservation of the habitats of birds.
Due to the wilderness of the territory and lack of any infrastructure, the project needs huge investments and after assessment of these or maybe other reasons, the original investor has backed off (July 2008).
The Bulgarian government's failure to enact regulations outlawing extensive developments in such protected areas may have encouraged the project—even more as Norman Foster's consulting architects company "Projects Ltd." is owned and run by the brother of the Bulgarian Prime Minister.
Capital:Byala | ||
| Villages | | |
| Landmarks | ||
| Culture | ||
| Notable people | ||
