Зараждането на културния туризъм във Варна в образи (Краят на XIX–началото на XX век)
The Birth of Cultural Tourism in Varna in Images (The Late 19th–the Early 20th Centuries)

Summary/Abstract: Cultural tourism is one of the most dynamically developing specialized types of tourism gaining increasing popularity today. Its origin in Europe is dated to the end of the 18th century, and Bulgaria is associated with the organization of the tourist movement at the end of the 19th century. Among the names of the first Bulgarian tourists are those of famous scientists and intellectuals. In Varna, the origin of the tourist movement in general and cultural tourism in particular are directly related to the life and work of Karel Škorpil. Initially as a teacher, and then as the founder of the Varna Archaeological Society and Museum, he organized numerous tourist excursions with an intellectual purpose in the surroundings of Varna. Together with like-minded people he organized the first tourist society in the city, giving it the amusing name “Darmadantsi” (from Turkish “darmaduman” – mess, messy). In 1902, it became the basis of the Varna branch of the Bulgarian Tourist Society. In the beginning it had 23 members, among them was one of the first female tourists both in Varna and in Bulgaria, the teacher Maria Minkova. In addition to organizing excursions out in nature, Varna tourists took care of the preservation and popularization of significant cultural and historical sites. Together with the members of the Varna Archaeological Society, they cleared the cluttered premises of Aladzha Monastery and the artificial caves near it (the so-called “Catacombs”). In addition, they built a room for tourists in the monastery, which turned it into one of the first sites of organized cultural tourism in the vicinity of Varna. In this regard, the members of the two societies requested the Bulgarian Parliament to cede several hectares of land around the monastery to them in order to improve the area and plant fruit trees. As a conclusion to the process of socialization, the rock monastery was officially consecrated on the feast of the Holy Trinity in 1908. Gradually, the goals and activities of the tourist society in the city began to overlap with those of the Varna Archaeological Society. For this reason, in 1909, the tourist society became a branch of the archaeological one. This article presents 30 photographs capturing individual moments of everyday tourist life as well as the emotions and enthusiasm of the pioneers of cultural tourism in Varna. The photographs are part of Varna Regional Museum of History documentary fund “Varna Archaeological Society” and photographs collection of Ivan Vakavchiev, kept in the State Archives–Varna. Ivan Vakavchiev was the first director of Maria-Louisa Girls’ High School in Varna, an associate of Karel Škorpil and a member of “Darmadantsi”. The photographs from his collection were taken in the period between 1900–1902. However, many of the photographed places cannot be recognized and precisely localized. Nonetheless, these pictures have sentimental value and most of them are being published for the first time.

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