Occupying a succession of sandy cliffs and crumbling sugar-loaf hills, BALCHIK 's whitewashed cottages hover precipitously above a series of ravines running down to the sea. It's the kind of scene beloved of artists, and Balchik-inspired seascapes are a regular sight in provincial galleries throughout Bulgaria. Founded by the Milesians in the sixth century BC and named Krounoi ("The Springs"), the town was a valued haven for Greek merchants attempting to pass the treacherous waters around Cape Kaliakra, as well as an important centre for viniculture - hence its later name, Dionysopolis, honouring the god of the vine. By the sixth century AD, the harbour had silted up, and the Turks were subsequently to dub the town Balchik, or "Town of Clay".

Despite being popular with Bulgarians who take advantage of the numerous private rooms and inexpensive hotels, Balchik doesn't see many foreign tourists, largely because it lacks a really good beach. Package tourists from Albena are, however, bussed into town during the day to stroll around the streets and visit Balchik's main attraction: the summer palace of Queen Marie of Romania , a reminder of the inter-war years when Balchik was ruled from Bucharest.